Without question…Jesus…during His time on earth…amazed many people. The disciples…even after having been with Jesus on countless occassions…never lost their sense of amazement towards Jesus. Even during the last week of His life…after the disciples had no doubt seen hundreds upon hundreds of miracles…when Jesus caused a fig tree to wither, Matthew tells us that, “the disciples were amazed.” (Matthew 21:20)
People were and continue to be amazed by Jesus. Jesus was and is…amazing! But did you know Jesus Himself was amazed on occassion? What in the world would ever amaze Jesus?
Two times…we are told Jesus was amazed. On both occassions…faith was the focus of His amazement. Jesus was amazed at the lack of faith of those living in His hometown. (Mark 6:6) And here in Luke 7, Jesus is amazed by the level of faith shown by…of all people…a Roman Centurion.
Luke 7:1-10 is another vivid example of how one encounter with Jesus can change everything!
Now…faith has been defined as many different things…but to put it as simply as possible…faith is trust.
Charles Blondin was a French tightrope walker and acrobat. He toured the United States in the mid 1800’s and was best known for crossing Niagara Falls…usually without a safety net. He did it many times in different ways: bliindfolded, in a sack, on stilts, evven sitting down to make and eat an omelet.
Probably his most daring feat was to push a wheelbarrow loaded with a heavy sack of concrete across the wire. With all that weight…the slightest overbalance could wrench the wheelbarrow out of his hands or twist him off the wire and into the falls. But…Blondin…was the ultimate showman…he was the master of the high wire. He regularly took the wheelbarrow all the way across the falls without an issue.
One day…after successfully doing so…Charles Blondin asked an inpressed reporter: “Do you believe I can do anything on a tightrope?” “Oh, yes, Mr. Blondin,” said the reporter, “After what I’ve seen today, I believe it. You can do anything.”
“Do you believe, then,” said Blondin, “That instead of a sack of cement, I could put a man in this wheelbarrow…a man who has never been on a tightrope before…and wheel him…without a safety net…safely over to the other side?”
“Oh, yes sir, Mr. Blondin,” said the reporter, “I believe it.”
“Good,” said Blondin, “Get in.”
It’s one thing to express belief…it’s an entirely different thing to “get in.”
You see…faith is a doing word. It’s a word of action. It a decision of active trust.
And faith is always placed in something. That object / person is the foundation of your faith.
Example: a Stool.
I have faith…I trust it’s integrity / ability to hold me up.
Now…how many have ever discovered…probably the hard way…that the power / trustworthiness behind any promise is the person who made the promise.
Our faith isn’t a blind faith. It’s not based on a feeling or a hunch. Our faith is solid. We place our faith / trust in JESUS. Our faith is based on God’s character…God’s track-record…and God’s Word. The power behind the promises of Christianity is the person of JESUS. He is absolutely faithful…and trustworthy.
Now…in Luke 7:1-10…we meet a Roman Centurian whose faith leaves Jesus Himself amazed.
v.1 - “When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people, He returned to Capernaum.”
Jesus has just finished sharing the Sermon on The Mount (beautitudes, etc…)
He returns to Capernaum…which has become His homebase.
v.2 - “At that time the highly valued slave of a Roman officer was sick and near death.”
So…lots of information in this verse.
First…we have a Roman Officer. A Centurian.
He would have been a Gentile.
Without question…this man would have been raised in a pagan household.
He was a Roman…who was in charge of 100 men…all of who were enemy occupiers.
He was one of the most unlikely people you’d ever expect to amaze Jesus.
We’re told that this man had a “highly valued slave.”
It’s safe to assume…that this Centuriun had a lot invested financially in this servant…but the story is also very clear…that this man is valued not just as a “slave” but as someone who is deeply cared for.
This slave…is sick and near death.
v.3 - “When the officer heard about Jesus, he sent some respected Jewish elders to ask Him to come and heal his slave.”
So…he’s, “heard about Jesus.” What do you suppose he’s heard?
Well…he hears about Jesus and this leads him to ask some well respected Jewish leaders to approach Jesus about coming and healing his slave.
Now…let’s think about this for just a moment before we move on…
This Centurion’s servant is sick and near death.
This man…has the power of Rome behind him…but that can’t heal his slave.
This man…was wealthy…his bank account was full…but all the money in the world couldn’t heal his slave.
But this man heard about Jesus…and it’s a good thing he did…because one encounter with Jesus…ends up changing everything.
v.4,5 - “So they (the Jewish leaders) earnestly begged Jesus to help the man. ‘If anyone deserves your help, he does,’ they said, ‘for he loves the Jewish people and even built a synagogue for us.’”
Okay…this isn’t normal. This is one special guy.
Jewish leaders were definitely not in the habit of being fond of Roman soldiers.
But these guys go to bat for this Centurion.
They try to convince Jesus that because of how good this man is…he deserves a miracle.
Has anyone besides me…ever used that tactic in prayer?
Lord, “If anyone deserves your help…they do.”
It’s kinda like God owes us something…if we can get enough GOLD STARS for good behavior / faithfulness.
The Jewish leaders approach Jesus on the basis of, “This man deserves to have you do this.”
Why did they feel he was deserving? Well: (1) Over time…it had become clear that this man was different. He had a genuine affinity for the Jewish people. (2) He built them a church.
I had to do a little research to find this out…but…it appears that a typical foot soldier at this time received about 225 denarii as an annual salary.
A Centurion…like this man…could expect to earn somewhere between 5000-7000 denarii a year.
This guy was more than capable to finance the construction of a synagogue…and in fact he had done so.
