How big is your Jesus?

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Ed Tulloch

Hope City Church Edinburgh

The Gospel of Luke • Sermon • Submitted 5 years ago • Presented 5 years ago • 23:28

Luke 7:1–10

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God's Grace

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Is your picture of Jesus too small? Today's reading shows Jesus raising a widow's son from the dead - but he has more power than this. It's a sign of who he truly is - and as we grasp his identity, he transforms our life.

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Big Idea

Big Idea: Jesus blesses the undeserving.

This is what the centurion gets that amazes Jesus. Everyone else thinks he's so deserving. He thinks he's an undeserving outsider - but he believes Jesus blesses the undeserving.

[sure, he also acknowledges Jesus' power - but there are only small elements of that which are distinctive. this can't be what amazes Jesus; it's not the "weight" of the text]

Big Application

Big application: Grasp how big God's grace is.

Think you're deserving and he'll embrace you? nope.

Think you're undeserving and so he’ll leave you? nope.

Jesus doesn’t just want to heal your dear servant, he wants to save undeserving you. Can you believe that?

Undeserved Blessing

Hook: worthy?

Who is it that our society looks up to? Who are the important people in our world? Who do we think is worthy of honour? Who should be served? Politicians? World leaders? Titans of industry? No!

Celebs, obvs. I came across an amazing story which demonstrates this and I just have to share.

Kylie Jenner

Who is this? Kylie Jenner. Well done, culturally educated people. I confess: I actually wouldn’t have known. But apparently she’s a terribly important celeb, somewhere near the top of the A list.

Do you think there’s actually someone responsible for tracking all the people who are bonafide celebs, figuring out which list they are on and all that? You know, some sort of celebrity audit process you have to pass before officially becoming a C-list celebrity? And then some ranking or league, maybe a sort of playoff for promotion to a higher list?

Anyway, she’s apparently on the A-list. Now celebrities, these are the sort of people that our world thinks are worthy of honour. The sort of people that should be served. We should roll out the red carpet for them, right? And we do. Hound them with cameras when they go shopping. And we do. Worry about what sort of lipstick they put on. And we do.

But Kylie Jenner is worthy of more than just that. You see, Kylie had a problem. Here’s some of an official news article to bring you up to speed:

When Forbes reported that Kylie Jenner, the 20-year-old cosmetic mogul from the Kardashian/Jenner family, was just $100 million shy of becoming the world's youngest self-made billionaire, fans of the reality-TV star banded together … A GoFundMe campaign has been created in Jenner's honor by Josh Ostrovsky, an Instagram celebrity … The campaign description reads: "I don't want to live in a world where Kylie Jenner doesn't have a billion dollars. We must raise 100 million dollars to help her get to a billion, please spread the word, this is extremely important."

Kylie Jenner, so it seems, is worthy of being a billionaire. And not just any billionaire, she’s worthy of being the world’s youngest billionaire. She’s worth it. Oh yes.

Transition

Who’s worthy? Who’s significant? Who’s worth it? … And what does Jesus have to say about this?

We’re continuing our journey through Luke’s gospel this morning, an ancient biography of Jesus, and today this question of who’s worthy has centre stage. Just to give you a sense for where we are in the story, if you’re joining us part way through, Jesus has started his ministry in earnest. He’s been healing, casting out demons, calling disciples, and most recently teaching them how they should live. We’ve just come out the back of a long section of teaching for his followers, and we’re on to the next stage of the story.

Come with me to Luke 7 and we’re going to read the next section together. Bibles here, chapters the big number, verses the small one.

Reading: Luke 7:1-10

Worthy! v2-5

Imagine those Jewish elders coming to ask Jesus for help. Imagine them planning what they’re going to say when they get to Jesus. Here’s what that conversation might have been like:

Uh, Jesus, we really want you to help Mr Centurion. He’s got a serious problem: his servant, someone he values highly, is sick and about to die. He needs help. And Jesus, you should help him. Let me tell you, this guy, he’s worth it. He’s worthy of your help. Why?

He’s significant: He’s a centurion. Do you know what that means? Key’s in the name. Cent - hundred. He’s a commander over 100 Roman soldiers. He’s got responsibility. He’s got influence. He’s got power. He’s earned it (see, most centurions, so it seems, were promoted from within the ranks). We’re in this small town of Capernaum, and that’s not a huge place. 1000-1500. So the dude commanding 100 soldiers here, he’s significant.

But not just that; he’s warm: He love us Jews. He loves our nation. He’s not one of those oppressive Roman types, or even just someone who’s disinterested in the whole thing. He’s on our side - he’s almost one of us. Surely that’s the sort of person you want to help, Jesus?

But wait, there’s more! He’s generous: see that rather appealing synagogue over there? Well, the credit for that baby goes to Mr centurion too. He’s not just warm words he has for us - he’s ready to put his money where his mouth is.

Oh, and speaking of that, it is worth remembering he’s also rich: yeah, centurions get paid maybe as much as fifty to a hundred times as much as a regular soldier. That’s how come he could afford a synagogue! And Jesus, whatever plans you have ahead, you’re going to need money. Money makes the world go round, you know. Wouldn’t it be a great idea to have someone rich in your debt? Friends in high places and all that.

