Faith of the Centurion - Luke 7:1-10

I'm studying the Luke 7 passage that is often titled, The Faith of the Centurion.  This occurs immediately after the "Sermon on the Plain."  What is so fascinating about this passage is trying to discover the root of this faith.  Apparently there is a much larger back story to this than meets the eye.  For example, this soldier must have had a large compassionate heart for the Jews.  He built them a synagogue in Capernaum and apparently could "say the word" and have Jewish Elders go get Jesus.

But, here's what interests me.  In verse 3 it says, "The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him,"  So, in those few words, "heard of Jesus," lies the rest of the story.  What did he hear about Jesus that led him to ask for just some healing words for his servant?  What did he hear about this great healer?  Did the centurion hear that he was God and man?  Did he hear that he could simple speak the word of healing and it would be done?

And, just I wonder "what he heard about Jesus," I also wonder who he heard it from.  I asked this question of a life-long missionary, Sue Howard, and she gave me an interesting insight.  She said, he probably had many people who were preparing his heart for this sudden burst of faith.  In other words, it wasn't just someone explaining the power of Jesus or sharing a testimony, but it was a number of stories, witnesses, events, experiences, and buzz that the centurion heard.  The evidence must have piled up and tilted his heart toward a profound faith.  This profound faith caused Jesus to be amazed!  In fact, according to scholars, Jesus was only amazed twice in the gospels.  Once in Mark 6:6, when he was amazed at the lack of faith in Nazareth and this time in Luke 7:9, when he was amazed at the faith of this gentile centurion.

So, saying all that, it won't be surprising if my sermon touches on our witness, sharing, story telling and sharing what Jesus Christ has done in our lives.  We have no responsibility at all for converting people or "saving" people, only God does that.  But, we truly do have responsibility for telling others what Jesus has done in our lives.

Another interesting issue in this text is the Jewish elders' spin on why the centurion deserves Jesus to come.  They say he deserves it because he loves the people and built the synagogue.  It's the work righteousness piece.  The centurion himself says that he is not worthy for Jesus to enter his house.  He had a humble heart and a respect for the culture that says a Jew would be defiled entering a gentile's house.

Anyway, I'm simply going to pray for the faith of this centurion!  Come Lord Jesus!  Speak your Word and change the world!  (just like when God spoke the word and created the world in Genesis)

Jesus' High Priestly Prayer - John 17

On Mothers' Day 2013 - May 12th, we're studying John 17:20-26.  It is the final section of Jesus' high priestly prayer.  What a powerful way to end his teaching time on earth.  Jesus has just finished the last supper with his disciples.  He modeled servant leadership by washing their feet and he is now praying for himself, his disciples and for all those who will be touched by their teaching.  In fact, Jesus is modeling his prayerful life as he begins the transition back to glory with his Father and he is continuing to pray for all of us even right now.  [do you feel it?]

Jesus is praying repeatedly that we would be one, just as he and the Father are one.  And, I believe that as we strive to be more and more like Jesus, we move closer to being one.  I love the fact that Jesus is praying for those whom the Father gives him.  Even Jesus does not choose who will follow, but only the Father.  For me, that makes sense, as I have a strong belief in the sovereignty of God.  (See Romans 9 for a look at this)

I wrestle with our responsibility as a result of this prayer.  Is our task to strive harder or just believe harder that Jesus did the work and as long as we believe it, we're moving closer to God?

Maybe our work is two fold.  Believe is the first piece and then respond in love to one another is the second piece.  And, then in that response, others will know that God is real and that He sent His one and only Son to draw us to Him!

I'm also struck by the fact that as Jesus prays for all those who are touched by "his disciples'' teaching, that this includes each generation of parents and teachers.  We all have a role in teaching others what we've learned in terms of God's love, forgiveness, and sacrifice.

So, Lord Jesus, pray for us that we "get it," that we are bold enough to pass along our hope and faith that was instilled in us by our moms, dads, and relatives.