Luke 7:1-10 will provide us with a lens to understand what great faith is and how to gain it. This passage comes right after the conclusion of Jesus’ instructions to his disciples on how to be a disciple. When you look at Luke 6 you will see Christ’s discipleship manual where he does all his teachings on discipleship and in the beginning of chapter 7 he is seen entering Capernaum, a small fishing village near the Sea of Galilee. This is where Jesus spent much of His time, and performed many of his miracles. In Capernaum Jesus heals a man of an unclean spirit in the Capernaum synagogue (4:31-37). Jesus heals Simon’s mother-in-law of a “high fever” at Simon’s house in Capernaum (4:38-39).
Capernaum was both a tourist area and a commercial place. People from all over this region would travel through Capernaum to get to Rome, Egypt, Africa and beyond. Rome and King Herod had made Capernaum a place one could come and pay their taxes. Capernaum was then a potential perfect environment for smugglers and thieves. That is why history tells us that there was a major military presence in Capernaum because King Herod didn't want to lose precious tax revenue.
Luke 7:2 goes on to tell us that in Capernaum there was a centurion. Centurions were actually Roman Army officers who generally commanded 100 soldiers. So, this centurion would have had a very important job. In many ways, he was one of the most important men in Capernaum. This man was likely working under Herod Antipas and responsible for tax collecting. It was his responsibility to keep everyone safe and sound and to keep the money flowing to King Herod and Rome. Most of the centurions were Gentiles, though sometimes they were half-Jews – Samaritans, so the Jewish people tended to despise centurions.
By and large, I’ve typically read the story of Jesus and the centurion as a tremendous story about the nature of faith. To the question, “What is faith?” this story offers some answers. The read passage presents Faith as a deep conviction. It’s a decision you make, no matter what the circumstances of your life. And it makes all the difference in the way you perceive the world around you.
The story begins with some Jewish leaders coming to Jesus and asking him to heal the servant of a Roman Centurion. Apparently this was no ordinary Centurion, because he had been very kind to the Jewish people in this community. So Jesus agrees to go with them. But on the way, the Centurion sends word that he is not worthy to receive Jesus to his house. Normally in the Gospels people express their faith in Jesus after he worked a miracle. But in this case, without seeing any kind of sign or wonder, the Centurion has faith that Jesus can just say the word and heal his servant. It’s not surprising then that Jesus said, “not even in Israel have I found such faith!” (Lk. 7:9).Oddly, the centurion and Jesus never meet face-to-face. All their interactions occur through other people.
Jesus is dazzled by this centurion's faith, marveling that such faith is not even found among God's chosen people. This is shocking. Why would Jesus praise a foreigner, a Gentile, a centurion so highly? I want to give three points on why his faith was placed high by Jesus
1. He had a good understanding about the worth of life
Faith is not a noun, but rather it is a verb. In other words we do not “have” the faith, instead we “live” the faith.
This centurion possessed a great big heart for those who lived in his house and for the Jewish people living around him. When we value other people’s life there our faith counts.
According to Roman law when a slave was no longer valuable their owners could get rid of them like one would get rid of a worthless horse or a worthless piece of furniture. Most of the time slave owners didn't care anything about the health and welfare of their slaves. Slaves at that time were not even seen as human beings. They were just tools to be used as one would use a sword, a wash basin or a pair of sandals. Their only value was in what gain or pleasure they could bring to their owners.
An ancient writer mentioned like this, for agriculture three types of tools were used
a) Those who talk- slaves
b) Those who make sound- Animals
c) Those who do not make any noise- tools like axe, knife etc
For this centurion slaves weren't just tools to be used or numbers on a board. They were not things that he owned just to bring him wealth or pleasure. Instead, the picture that Luke provides for us here is that of a man who understood and cared for his slaves, especially this young man. The centurion, who loved this servant, hated to see him in such distress and agony. So in Luke 7:3, he hears that Jesus is in town, and sends some people to ask Jesus to heal his servant. Luke 7:4 says that when they came to Jesus, they begged Him earnestly to heal the servant. It is always a good idea in prayer to get friends and relatives to pray with you and for you. Do we recognize the worth of lives around us?
