The Centurion’s Faith
And when He was already not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying to Him, ‘Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof. Therefore, I did not even think myself worthy to come to You. But say the word, and my servant will be healed.’…When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, ‘I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!’” Luke 7:6,7,10
There are times when I wish scripture gave us more details. This story intrigues me because I have lots of questions. Perhaps it will remain a mystery until I can have a chat with this man. I am sharing this from Moving Mountains.
An Amazing Fact: Centurions of ancient Rome were usually in charge of a unit consisting of 80 men, though some controlled larger groups. A centurion was recognized by the sword on his left side and the dagger on his right. The sideways horsehair crest on his helmet, an armored shirt, and metal awards displayed on his chest.
Where did the centurion get his faith? Raised in a heathen nation and trained in a brutal military system, he was hardly the type of person you would expect to have faith in Jesus.
The centurion had a tender heart, for he loved his sick servant. He wanted him well and sought out Jesus to heal him. He had a love for the Jewish nation too; he had built them a synagogue.
He was also a humble man. The centurion sent this message to Jesus; “I’m not worthy to have You come into my house, Lord. Just say the word, and my servant will be well.”
Jesus was amazed by the centurion’s belief in Him. He hadn’t seen “such great faith, not even in Israel!”—not even among the people who were taught the Scriptures from childhood, the people who were supposed to be the godliest on Earth.
The centurion was a man of authority, but he recognized a far greater authority in Jesus. His eyes of faith saw that Jesus was the Commander of the universe.
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Do we jump to conclusions too quickly as we judge the outward appearance of others? Of course we do! For some mysterious reason, this story has been saved for us to read.
Glorious Commander, thank You for giving us moments of clarity. We need to seek You and see more of You at a deeper level. AMEN.