Luke 7: “2 And a certain centurion’s servant, who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die. 3 And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant.4 And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom he should do this:5 For he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue.6 Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof:7 Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed.8 For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.9 When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.10 And they that were sent, returning to the house, found the servant whole that had been sick.”
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A Mighty Warrior humbled before Christ, bowing to His Authority demonstrates a legacy of Faith.
A Centurion was a professional officer of the Roman Army. Most centurions commanded 80 to 100 men although senior centurions commanded larger groups. To become a centurion, one had to be very skilled, literate, have already served in the military, and have good letters of recommendations. The Jewish people generally felt oppressed by the Roman occupation of their land with taxes and demands. So, how odd was it that this soldier representing the oppressing national authority be acknowledged by Jesus and even more to be said to have Great Faith. Why would Jesus have acknowledged this faith?
1. Recognized Christ’s Authority over all of earth and heaven. This is shown by his believing that Jesus could save his servant. Look at verse eight—“I, also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers”. He recognized that Jesus also spoke with authority greater than his own.
2. Demonstrated his uniqueness as a leader. He had built most likely from his own money a synagogue for the Jews under his authority to be able to worship. Being a literate man, one must wonder whether he had read the scrolls and understood the prophecies better than the learned of Israel.
3. Despite his power and his position (which in most people would have caused great pride); he referred to himself as unworthy for Jesus to come under his roof. Remember at this time the Jewish people were under the rule of the Roman Empire and Roman law. Yet, here stood a man who was humble before Christ.
4. Demonstrated a fearless faith as he would dare to even ask Jesus to do anything for him. He was a Gentile, roman soldier. He was a soldier who was willing to ask for help from a Jew—think about the implications of that in his day.
5. He demonstrated a gentle compassion—genuine love for those whom were charged to his care. This was a servant that he had called Jesus to come and heal.
So, what about you and I? Do we see Jesus as the ultimate authority over heaven and earth? Are we willing to stand out from amongst the crowd and be different? Are we willing to bow before His authority in our life relinquishing our own? Are we willing to acknowledge our need of Christ? Can we demonstrate compassion for those under our care?
Can you say that you are living with Valiant Faith?
© 2014 Effie Darlene Barba
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to any brands, products or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides regarding the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”