Luke 7:1-10
The Faith of the Centurion
1When Jesus had finished saying all this in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. 2There a centurion's servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. 3The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. 4When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, "This man deserves to have you do this, 5because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue." 6So Jesus went with them.
He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: "Lord, don't trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. 7That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."
9When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, "I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel." 10Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.
The Roman centurion has an interesting communication with Jesus...The centurion was a Gentile...His slave was sick and about to die...It was not him or anyone in his family that was sick...The centurion sends our some elders of the Jews to ask Jesus to help his slave...It is not a demand, but a request...No doubt, the centurion had heard about Jesus and His healing powers...The centurion had built a synagogue for the local people and loves the Jewish nation...
Jesus would cross racial boundaries...No doubt some of the Jewish people did not like the Romans...Probably some did not like Gentiles of any country...But Jesus loves everyone and can heal anyone...
Jesus goes with the Jewish elders to the centurions house...When Jesus gets not far from the centurion's house, the centurion sends friends to tell Jesus, "LORD don't trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof...That is why I did not consider myself worthy to come to You...But say the word and my servant will be healed...For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me...I tell one go and he goes, I tell another come and he comes...I say to my servant, do this and he does this"...
When Jesus heard this He was amazed...In this case, He was amazed at one's great faith...In another case, Jesus was also amazed at His hometown's lack of faith in Mark 6:6...This time He was amazed at their (the Jewish people is His own hometown) lack of faith...There in His hometown, He could only heal a few sick people...This Roman Gentile centurion showed more faith than many of His Jewish followers and the Jewish people who knew of God and His power for centuries...Jesus commends the centurion...He says that He has not found such great faith in Israel...
Jesus does not often commend, so we must take note here...Faith can be simple...It certainly was simple for the centurion...He had heard of Jesus and knew of His healing ability...The centurion knew that Jesus believed strongly in God...The centurion believed in God and Jesus and his servant was healed...He knew Jesus had God's spiritual authority...How simple...
We do not even know if Jesus even sees the centurion at all...We presume He does not...The centurion's men return to his house and find the servant well...What great faith...When one has faith and Jesus is there, miracles happen...