A Conversation With A Centurion

The Bible tells us that every day Jesus went about doing good. He did that in several ways, for example:

• He healed the sick

• He fed the hungry

But he did something else that we overlook when we consider all the good things He did. HE TALKED WITH PEOPLE. But He not only talked to people, He talked to all kinds of people.

For example, if the Lord was here today physically:

• He would take those loving eyes and look at each of us, not collectively, but as individuals

• He would share a smile with each of us

• He would touch some of us with his hands

The Lord loved people.

Many times in the Scriptures He would talk with someone that others looked down upon.

Illus: For example, remember the Samaritan woman at the well, who was a woman of ill repute? The Lord laid His reputation on the line to talk to her. Why? Because the Bible tells us He did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

The Lord loved people! And the more we become like Him, the more we will love people. When we become like Christ:

• We will not just love some people, we will love all people

• We will not just love one race of people, we will love all races of people

• We will not just socialize with some people, we will socialize with all kinds of people

• We will not just talk to some people, we will talk to all kinds of people

• We will not just help some people, we will help all people

The more we become like Christ. the more we will love people the same way He did. The reason we see people today who do not do these things is because they are not like Christ.

So that we can become like Him in loving people, lets look at-

I. THE PATTERN OF CHRIST

He was frequently seen talking to Roman soldiers, small children, shady ladies, people of other religions and people of other colors.

This can be clearly seen in our scripture passage for this sermon.

The Centurion did not feel worthy for Christ to come to his house, he simply asked Jesus to speak the words and it would be done.

Notice, Jesus did not categorize people as we often do.

• To Him, there were no social levels

• To Him, there were no religious levels

• To Him there were no age levels

• To Him there were no gender levels

• To Him, there were no colors

We have many in our society who can only see color.

Illus: They remind us of the story about the two apples hanging in a tree, looking down on all the fighting, hating, robbing and rioting in the world.

• The first apple said, “Look at all those people destroying each other…no one seems to be willing to get along with his fellow-man.”

• He then said, “Someday, we apples will be the only ones left…then we’ll rule the world.”

• The second apple said; “Which of us – the red or the yellow apples?”

The Lord loved everyone.

• To Him, everyone had His complete and undivided attention

• To Him, everyone had His love, acceptance and forgiveness

The Centurion that came to Him in our text is no different. When the Bible talks about him being a Centurion, this meant he was a military man, dressed in a uniform, in charge of one hundred men. But when the Lord cast His loving eyes on him, all he saw was a man who needed some help.

HOW QUICK WE ARE TO LOOK AT PEOPLE AND JUDGE THEM. For example:

• If we see a man with long hair, many of us will judge him to be a dope addict. THIS MAY NOT BE THE CASE AT ALL!

• If we see a man wearing an expensive suit, many of us would judge him to be wealthy. THIS MAY NOT BE THE CASE AT ALL!

It is a good thing that most of us are not a judge on the judiciary bench because so many times our judgment is wrong.

Illus: Dody Gadient, a school-teacher for thirteen years, decided to travel across America and see the sights she had been teaching about. Traveling alone in a pick-up with a travel trailer in tow, she launched out on her great adventure.

One afternoon, rounding a curve on I-5 near Sacramento, California, in rush-hour traffic, her water pump blew on her truck. She was tired, exasperated, scared and alone. In spite of the traffic jam she caused, no one seemed interested in helping.

After waiting a while, a huge Harley drove up, driven by an enormous man sporting long, black hair, a beard and tattoos everywhere.