WORTHINESS. I AM URE WE HAVE ALL QUESTIONED, IF NOT BATTLED OUR VARIOUS FEELINGS OF BEING WORTHY. WE PONDER IF OUR LIVES DEFINE THE WORD “WORTHY” THAT MEANS, “HAVING OR SHOWING THE QUALITIES OR ABILITIES THAT MERIT RECOGNITION IN A SPECIFIED WAY.” DOES MY LIFE COUNT AND MEAN ANYTHING?
THIS IS WHY I FIND THE RESPONSE OF THE CENTURION QUITE INTERESTING. THE CENTURION SAYS THAT HE WAS UNWORTHY TO APPROACH JESUS AND TO HAVE JESUS COME INTO HIS HOME.
SO, ON HIS BEHALF, THE CENTURIAN SENDS THE ELDERS OF THE JEWS TO JESUS WHO JUST HAPPEN TO SAY THE EXACT OPPOSITE THAT HE WAS WORTHY AND DESERVING OF HAVING HIS SERVANT HEALED.
THEY WENT ON TO TELL JESUS THAT THE CENTURION “WAS DESERVING” BECAUSE OF HIS LOVE EXPRESSED TOWARDS THE JEWISH NATION AND ALL THE ASSISTANCE HE HAD GIVEN IN SUPPORT OF BUILDING THEIR SYNAGOGUE.
IN DESPERATION, THE CENTURION SENDS HIS FRIENDS TO JESUS TO, ONCE AGAIN, EXPRESS HIS UNWORTHINESS AND PLEAD FOR JESUS TO “SAY THE WORD” AND HEAL THE SERVANT BY COMMAND.
I AM SURE JESUS WAS INTRIGUED AT THE PERSISTANCE OVER THE FACT THAT EVERYONE WAS PUTTING SO MUCH EMPHASIS ON THIS CENTURION’S WORTHINESS….EXCEPT FOR…THE CENTURION.
IN VERSE 6, HIS MESSAGE IS “LORD, DO NOT TROUBLE YOURSELF, FOR I AM UNWORTHY THAT YOU SHOULD ENTER UNDER MY ROOF.”THE GREEK ADJECTIVE FOR “UNWORTHY”CAN BE UNDSTOOD AS LESS THAN “ADEQUATE” OR NOT BEING SUFFICIENT ENOUGH TO BE SEEN AS “FIT,” OR “MEETING” A PARTICULAR STANDARD.
SO, THE FIRST RESPONSE FROM THE CENTURION IS SAYING THAT HE FEELS INADEQUATE AND INSUFFICIENT TO HOST JESUS IN HIS HOME. I WONDER IF, NOT BEING JEWISH, THAT HE DIDN’T MEET THE STANDARD OR CRITERIA ACCORDING TO JEWISH LAW. I THINK WHATEVER IT WAS, HE WAS STRUGGLING WITH FEELING WORTHY.
THEN VERSE SEVEN SHOWS THE SECOND RESPONSE FROM THE CENTURION. HERE, HE CLAIMS“THEREFORE I DID NOT EVEN THINK MYSELF WORTHY TO COME TO YOU.” THE USE OF THE WORD “WORTHY” HERE CAN MEAN “TO BE JUDGED OR CONSIDERED AS DESERVING.”
HE MAY HAVE FELT THAT HE DID NOT DESERVE TO HAVE HIS PRAYER HEARD OR ANSWERED FOR HIS SAKE. HE WANTED THE REQUEST FOR THE SAKE OF HIS BELOVED SERVANT WHO HE THOUGHT WAS TRULY WORTHY OF BEING HEALED BACK TO LIFE.
DEEP DOWN, I THINK HE BELIEVED JESUS COULD JUST “SAY THE WORD” AND HEAL HIS SERVANT FOR THE SAKE OF THE SERVANT AND NOT BECAUSE HE WAS A PROMINENT INFANTRYMAN.
THE CENTURION THEN DESCRIBES THE LEVEL OF AUTHORITY HE POSSESSES. THE USE OF THE WORD “AUTHORITY” SIGNIFIES “THE POWER OF CHOICE” OR “RIGHT OF PRIVILEGE.”
WHAT HE IS SAYING IS THAT HE HAS THE AUTHORITY NOT ONLY DO AS HE PLEASES, BUT HAS THE COMMAND AUTHORITY TO RULE AND GOVERN. BASICALLY, WHAT HE IS SAYING IS “I RULE AND PEOPLE DO WHATEVER I SAY AND THIS IS JUST MAN-GIVEN AUTHORITY.”