I think in this postmodern world selfishness creeps in all the walks of life..may be in your profession, personal life…Its all about me, this becomes the motto of many. Pay attention to me- give me, serve me. We desire for a life partner who will not impede our ways to personal happiness, We look for in children to fulfill our dreams, we seek for situations, circumstances, climate everything to favor us. We love colleagues and other people around us who meet our expectations.
The medias around us compel us to promote ourselves, please ourselves, protect ourselves and make a name for ourselves. And we tempt to think that self –promotion and self celebration is the path to happiness.
People are being objectified, seen as a means for our achievements. It ultimately leads to peace less homes, conflicted lives, brokenness of relationships and shallow dreams.
It is in such a world can we recognize the worth of other person’s life? The centurion’s faith was valued when he counted his servant’s life valuable
2. His quality of intervention in lives.
The centurion sends elders of the Jews as his representatives. This tells us that he had a good relationship with them. Roman centurions weren’t known for their love of Jews. Most Roman centurions hated the Jews, were prejudiced against the Jews. But here in the passage for today it says that the centurion loved Jews in spite of all hatred and divisions. In Jesus’ time Romans had only one God that is the Roman Empire. This centurion even though a part of roman regime he considered Jews as his fellow brothers and also built a synagogue for them (7: 5). Thus his intervention bridged the gap between Romans and Jews in that premise.
Nowadays we hear appealing slogans like “one country-one law, one country-one language” so on and so forth..But in under cover there exists disparities and resulting violence which is being celebrated by people with vested interests. Thus we are living in a divided world.
In an artificial virtual world our self-selected sources of news and friends on social media can give us a false sense of community. But when we look up from our screens we discover that we are a culture divided on many fronts. We are afraid of one another who will really challenge my worldview.
This is a world which celebrates divisions and takes advantage of hurt.
In a divided world of hatred centurion’s intervention bridged the gap. Are our interventions making any positive impact in the world we live in, in the relationship with people around us? or is it widening the gaps and chasing people away from us creating hatred and disparities?
Let us challenge ourselves this week to analyze our interventions and the impact that create on others
In the Bible Jesus taught us to cloth the naked. It is not just the physical nakedness Jesus meant. If you have some money to spare you can do it without any hesitation. But by nakedness Jesus might have meant those who fall short in self esteem and stand exposed lags behind in social standard and expectations. Will you be there to cover them up and give voice in their noiselessness?
If somebody comes and tell you unwanted bad things about a person instead of fanning the flame you must be able to say “I don’t believe this about him” there by clothing the shame of that person.
Are our interventions making any impact in the world around us?
The centurion’s faith was valued when his interventions made an impact in the world he lived.
3. His perception about God and Self.
He realized that his authority and material gains are confined to this world which undergoes change is not static. He also realized that there are things beyond his reach and authority. And that he found in Jesus. He can give treatment but he can’t heal. He can control 100 soldiers but he can’t control situations around him. He can arrange people as intermediaries but he can’t facilitate change. He knew with all the powers vested upon him he has limitations. So he put trust upon the one who has unlimited resources. This perception he had about God and himself made all the change.
Richard Rohr in his book, Radical Grace reminds us that "Humility and human come from the Latin word, humus, dirt. A human being is someone . . . taken out of the dirt. A humble person is one who recognizes that and even rejoices in it!"
Luke 7:6-7. Then Jesus went with them. And when He was already not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying to Him, “Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof. Therefore I did not even think myself worthy to come to You. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. The centurion says to Jesus, “Just send your word, and heal my servant.” The only way our prayers can be this audacious, this assertive, this confident, this commanding, is when we have complete trust in God.
Jesus is so shocked at the man’s faith, he says to the crowd, “I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!” Today morning we meditated upon three dimensions of his faith.
1. He had a good understanding about the worth of life
2. He shows forth a Quality in his intervention in lives
3. His perception about God and Self.
It’s like He is saying, “Now that is faith!”
This passage is an example for what Jesus saw as faith.
