Luke 7:1-10
by Mark Drzycimski
Jun 23, 2005
I’ve always enjoyed the story of the centurion’s faith. When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him… How many times do you suppose that the Son of God was amazed in His lifetime?
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.
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Tuppence for "Luke 7:1-10"
p. That _is_ incredible, Mark, when the Son of God is amazed at _anything_! I was reading "the parallel passage to this":http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Matthew%208%3A5-13 in Matthew chapter eight the other day and I was struck by something else. The final verse:
bq. ^13^And to the centurion Jesus said, "Go; let it be done for you as you have believed." And the servant was healed at that very moment.
p. It's one word that get's me: "Go." I think that did we not know the story so well we would be shocked here. To these twelve men (whom he constantly rebuked, "You of _little_ faith!") he had said "come", and now to this centurion, with greater faith than them or anyone _in all Israel_ he says "go". Had it been _me_ the story would surely have gone differently. "Peter, I've got a new Number 2; clean out your desk." But Jesus didn't covet the man's faith as though he was diminished for _lack_ of it or would have been enhanced _by_ it. No, he had made his sovereign choice of disciples and, I believe, _greater_ glorified himself by making those "lesser men" into the pillars of the early church.
p. This should encourage us today, "lesser persons" that _we_ are. Whatever your measure of faith, God, according to his good pleasure, can use you to his ultimate glorification. Undoubtedly there are many other things to glean from this story; I'll leave you to ponder them. ;)
— Travis Carden Aug 16, 02:34 AM #