Why wouldn’t you help someone like that, Jesus?

And when these Jewish leaders meet Jesus, and make their case, it seems like Jesus agrees: this centurion’s worthy.

But while Jesus is still walking towards his house, coming to answer his call for help, he meets another group of friends sent by the centurion. And their message has a radically different tone.

Unworthy v6-8

I want you to see how huge the change is here. These Jewish elders were all busy bigging up the centurion. He does this. He’s like that. He deserves this. He’s worth it. When the next group speaks, it’s a whole different thing. They’re speaking for the centurion directly, not just speaking about him. See how it’s all “I’s” now rather than “he’s”? We’re hearing the centurion rather than hearing about him?

And what does the centurion have to say? v6 “I do not deserve to have you come under my roof.” This centurion, this commander of a hundred in a town of a thousand, this obviously significant and wealthy person, this pillar of the community - his view is that he does not even deserve to have Jesus come under his roof.

Is the centurion here thinking of Jesus’ ritual purity? There was this rule, see, that Jews didn’t really mix with non-Jews, with Gentiles; that they couldn’t eat together. Peter, Jesus’ key follower, will talk about this one later: Acts 10:28 “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile,” he’ll say. You can see the same thing playing out with Jesus’ accusers just before his death where they make Pilate, the roman governor, come out of his house to meet them “to avoid ceremonial uncleanness” that’s John 18:28.

Perhaps. But if he was, he didn’t really get how little concern Jesus had for that sort of thing - if you’ve been with us a while, you might remember Jesus touched the man with leprosy as a part of healing him - and that touch is something Jews would have avoided because it made them unclean. But not Jesus. Jesus is turning the tide. Rather than “catching” uncleanness, like a disease, Jesus is busy cleansing it with his contagious holiness.

But actually I don’t think that is what was driving the centurion because look at what he says next, in verse 7: “I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you” This centurion, this key figure in Capernaum, doesn’t even think he is worthy to meet Jesus at all.

Take a moment to reflect on just how diametrically opposite his position is to the Jewish elders. Those elders think this centurion is totally worthy: worthy of Jesus’ attention and help. He himself doesn’t even think he’s worthy to meet Jesus at all. That might seem a bit odd, to feel yourself unworthy to even meet someone. But perhaps it’s not. Have you ever been around someone so important you didn’t even feel worthy of meeting them at all? Almost wished you could disappear into the carpet? Someone significant. Someone of consequence. Someone who’s at a completely different level to you. Imagined the queen is in town, or for our younger members, a famous youtuber - someone like that of huge importance; perhaps we too could still feel that way: unworthy even to meet them. That’s how this centurion feels about Jesus.

PAUSE

If you were with us a few weeks back, when we were looking at Jesus’ sermon in chapter six, remember that started out with him saying “blessed are the poor” - and I argued he wasn’t talking about people who are materially poor as much as referring to people who were “poor in spirit” - that is, recognising how unworthy they are of God, how much they are dependent on him and needing his help. Well this centurion, rich as he is in material terms, rich enough to buy a synagogue - this centurion is one of those blessed poor, one of those poor in spirit. He knows how completely unworthy he is.

PAUSE

This centurion has a sense for who Jesus really is - a better sense than those Jewish elders - perhaps a better sense even than Jesus’ disciples. He shows he gets who Jesus is by talking about Jesus’ authority. He recognises in Jesus someone, like him, who is under authority and who has authority. He himself is under a chiliarch, a commander of thousands (kilo, see?) and under him he has commanders of tens, decurions (deca, see?). He knows what it’s like to have authority. And he gets that Jesus has this authority on a radically higher level. He’s even right to make the parallel of being under authority because Jesus, voluntarily, places himself under the father’s authority. If you were with us last year, we saw that laid out for us in the book of Philippians; Jesus became obedient to the Father all the way to death, even death on a cross.

PAUSE

Amazing faith v9-10

Where does the story go from here? Jesus is amazed. Jesus is amazed at the faith that this centurion is showing through the way he’s acted.

And I need to tell you this: it’s pretty hard to amaze Jesus! Actually there’s exactly one other place where Jesus is said to be amazed, and that’s in his hometown of Galilee, where the people who knew him as he grew up rejected him as just the son of Joseph. He was amazed by their lack of faith, we’re told. Mark 6:5-6. Amazed by a lack of faith at his home, among his own people. Amazed by the great faith of a rich, powerful outsider, someone not from his people; a Gentile. Echoes of John 1:11-12 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

Jesus says in v9 he hasn’t found such great faith even in Israel. No-one among his own people, the Jews, has faith like this centurion. Now if you’re one of his disciples, I think you’d be wincing as Jesus tells the crowd that. Not one of us Jewish boys has this quality of faith? Seriously? Can you imagine the 12 looking at each other as Jesus lays it out for them? Jesus, we left everything for you. How’s that for faith? Bet Peter’s thinking of his fishing boats again.

But what is it, exactly, that Jesus is commending here? What is it about the centurion’s faith that so stands out? What’s so amazing about it? What’s so distinctive in it?

It can’t just be faith that Jesus can heal. Lots of people seem to have that. Think of the leper back in Luke chapter 5. “you can make me clean,” he tells Jesus. Lots of people have enough faith to come to Jesus for healing.

What about healing just with words rather than through touch? Well, most of Jesus’ healings have involved touching people if you look back - but the paralytic in Luke chapter 5, he seems to be healed with simply a word too “take your mat and go home” says Jesus, and up he gets. So I don’t think faith that Jesus can heal with just a word is really going to be that amazing.

Ok, fine, what about healing, just with words, at a distance? Well, this is a first. It only happens one other time that we know of, in fact. But really, is the truly distinctive element in the centurion’s faith that he believes Jesus can heal with a word from a distance. Is that really such an amazing leap? I mean, there was some distance between Jesus and the paralytic, presumably, so that would really just be believing Jesus has a range of x rather than y. Is that really an amazing step up in faith, an unparalleled level of belief?

I don’t think so. So what is distinctive about this centurion’s faith? I’ve been scratching my head about that this week.

And I think I’ve put my finger on it: what’s so unique about this centurion’s faith is that he believes Jesus will show grace. That is, he believes Jesus will give unworthy people what they don’t deserve. Jesus will give unworthy people what they don’t deserve.

See, despite what everyone else thinks, this centurion knows he’s not worthy of Jesus. He knows who Jesus is. And he knows who he himself really is. He’s not worthy of Jesus. And yet he still believes Jesus will help him. He believes Jesus will give unworthy people what they don’t deserve. He believes Jesus will show grace.

And that’s a faith that Jesus finds amazing.

So what?

Interesting? perhaps. But perhaps it’s not that interesting to you.

Significant? absolutely. This is really significant to you and to me. Still today, this, this really matters.

Let me show you why:

Worthy?

The centurion’s fans think he is worthy. Plainly worthy.

Do you have people around you today who seem worthy?

Good people, perhaps? Nice people, working hard on good things. People who’ll serve others though it costs them dear, even.

Spiritual people, perhaps? People who are so free from this world, not caught up in consumerism or materialism, focused on spiritual things.

Religious people, perhaps? People who tick all the boxes, who go to all the events, who practice every ritual. People who tow the line in every detail.

Surely people like this are worthy of God’s attention, worthy of God’s favour?

What about you, yourself? Do you think yourself worthy? Perhaps at a bit of a lower standard, but still worthy. You know, an alright kind of bloke; not so bad really. Certainly not as bad as many others you could point to.

The Bible is very straight about this: no-one is worthy. Not one of us. Romans 3:10 “there is no one righteous, not even one;” The mess our world is in isn’t just the consequence of evil out there - it’s evil in here too, flowing through every human heart. None of us are worthy of God’s attention, worthy of God’s favour. All of us have failed him, made ourselves his enemies.

Maybe you haven’t grasped that before. Maybe the foundation of how you relate to God is in that “I’m not perfect, but I’m not so bad” category? That you’re worthy of God’s attention and his favour? Or at least his ambivalence?

Bad news, I’m afraid. Not one of us is worthy of that.

Unworthy? {measuring tape}

If you’re nodding, internally at least; if you’ve grasped this truth that we’re unworthy of God -- or if you’re willing to explore it with me -- where do we go from here?

A few weeks back, we saw Peter’s response to Jesus, as he begins to recognise who Jesus is, and how unworthy Peter himself is: “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” (Luke 5:8) That’s one way to respond, recognising our unworthiness: fear. distance. separation. despair. Jesus should leave. Jesus will leave.

If you know, or suspect, you are unworthy of God, is this how you respond? I think in our darkest moments it’s often what’s going on in our minds, whether we admit it or not. We want that distance - and yet we fear that distance and separation.

PAUSE

But today’s passage gives us hope. The centurion’s unworthy and he knows it. And yet he still comes to Jesus, believing there’s grace. His faith in Jesus’ grace is commended.

Amazing grace

The key question for us is whether we share the centurion’s faith: faith that though we’re unworthy, Jesus is full of grace. Faith that he won’t walk out on us, but instead he will embrace us. Faith that Jesus will give unworthy people like us what we absolutely don’t deserve.

This is what’s so amazing about grace. This is what’s so good about God. Like Jesus was teaching in the last chapter, Lk 6:35 “the Most High … is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.”

We’re right, we’re not worthy - but Jesus isn’t leaving. Instead he offers us grace. “Just say the word and my servant will be healed,” the centurion says, full of faith in Jesus’ gracious power despite his unworthiness.

For us, Jesus will say words which go beyond healing. As he dies on the cross in our place, bearing the punishment for all our wrongs, he says “it is finished.” And our unworthiness is undone. God’s wrath is turned aside. No longer his enemies, we’re welcomed into his own family. Death is defeated forever.

Jesus has already said the words which can bring us the ultimate healing. The question is whether we believe him.

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