Luke 7:1-10 – Perspectives of faith

One critical life principle is to learn to see situations as they really are. The wise learn to look at life honestly. Like it or not, this principle applies to every aspect of life. Whether concerning our strength or weakness, we must face it with honesty. More so when we come to the issue of faith. Effective faith is always exercised in reality. In this account of the centurion seeking Jesus to touch his sick servant, we see true faith in action. This story shows us different perspectives of faith.    

Jesus had come to Capernaum after the appointment of the Twelve, and giving that great sermon of the plain. He had just challenged His hearers to hear and act on His Word. Here a centurion who had a servant, whom he valued highly, was sick and about to die. Luke tells us that this was an unusual centurion. Any ordinary centurion would have left the sick servant to die. But this centurion in question was not any ordinary centurion, that’s why he had an extraordinary compassion for his sick servant. There were many centurions in the Roman army who held the rank equivalent to a captain in our day. He is called a centurion most likely because he took command of 100 soldiers. And although death was a common experience in that ancient world, he wished that his servant would be spared. Why? He saw in the servant more than just an equipment to be used. He cared for him as a person, something that tells us he was a gracious master.

In verses 3-5, we are introduced to the Jewish friends of the centurion. What’s unusual in this account is that the centurion, a Gentile, should ask the Jewish elders to help him seek Jesus’ help. It’s also unusual to note that those elders did it eagerly. It’s unusual because, synagogue leaders were not used to running errands for anyone, much less a Gentile. Nevertheless they came to Jesus and earnestly, on the centurion’s behalf, implored Him to help. Whatever they said about the centurion was glowing. They told Jesus that, “He is worthy for You to grant this to him; for he loves our nation and it was he who built us our synagogue.” Centurions would only help the Jews if it was advantageous to them. But this one was different. Unlike many of his colleagues, he was drawn to the Jewish God. In those days such people were known as God-fearers, meaning that they were interested to worship the monotheistic God but refused to be a proselyte to Judaism. The centurion was certainly a helpful man to Israel, but to say he deserves help was probably the elder’s own concoction to get Jesus to help. Why so? The centurion’s own admission to Jesus tells us how he felt about himself. He felt unworthy to have Jesus come under his roof. While it’s true that this centurion loved Israel, the elders measured him based on the external. They measured him based on the external deeds he had done for them. They said he was good to the nation of Israel and built them their synagogue. Isn’t this how some people today would think? They felt that God should accept people because they have contributed to the church building funds.

In verses 6-7, we see the informed perspective of the centurion himself. Before Jesus arrived, he quickly dispatched another delegate to Jesus, to tell Him not to trouble Himself, for he did not deserve to have Jesus come to his home. That’s the reason he did not go to Jesus personally. He did not feel worthy to meet Jesus personally. The centurion had a proper estimate of himself. He was conscious of his own personal unworthiness. That’s a wholesome self-perspective. More importantly, He had the right estimate of Jesus. He knew Jesus had the authority and power over the realm of the unseen. He need not be present in his home, all He needed was to speak the word and his servant’s sickness would have to go. What he said implied that he knew that Jesus is the Son of God. What an informed perspective of Jesus! He realized that Jesus had the power over sickness and death. He was conscious of the divinity of Christ and hence felt unworthy to meet Him.

From what he said, Jesus concluded and told the crowd that the centurion had a great faith that was not even seen among Israel. There are only two times that we saw Jesus being amazed. Besides being amazed by the centurion’s faith, the other time is found in in the account recorded in Luke 4:14-30. He began his public ministry in his hometown of Nazareth then, and His fellow Jews rejected him: “he was amazed at their lack of faith”

How do we see Jesus? And how do we see ourselves? Do we think that God should accept us because we attend church regularly, and that we give regularly?  God accepts us not because of our giving or our commitment to church. He accepts us because we recognize and accept Christ for Who He really is. He is the Son of God and we need Him in our life. And with that knowledge, we surrender our all to Him and yield in total abandonment to His Lordship.