"When He had completed all His discourse in the hearing of the people, He went to Capernaum. And a centurion’s slave, who was highly regarded by him, was sick and about to die. When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders asking Him to come and save the life of his slave. When they came to Jesus, they earnestly implored Him, saying, "He is worthy for You to grant this to him; for he loves our nation and it was he who built us our synagogue." Now Jesus started on His way with them; and when He was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to Him, "Lord, do not trouble Yourself further, for I am not worthy for You to come under my roof; for this reason I did not even consider myself worthy to come to You, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man placed under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it." Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled at him, and turned and said to the crowd that was following Him, "I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith." When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health."
Luke 7:1-10
That's the primary reason that the church exists in the world, to proclaim the Gospel by which people are saved, so that people will become disciples of Christ, and live and serve in obedience to all that God has commanded. That's the Great Commission, as the Lord Himself defines our responsibility in Matthew 28, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
The scribes and Pharisees believed that they could be right with God by fastidiously paying attention to the Law, as they interpreted it, which they self-righteously often modified to align with their own behavior. The problem is salvation is by grace, not works, it can't be both. It is only by faith God grants us something we do not deserve, His grace. God only justifies the ungodly, we cannot justify ourselves, no matter how hard we try. Anyone who is unwilling to admit they're an ungodly sinner cannot be saved, they're unredeemable. That's why the Pharisees rejected Christ's spiritual assessment, they believed they were good enough on their own, they could achieve righteousness before God, so they refused to recognize their need for a Savior. That's the whole point of the Law, men can't live up to it, it's impossible. If you can be saved by anything else, you don't need Christ.
Good Morning my beloved,
We welcome you to worship today in the name of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We are so grateful that you could be here with us today. I hope you are looking forward to the return of our study of the Gospel of Luke as much as I am. I pray that it has blessed all of you and impacted your walk with our Lord as much as it has mine.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I'd like to express my deepest gratitude for your unwavering dedication in helping us spread the Word of God throughout the world, my sincerest thanks for your extraordinary efforts, they have not gone unnoticed. Your love and support is an invaluable part of this ministry's success, I couldn't do what I do without each of you. Thank you for being such a vital part of this ministry.
We welcome you to worship today in the name of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We are so grateful that you could be here with us today. I hope you are looking forward to the return of our study of the Gospel of Luke as much as I am. I pray that it has blessed all of you and impacted your walk with our Lord as much as it has mine.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I'd like to express my deepest gratitude for your unwavering dedication in helping us spread the Word of God throughout the world, my sincerest thanks for your extraordinary efforts, they have not gone unnoticed. Your love and support is an invaluable part of this ministry's success, I couldn't do what I do without each of you. Thank you for being such a vital part of this ministry.
One thing I've learned over the years of preaching, is that you can't always confine what God has to say on a particular subject in a single sermon or two, the depth and breadth of God's wisdom is too vast, it's uncontainable. The author of Hebrews 4 reminds us that the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, I confess, nearly every time I open my Bible and approach a passage, the Holy Spirit breathes new life into the text, illuminating something new I hadn't understood before, no matter how many times I've read it before.
I am convinced God reveal His Truths in layers, on a need to know basis according to our present needs and limited ability to grasp and understand them, then, challenges us to dive deeper into His Word, encouraging us to grow by continuously unfolding deeper meanings at various stages of our lives, to infinitely inspire and instruct us in new ways, no matter how many times we've read them, inviting us into a more intimate relationship with Him. As followers of Christ, we're called to be life-long learners, engaging with God's Word is not a single occurrence but a continuous adventure of immersing ourselves in it's profound wisdom, offering fresh opportunities to venture into uncharted territory, to discover unseen treasures and explore precious new insights, that if applied can transform our lives.
I believe this is one of those passages in Scripture that not only meets us where we are, but invites us to delve deeper into the rich complexities of God's Word, exposing our weaknesses, bringing into question our own vulnerabilities, revealing the Word of God is not just a collection of ancient writings but the living Word of God, Who anticipates our needs, and fulfills them through the sufficiency of His Holy Scripture. Echoing the timeless message, God has been consistently calling His church and beckoning His people, often marked by pride and self-sufficiency, to humble themselves, a theme woven throughout the pages of Scripture.
