Luke 7:1-10
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When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people who were listening, he entered Capernaum. There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” So 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. That is why I did not even 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 this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
When 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.” Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.
Pray
Introduction to the Centurion’s Servant
Introduction to the Centurion’s Servant
Jesus finishes his talk with his disciples and then goes back into Capernaum.
The pressing need: A man is sick and about to die.
The elders of the Jews are sent to Jesus on behalf of the Centurion.
The elders state that the Centurion is worthy or deserves to have his servant healed.
The Centurion sends some friends to tell Jesus that (vs. 6) “I don’t deserve to have you come under my roof” and (vs. 7) “say the word and my servant will be healed”.
Substantiation: The Centurion explains authority based on his own leadership position.
Jesus is amazed at the faith of the Centurion and the servant is healed
(Both Luke and Matthew give us the same account.)
Imagine the editorial process that Luke undertook as he gathered up the various narratives about Jesus. He told Theophilus:
With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.
The Holy Spirit leads Luke to include this story in the narrative. Luke has checked it out… carefully investigated it. And he decides that this is important.
Why? Why does Luke include this story in the narrative?
The outcome is amazing:
The servant is healed… God rescues this man from the brink of death.
A centurion get’s to have his most valuable servant.
The Jewish elders in Capernaum get to see the Centurion blessed.
Isn’t this the type of thing that humanity longs for? Don’t we want God to work in our circumstances in such a way?
Why did God do this amazing miracle?
When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.”
Verse 4-5 Basis for God’s work:
The Jewish elders suggest that the Centurion deserves this
The man loves the nation of Israel
He paid for the construction of a synagogue in the town.
The context suggests
He cares about the health of his servant.
He has significant social status in the town because of his leadership role and his money.
No doubt, this Centurion sounds like an honorable man. He sounds like a quality guy. If this Centurion lived in Baltimore he would be invited to the Mayor’s events. We would often see him being commended by the Baltimore Sun. He probably would have a park named after him or maybe even a library would bear his name.
And the outcome of the story is a dream come true: Jesus worked to heal the servant.
Arn’t these the reasons why we think God should work in our life? Or maybe the absence of these things are the reason why God isn’t working in our life?
We may believe that we deserve God’s blessing because:
I’m a patriot. I love my city and my country.
I have done good stuff for other people. I have made huge sacrifices for other people.
I care for the people around me.
Other people like me. I have good standing at work or among my peers.
I get lots of likes on my Instagram posts and this famous person retweeted me.
My grades are impeccable. When my friends are out goofing off I’m home studying.
I give money to the homeless.
I attend church every week.
I give money to my church.
I deserve the favor of God because of “x”.
Did Jesus heal the servant because the Centurion deserved it? Does God work in our life because we deserve it?
Paul answers this question when he writes to the Philippians:
though I myself have reasons for such confidence.
If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.
But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.
The most religious man had to count his credentials as loss for the sake of Christ.
NO! The Centurion was not healed because he deserved it. In fact no human has ever earned the favor of God other then Jesus Christ.
What do we deserve?
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Each one of us have sinned and because of that sin we deserve death. We have earned a wage off of our sin work: that wage is death.
But we long for the outcome of this story.
But we long for the outcome of this story.
We need the touch of God upon our life. We need the touch of God upon our city. We need God’s touch upon our families. We see how broken the world is around us. We see fellow human beings murdering one another without mercy. We see doctors and scientist dedicated to discovering cures for death. We see artist longing to express beauty and truth.
We need God to say the word and it will be healed...
This story illustrates the two human attitudes necessary for God to work.
This story illustrates the two human attitudes necessary for God to work.
Look back at verse 6-7:
“for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. 7 That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed.”
for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. 7 That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed.y
I do not deserve… an expression of humility, lowliness, meekness.
6 So 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. 7 That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed.
Say the word and my servant will be healed… an expression of faith, trust, belief.
The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), .
Jesus then praises the man’s faith: “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.”
The Big Idea: God works where there is humility and faith.
The Big Idea: God works where there is humility and faith.
I have a question for you…
How does a person become a Christian?
Does going to church make you a Christian?
Does Christian music make you a Christian?
Does reading the Bible make you a Christian?
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.
Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Answer: A person becomes a Christian by expressing humility and placing their faith in Christ.
The legal term for this is justification:
Paul writes about this in the book of Romans. He is correcting any individual who thinks they can earn God’s favor by following the law and then turn around and boast to others over their good deeds.
The New International Version Chapter 3
27 Where, then, is boasting?p It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. 28 For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.q
Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.
The most important work that God can do in your life is to repair your relationship with God. If our relationship with God is broken then we have nothing. Every physical possession is a facade. Every human accolade or praise is empty. If we do not have our relationship with God fixed we are a damned individual etching out a brief existence before the eternal wrath of God is poured out upon us.
27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. 28 For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.
27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. 28 For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.
We need the justification that Paul writes about above. And that justification is by placing our faith in Christ.
But humility and faith are not just the door to salvation. NO! Humility and faith is how we do the rest of our life.
But humility and faith are not just the door to salvation. NO! Humility and faith is how we do the rest of our life.
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him,
Jesus finishes his talk with his disciples and then goes back into Capernaum.
The pressing need: A man is sick and about to die.
A comparison between receiving Christ and living the rest of your life.
The elders of the Jews are sent to Jesus on behalf of the Centurion.
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.
The elders state that the Centurion is worthy or deserves to have his servant healed.
Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”
The grace of God is given to the person who is walking in faith and humility.
The Centurion sends some friends to tell Jesus that (vs. 6) “I don’t deserve to have you come under my roof” and (vs. 7) “say the word and my servant will be healed”.
Substation: The Centurion explains authority based on his own leadership position.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Jesus is amazed at the faith of the Centurion and the servant is healed
The goal of God through his son Jesus is to be glorified. The table is set so that God gets the glory.
Tonight we have been talking about our interaction with God… what perspective we should hold. This is God’s design. And it brings him glory.
Ask yourself this question: “do I seek the favor of God believing I deserve it or am I seeking his favor in humility and faith?”
There are many good things that we can do along with this Centurion. But those ought to flow out of a life blessed by God as the effect of his Grace upon us.