Authority

 

Pauses can be scary. One of the scariest pauses is when you insert your card at a store, a restaurant, or a gas station. Will I be approved or declined? Your mind races through the possibilities in those thirty seconds. If you have had it say, “declined,” you know that is embarrassing.

 

     Fear at pauses has an impact on our faith too. We have needs or know of needs, and we know that the Bible says we can bring them to God, but we are afraid our faith might get declined. All through the Bible, we read miracle after miracle, but we are too afraid to pray those big prayers because we wonder, “What if God does not come through.”

 

     The man in our passage today has no such fear. He has absolute faith in Jesus, to the point he does not even need Jesus physically there.

 

 

     Luke 7:1-10(CSB)

 

When Jesus had concluded saying all this to the people who were listening, he entered Capernaum. A centurion’s servant, who was highly valued by him, was sick and about to die. When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him, requesting him to come and save the life of his servant. When they reached Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy for you to grant this, because he loves our nation and has built us a synagogue.”

 

Jesus went with them, and when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to tell him, “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, since I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. That is why I didn’t consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under my command. I say to this one, “Go,” and he goes; and to another, “Come,” and he comes, and to my servant, “Do this,” and he does it.”

Jesus heard this ands was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found so great a faith even in Israel.” When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant in good health.

 

 

This is the Word of God.

For the people of God.

Thanks be to God.

 

 

     The man in this passage is a Roman Centurion, backbone of the Roman army. (This means he was an NCO, not an officer) Most Roman soldiers were hardened men, caring nothing for the conquered or their servants. But this centurion was different. He had genuine concern for his servant and the Jewish people.

 

     His genuine concern is shown in the Jewish elders willingness to intercede on his behalf. The centurion’s influence, earned by his care and generosity, stirred the compassion in the Jewish elders. The Jewish elders were indebted to his kindness, so they rave of this Gentile’s worthiness to Jesus.

 

     Jesus goes with the Jewish elders. On his way to the house, Jesus encountered the centurion’s friends. They say to Jesus, based on the original Greek, “Don’t risk your own skin coming to my house.” For a Jew to enter a Gentile house they risked becoming ceremonially unclean. The centurion did not want that for Jesus. This Roman soldier confessed his unworthiness to have Jesus enter his house, and his confession is exactly what made the centurion worthy.

 

     But the centurion does not give up, he has faith. In verse 8, the friends share the centurion’s understanding. “I am a man placed under authority.” Just as the centurion responds to commands and people respond to his, he knows Jesus has superior authority. Jesus has the power of God, and to the centurion, Jesus only needs to give the command and the illness plaguing his servant will have to obey. To him, the centurion does not have to hear or see Jesus, he has faith Jesus can do the work from anywhere.

 

     Verse 9 says, “Jesus hard this and was amazed.” The centurion, a Gentile, had faith that did not require a sign. Jesus had performed all kinds of signs to the Jews, God’s people, and they still struggled to believe. And the passage ends with the servant being healed, almost as a side note. Jesus had the authority, and He did it.

 

     You know what is cool, the truth for us. Jesus has the authority. He did here and elsewhere in the Gospels. He had the authority through the apostles recorded throughout the book of Acts. He did when everything was made that had been made. And Jesus still has the authority.

 

     Do we believe that? Here we are, reminded through this passage, sitting with our own needs and those of others gripping our hearts. Jesus still has the authority and always will, but will our fear keep us from lifting these needs to Him? What keeps us trapped in fear is thinking that our faith will get declined. Glory be to God, we know the funds are sufficient. Jesus has the authority. He did, He still does, and He will.

 

     Jesus loves you. He did, He still does, and He always will. Use the card. Loosen the grip of your heart and give your needs to Jesus.

Need prayer? Have a question? Contact The Dirt Path Pastor