A Centurion’s Faith
TRANSLATION
(1) When Jesus had finished saying all these things to those who were listening, he entered Capernaum. (2) Now a certain centurion’s servant whom his master valued highly was at the point of death, (3) and when the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him some elders of the Jews asking him to come and heal his servant. (4) And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly saying, “This man is worthy to have you do this for him, (5) for he loves our nation and is the person who built our synagogue.” (6) And Jesus went with them.
He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to tell him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. (7) That is why I did not think myself worthy to come to you. Just say the word, and my servant will be healed, (8) for, like you, I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” (9) When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you that not even in Israel have I found such great faith.” (10) And when those who were sent returned to the house, they found the servant well.
OBSERVATIONS
Once again, it was a Gentile as opposed to the Jews who received Jesus’ highest commendation. “Centurion” occurred three times (vss. 2, 3, & 6), “servant” five times (vss. 2, 3, 7, 8, & 10), “Jesus” three times (vss. 3, 4, & 9), “sent” (vss. 3 & 6), “come/came” six times (vss. 3, 4, 6, 7, & 8) and “heal/healed” twice (vss. 3 & 7). While the miracle Jesus worked in healing the centurion’s servant remotely should naturally produce in us a sense of awe and wonder, it is what caused Jesus to be amazed that should capture our attention in this passage, namely, a Gentile’s example of genuine faith.
OUTLINE
I. The Jewish leaders interceded with Jesus to heal the centurion’s servant. (1-6a)
II. The centurion’s faith in Jesus’ ability to heal remotely amazed Jesus. (6b-10)
IDEA STATEMENT
It is genuine faith, not good works nor ethnic background, that moves God to work in our behalf.
APPLICATION
What was it about the centurion’s faith that caused Jesus to be amazed? First, this man was a Roman soldier, who, as a Gentile, knew comparatively little about Israel’s God and the Scriptures. Second, he displayed an unusual humility. Roman officials normally had little regard for the Jews over whom they ruled. For this military leader to say, “I am not worthy to have you come under my roof,” was unheard of. Then for him to acknowledge Jesus’ authority simply to speak the word and have it immediately obeyed demonstrated amazing insight. Either he was seeking to flatter Jesus in order to persuade him to work a miracle, something that seems unlikely for a man in the centurion’s position of authority, or he somehow realized that Jesus deserved the kind of respect that should be given to royalty or divinity.
It was Jesus’ response to the centurion’s message that tells us just how extraordinary this man’s faith was. When he said, “Just say the word and my servant will be healed,” he displayed the kind of trust that would result not only in the servant’s healing but in his salvation and the salvation of his entire household. This is attested by a parallel account in John 4:43-54. In that narrative John specifically recorded, “And [he] believed, and all his household [were saved].” The Gentiles Jesus encountered often displayed greater faith than did the people of Israel who, because they possessed the Scriptures, should have known better and should have been far more responsive to the presence of their Messiah.