Do you ever read the bible and run across stories that don’t seem to make a whole lot of sense (a rhetorical question I know). Or do you have stories that just puzzle you for years? Yesterday I spent time in a passage that I have never really understood the significance of until yesterday. And as I understood it, it was such a touching story to me that I wanted to write about it. So I don’t want to preach at anybody, but for anyone who wants to listen I want to share this passage and why it was special to me. Do you remember any time when Jesus was awestruck by somebody’s faith? When his jaw dropped, and he looked around, and he said “this person has amazing faith!”
In Luke chapter 7, Jesus walks into Capernaum and gets a visit from some “elders of the Jews” and they have news for him. Here is the whole story, in its NIV version.
Luke chapter 7: When Jesus had finished saying all this, in the hearing of the people he entered Capernaum. There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly was sick and about to die. The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” So Jesus went with them.
He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one “Go”, and he goes; and that one, “Come,” and he comes. I say to my servant “Do this,” and he does it.”
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.
Wow! Could you imagine Jesus saying that about you? (I definitely can’t)…can you imagine Jesus’ jaw dropping and saying “what amazing faith!” Let’s try to unravel this a little bit and take a closer look.
So who is this fellow? This centurion? What is a centurion anyways? A centurion is an appointed Roman military official. As he says himself, he is under authority, and he has men under his authority. To appreciate the significance of this it is important to know that Rome exercised political rule over this land at the time of Jesus. The Israelites were not happy about Rome’s presence, and longed for the days when they ruled themselves. So they were very prone to thinking that the Roman representatives were “lowly folks” to put it nicely. I imagine their attitude towards the Romans being similar to the attitude of the American colonies towards Great Britain right before the revolutionary war. There was definitely tension and resentment. I picture a tar-and-feathered British tax collector. Well the passage makes it clear that this Roman centurion was thought of very highly in Capernaum. In fact, “elders of the Jews” came on his behalf to plead for Jesus to come to heal his servant. The reasoning they give is interesting….”This man deserves to have you do this. He loves our nation, and has built our synagogue!” I imagine this centurion to be about as much of a “good guy” as you could find. We might call him today a “decent human being” or the kind of person that we wish there were more of in the world. He showed great concern for his sick servant. According to those elders of the Jews who came to Jesus in his behalf, he was kind to the Israelites in the area, and had definitely won their approval. I could imagine those elders thinking, “Come on Jesus, if anyone deserves to have you do something for them, it’s this guy. Look at all the good things he has done for us! So come on, follow us to his house and do what he asks of you.”
So Jesus agrees, and begins to follow them to his house.
Something interesting happens as Jesus approaches the house. Some of the centurion’s friends scramble out of the house and stop him. They have a message from the centurion.
“Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. That is why I didn’t even consider myself worthy to come to you…..”
Wait a minute….didn’t the elders of the Jews say if anyone deserves to have you come heal his servant, it’s this centurion? Why does the centurion act this way then? Why does he react so drastically? He won’t even let him into the house?! I used to think, “man what’s this guys deal. It’s not that big deal for Jesus to come into the house. Why didn’t he just have him in? There were lots of Pharisees and tax-collectors who casually invited Jesus into their homes. What is this guys deal?” But it is as if the centurion says “Man, look at me. Look at my life, look at how lowly I am. I feel so dirty. Man Jesus go away from me, I’m a sinner!” He doesn’t point to a single good thing that he has done, but he knows deep down that he is dirty. Does that sound like anybody else’s response to Jesus?
Peter had been traveling around with Jesus for quite some time, when Jesus performed a miracle that blew Peter away. Jesus told him to cast his nets back in the water, even though they had fished all night and came up with nothing. Being a professional fisher, Peter knew there was zero chance of now catching some fish. When those nets filled up, Peter instantly realized who Jesus was and it says he fell down at his knees and said “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”
What is the difference between Peter and the centurion? Peter was an Israelite. Peter spent lots of time with Jesus, even watching him perform miracles. But it took the miraculous catch of fish to finally bring Peter to his knees. The story here says that the centurion only heard of Jesus. It is probable that he had never seen him. And he wasn’t even an Israelite, who was supposed to be waiting for the coming messiah. He was a Roman. And yet his response to Jesus was the same as Peters, after only hearing about him. He did not demand Jesus to come over and perform some miracles to see if he was for real. Do you remember Herod wanted Jesus to do that, almost as if it was for entertainment purposes. This centurion was already on his knees, ashamed of his own sin, and in awe of who Jesus is without ever having seen him!! And he’s not even a Jew!
The centurion’s message to Jesus goes on to say “But say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me….” This centurion, who we don’t doubt esteems his sick servant very highly, has enough faith to know that Jesus doesn’t even have to come over to his house. That he can just say the word and his servant will be healed. Doesn’t that seem kind of risky? I mean, wouldn’t it be better to err on the side of caution and go ahead and have Jesus come over to his house to make sure that the servant is healed, just in case Jesus can’t heal from a distance? This is how much faith the centurion had in Jesus. And he says “For I myself am under authority, and I have people under my authority…” It’s as if he is saying “I understand authority when I see it. I know all about authority, and I know what kind of authority has been given to you Jesus.”
The centurion has no doubt about Jesus’ authority. He asks him to heal his servant from afar. He views himself as unworthy to even be in his presence. And Jesus’ response? “Wow! What amazing faith! I haven’t even found a Jew with faith like that!”
This story inspires me. The centurion had many opportunities to think he deserved something in life. That God owed him one. I mean, he even did good things for God’s people . He built their place of worship for them. He realized that God didn’t owe him a single thing! That he was, contrary to public appearance, unworthy to even enter the presence of His son. I believe that is the condition of every person on this earth, from the most passionate lover of God to the most wayward soul. We are all persistent in our disobedience to God, and none of us are worthy to enter His presence. That is why we so detest the idea of “piousness.” We all instinctively know that there is nobody who is really righteous. I think that is why people so dislike those who give off a “self-righteous” or “holier-than-thou” appearance. I have definitely realized that I am “holier-than-nobody.” My wife, or my closest friends could sure tell you a thing or two about that! I have heard it aptly put that a church is really a hospital for sinners, not a place for righteous people. I have also heard an analogy of sharing Jesus’ forgiveness as being like a beggar telling another beggar where to find bread. I definitely side with Peter, with the centurion, and with the tax-collector who beat his breast and went away downcast saying “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.” I am persistent in my waywardness from God every day. And he gives me his promise found in Isaiah 61 “by His wounds you will be healed.”