Side note: Acheologist have determined that Carpeneum only had one synagogue.
v.6 - “So Jesus went with them. But just before they arrived at the house, the officer sent some friends to say, ‘Lord, don’t trouble yourself by coming to my home, for I am not worthy of such an honor.”
We don’t know if the Jewish leaders arguments were the reason Jesus came…we just know…Jesus went with them.
Jesus was a very busy man…yet he was willing to fit this into His schedule.
Jesus has a long track record of coming to those who are in need and call on Him.
This is kinda funny. First…the Centurion sends…asking Jesus to come to his house. Now…just before Jesus shows up…he sends some friends to tell Him not to bother.
It would be interesting to know what happened in his thought process.
He still wanted Jesus to heal his slave…he just didn’t want Jesus to come.
The Jewish elders had been trying to convince Jesus of how worthy and deserving this man was…now the Centurion himself is saying he’s not worthy or deserving.
Maybe he had some guilt about something in his life…that caused him to feel unworthy?
Perhaps he suddenly grasped how holy Jesus was and how unholy he wasn’t?
We don’t know…we just know…he did not consider himself worthy of being in the presence of Jesus.
v.7,8 - “‘I am not even worthy to come and meet you. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.’”
I love the phrase, “Just say the word.”
This man…has a clear picture / understanding of who Jesus is.
A foreigner…the least likely person…ends up understanding better than anyone else of his day…just how far Jesus’ authority reaches and how it operates.
So much so that verse 9 says, “When Jesus heard this, He was amazed. Turning to the crowd that was following Him, He said, ‘I tell you, I haven’t seen faith like this in all of Israel!’”
This Centurion understood that a person in authority has the power to delegate authority in order to accomplish his / her purpose.
The Centurion knew that he didn’t have to be in the presence of Jesus to receive his miracle.
The Centurion sees Jesus as a commander like himself…and recognizes that Jesus has authority in the spirit world to heal…PERIOD.
He knew Jesus’ words had the power / authority to accomplish whatever He spoke from wherever He may be.
“Just say the word from where you are and my servant will be healed.”
v.10 - “And when the officer’s friends returned to his house, they found the slave completely healed.”
Now…this is especially interesting to me.
Luke…probably the most detailed of the Gospel writers…never mentioned Jesus ever saying a word.
“Just say the word,” yet…no word is even recorded.
We’re just told that the man’s friends returned to the house…and when they got there…the slave was completely healed.
Jesus healed the man without saying a word.
Jesus didn’t go. He didn’t touch the servant. He didn’t offer a public prayer. He didn’t do anything outwardly…yet the man was healed.
And that’s the power of faith.
I love this story…this encounter with Jesus…and I believer there are several things the Lord is wanting to communicate to us through His Word today.
YOU DON'T NEED A WORD
The Centurion wanted / desired a Word of healing…but truth is…it wasn’t needed.
Then what was needed? Faith.
His faith…was the catalyst that caused the power and authority of JESUS to bring victory…without a word…into his circumstances.
The Lord hasn’t lost His authority over whatever it is you may be facing.
You don’t need a word. It’s time to stop trying to get God to do whatever it is you need Him to do…and to by faith…possess what He has already provided.
John 19:30 - “It is finished.”
Ephesians 1:20 - Jesus is “seated” at the right hand of God.
Why’s He seated? Because “it is finished.”
Ephesians 1:3 - “We praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has (past tense) blessed us with every blessing in heaven becasue we belong to Christ.”
1 Peter 2:24 (MEV) - “He Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness. ‘By His wounds you were (past tense) healed.’”
There are things in your life you have been hoping God would do…or trying to get Him to do…and…it’s not a matter of trying to get God to move in your life…it’s a matter of you moving into agreement with Him and receiving what He has already provided for you.
Example: A present under the tree with exactly what you desire…but unless you unwrap it…you never enjoy it…even though it’s clearly available to you.
GOD HONORS SIMPLE TRUST
Sometimes it’s easy to think: “If Jesus were here in the flesh and were to lay His hand on me…or this person…I’d be instantly healed.” That’s nice…probably true…but and encounter with Jesus is simpler than that. In fact…an encounter with Jesus doesn’t require Him being physically present.
What made the Centurion’s faith so amazing is…His simple trust. I love the story of the lady who touched the hem of Jesus’ garment. Awesome story. Her faith was dependant upon her ability to touch the hem of His garment. The Centurion on the other hand…His faith didn’t require anymore than a Word.
He knew that Jesus’ authority was what would decide the outcome of his situation. It was simple trust…and Jesus responds to simple trust.
Sadly, many Christians limit God. God can do anything, but because of their unbelief God will not work in their situation. God honors faith. God is pleased when you approach Him in faith, believing that He will answer your request. God is pleased with you obey Him in faith…trusting Him to fulfill the clear promises found in His Word.
Will you trust Him? Faith honors God and God honors faith.
YOU CAN PRAY HERE AND MIRACLES CAN HAPPEN THERE! (God’s Power & Authority Isn’t Limited By Time or Space)
This Centurion had what we might call, “Long-Distance Faith”. It was a “Reach-Out-And-Touch-Someone” faith. He believed that Jesus had the power and authority to accomplish whatever He willed…whenever and wherever the need may be. And He was right.
If I pray for God to heal a broken marriage in another state…the Lord is not limited by time or space.
If I pray for a sick friend / family member 4 states away…the Lord is not limited by time or space.
If Parker has a test in Springfield, MO…I can pray here in Arkansas…and God is in the least bit limited.
Jesus can speak His Word across whatever distances and delegate His power to be exercised by you and I…here and now…on behalf of absolutely anyone…anywhere…at anytime. I can pray HERE and miracles can happen THERE.
PRAYER
To Help Us To Trust Him
For Those Not Here Who Need A Miracle
