Authority and Faith

Luke 7:1-10

Doctor Luke tells us that Jesus is entering into Capernaum and a centurion had a servant who was sick to the point of death.  A centurion was a Roman army officer who was in charge of 80 to 200 men, and he was under the senior tribune.   Much like today where a captain in the army is under a Colonel.  

This centurion servant was of great value to him and the centurion had heard about Jesus, we do not know what he heard; maybe the healing of a man with a demon, or the cleansing of a leper, the healing of a paralytic, it may have been all of the above.  This we know the officer had been told about Jesus and he sent to Jesus the elder of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. 

There is a big problem, Rome is over Israel, and the Jews look at Gentiles much like Muslims look at anyone who is not a Muslim, as unclean, as of no worth, lower than dogs.  But let me be very clear, the Jews did not want to kill Gentiles, as the Muslims want to do to anyone who will not subsume to their system.

The Romans were hated and despised by the Jews, and yet they were coming to Jesus asking him to help, why would they do so?  Doctor Luke gives this information: “And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, "He is worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue."  (Luke 7:4-5)  The centurion is still part of the oppressive Roman government, but the testimony from the elders shows that he is worthy, and the answer is he loves our nation and he is the one who built our synagogue.  The synagogue was the center of Jewish life, much different than the church is today even for followers of Christ.

So we have Jesus agreeing to go and he is coming down the street to the centurion’s house when a friend of the centurion comes to Jesus with this message: "Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof.  Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed.  For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."  (Luke 7:6b-8) 

Could it be that many of us read this and come away with little understanding of what has taken place.  First, the centurion with the authority from Rome to do as he saw fit in the best interest of Rome to any Jew, as long as they did not have Roman citizenship, he loved this Jewish nation.  He also understood authority being a military man, and yet considered himself not worthy to be in the presence of Jesus.  But this Gentile had faith, Jesus said, “I tell you not even in Israel have I found such faith.”  Dr. Luke tells us Jesus marveled at the faith of this Roman centurion, and what kind of faith did he have?  Faith has no distance and the centurion knew that, he knew Jesus could heal his servant.  More of us need military authority, for it was under that training the centurion understood the spiritual authority Jesus had.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice