Focus 2020 – The Great Commission: Perspectives from LeadersSample

The Faithful Centurion 

Bible passage: 

After Jesus had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. A centurion there had a slave whom he valued highly, and who was ill and close to death. When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him, asking him to come and heal his slave. When they came to Jesus, they appealed to him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy of having you do this for him, for he loves our people, and it is he who built our synagogue for us.” And Jesus went with them, but when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to say to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; therefore I did not presume to come to you. But only speak the word, and let my servant be healed. For I also am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and the slave does it.” When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, he said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health. (Luke 7:1–10) 

Luke enjoys contrasts. He puts things together that don’t seem to belong all together: men and women, young and old, rich and poor, educated and uneducated, faith and unbelief, clean and unclean, Jews and Gentiles. 

Here, we meet a centurion: a professional officer of the Roman army. He was smart, trained, well-connected, and ruthless. This man loved Israel and her God and believed in the healing power of Jesus. Capernaum was a city known for darkness and unbelief. Luke contrasts the faith of the Centurion against the backdrop of Capernaum. 

Jesus selected this town as the center of his public ministry in Galilee. The characters we meet in Luke 7 could not have been more dissimilar—the elders, the crowds, the disciples, Jesus, the centurion, and his staff. 

We learn that flowing out of his love and reverence for the God of Israel, the centurion had built the synagogue. We learn that the elders of the Jews said that the centurion was worthy because of that. This is a term of Levitical purity. To be worthy meant to be clean, to be kosher according to the laws of Moses and the custom of the day. The Centurion was not worthy—he was an uncircumcised gentile, a Roman soldier. He was unclean. We see in verse seven that he understood the law—a Jew could not go into his house and he could not go into the house of a Jew. 

I can imagine him raising the money, drafting the plans, and overseeing the construction of the synagogue, all the while knowing that he would never enter the building he made possible because of his love for the God of Israel. His love embodied God’s love. It was a one-way love. It was a “do so” love and no just a “say so” love. It was a love that only desired the benefit of the beloved—no personal benefit. God sent the Son. He received nothing but gave everything. We receive everything and it costs us nothing. 

Quote: “I have not seen such faith, even in Israel.” – Jesus

Question: Are you willing to build something for someone that you cannot go inside?  

Andrew Barron 

CEO, Jews for Jesus-Canada