THE CENTURION WAS USING HIS MAN-MADE AUTHORITY AS AN ANALOGY TO THE TYPE OF GOD-GIVEN AUTHORITY HE KNEW THAT JESUS POSSESSED SPIRITUALLY TO BE ABLE TO COMMAND THE ILLNESS TO LEAVE HIS SERVANT. HE WAS TESTIFYING TO THE SPIRITUAL POWER AND GOD-GIVEN AUTHORITY OF JESUS.
JESUS WAS SAID TO HAVE “MARVELED” AT THIS REVELATION. THAT WORD HERE MEANS “TO BE IN ADMIRATION.”JESUS ADMIRED THE CENTURION AKNOWLEDGING HIS AUTHORITY. JESUS ALSO APPROVED OF THE SOLDIER RECOGNITION THAT, WITH GOD THE FATHER, JESUS HAD FULL AUTHORITY OVER ALL THINGS.
THIS IS WHY HE COULD ASK JESUS TO “JUST SAY THE WORD” AND HIS SERVANT WILL BE HEALED. JESUS ANSWERED HIS FAITH BY HEALING HIS SERVANT.
IN VERSE TEN, THOSE WHO WERE SENT CAME HOME AND FOUND THE SERVANT COMPLETELY WELL. THE WORD “WELL” USED HERE MEANS “WHOLE” OR“TO BE IN GOOD HEALTH.”
THE SERVANT, WHO WAS ONCE POWERLESS, FEEBLE AND NEAR DEATH, IS NOW FULLY RESTORED, FILLED WITH HEALTH AND NOW RETURNED TO LIFE. THE SERVANT WAS MADE WHOLE AND ALSO COMPLETELY HEALTHY AGAIN.
THE CENTURION RECOGNIZED THE AUTHORITY OF JESUS WHICH WAS GIVEN TO HIM BY GOD THE FATHER. THE SAME AUTHORITY JESUS SPOKE OF IN MATTEW 28:18, “ALL AUTHORITY IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH HAS BEEN GIVEN TO ME.”
IT WOULDN’T BE LONG AFTER SAYING THIS THAT JESUS WOULD DELEGATE THIS AUTHORITY TO THE DISCIPLES KNOWN AS “THE GREAT COMMISSION” TO “GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS…”
NOTHING SINCE THAT TIME HAS CHANGED. WE CONTINUE ON WITH THE MINISTRY THAT JESUS FIRST COMMISSIONED THE DISCIPLES TO CARRY OUT. WE HAVE THE AUTHORITY OF JESUS AND WE SHOULD NOT BE AFRAID TO US IT NOR FEEL UNWORTHY TO HAVE IT.
WE CAN HEAR THE GOOD NEWS TODAY: WE ARE WORTHY TO APPROACH JESUS CHRIST TO RECEIVE HIS AUTHORITY TO MINISTER TO OTHERS, TO BE WITNESSES OF THE GOSPEL, AND TO CARRY OUT THE GREAT COMMISSION TO MAKE DISCIPLES.
WE ARE WORTHY TO APPROACH JESUS TO ASK HIM TO EMPOWER OUR MINISTRY BY HIS AUTHORITY! MAY WE CONTINUE ON WITH STEADFAST HOPE THAT WE ARE EMPOWERED WITH THE ABILITY, THE GIFTS, THE TALENTS AND WORTH TO CARRY OUT GOD’S WILL FOR OUR LIVES AND FOR HIS GLORY.
THIS IS WHY I LEAVE YOU WITH PAUL’S WONDERFUL PRAYER IN 2 THESSALONIANS 1:11-12, WHICH SAYS, “SO WE KEEP ON PRAYING FOR YOU, ASKING OUR GOD TO ENABLE YOU TO LIVE A LIFE WORTHY OF HIS CALL. MAY HE GIVE YOU THE POWER TO ACCOMPLISH ALL THE GOOD THINGS YOUR FAITH PROMPTS YOU TO DO. THEN THE NAME OF OUR LORD JESUS WILL BE HONORED BECAUSE OF THE WAY YOU LIVE, AND YOU WILL BE HONORED ALONG WITH HIM. THIS IS ALL MADE POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF THE GRACE OF OUR GOD AND LORD, JESUS CHRIST.”WE ARE WORTHY TO APPROACH JESUS! AMEN!