2 Chronicles 7:14 says "If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land," a verse that encapsulates God's promise; humility proceeds healing, creating the necessary space to allow His transformative power to work in our lives. This struggle is as prevalent as ever in the contemporary church today, in a world that encourages selfishness and promotes pride, viewing humility and meekness as weaknesses rather than strengths that aligns with God's will. James 4:6 reminds us that "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." And, Paul tells us in Philippians 2:3-4, "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others." When we embrace the teachings of Scripture, we not only grow closer to God, but become instruments of His grace, mercy and love in this world of fractured and broken people, who are desperately in need.
We are commanded to preach the Gospel proclaiming repentance for forgiveness of sins in the name of Christ, so that all people can hear, believe and be saved. Apart from the Truth, man cannot be saved, because he can't be right with God on his own terms. Man can only be right with God by divine achievement, God has to do the work. That's why Christianity is distinctly different from every other religion in the world, all the other religions are all based on works of human achievement, every false religion suggests that if man will do certain things, he can be right with God or whatever he believes to be God.
However, if man is going to be right with the One True God, God's going to have to do the work because all of our righteous deeds are like a filthy garments, the Hebrew word used refers to a garment made unclean by menstruation. (Isaiah 64:6) That's why Christ's righteousness must be imputed upon us. By the way, the word "righteous" is of great importance to God, it appears some 300 times in more than 280 verses, it means to "justify," bringing something into proper alignment according to the desired standard, in this case, someone in accordance to God's perfect standard. Unfortunately, that connection is often lost and more often than not, has come to mean some socially agreed upon standard, which many tend to adjust according to their own behavior.
Folks, that's why I am compelled to confront those who espouse a damning false doctrine, because it provides a false sense of security, instead of receiving eternal life, they'll hear Christ declare to them, "‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’" Before anyone can receive genuine salvation, he has to come to the knowledge of the Truth.
Let's pray together
Heavenly Father,
Father, we are so grateful for Your Word. We pray that You would work in every heart of those who are in desperate need of salvation, whether it be self-righteous religious or the irreligious both are still bound for Hell, have mercy on their souls and open their hearts to Christ as only You can, Lord, there are so many people in the world who need warned, some of whom maybe be sitting in the pews today, use us to that end for Your glory and for Christ's sake. In His precious Name we ask and pray.
Amen
Today's Message: How Great is Your Faith?
At first glance, our text might appear to be just another event in the life of Jesus, yet there's a far deeper significance than what immediately meets the eye. As we begin to peel back the layers, it is my hope that you'll be able to see that. Open your Bibles with me, if you would and turn them to the Gospel of Luke chapter 7, Luke 7:1-10,, I'm not sure we'll be able to fit all of it into one message, because there's just a lot here, in size and significance. So, with that in mind, I invite you to come along with me on this fascinating journey as I read the text to set it in our minds. Let's open up our hearts and listen for what the Spirit of God has to say to each of us today in the powerful message in the Gospel of Luke.I do not believe that it is by coincidence that Luke seamlessly ties this section into the most profound, impactful sermon that Jesus ever preached, a powerful reminder that the Lord orchestrates the events of our lives down to the smallest detail, giving us the right message at precisely the right moment in our personal spiritual journey's, ensuring that we receive the necessary wisdom we need for situations we encounter when we need it most.
In fact, the Sermon on the Mount, has continued to guide countless generations, teaching timeless principles of humility, compassion, meekness, and to treat others, not as we're treated, but as we wish to be treated, valuable lessons that remain relevant, countering the often materialistic and self-centered values prevalent in today's society, which I believe provides clear evidence that He is intimately involved in our daily lives and knows our fears, doubts, struggles and needs. Further proving God's Word is not just the mere words of men written on a page, as some have claimed, they are divinely inspired, intended to transform our daily lives. I submit to you that God's divine purpose is intentional, and His timing is anything but accidental. Let us remember the wonderful promise of Philippians 4:19, "And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus."
"When He had completed all His discourse in the hearing of the people, He went to Capernaum. And a centurion’s slave, who was highly regarded by him, was sick and about to die. When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders asking Him to come and save the life of his slave. When they came to Jesus, they earnestly implored Him, saying, "He is worthy for You to grant this to him; for he loves our nation and it was he who built us our synagogue." Now Jesus started on His way with them; and when He was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to Him, "Lord, do not trouble Yourself further, for I am not worthy for You to come under my roof; for this reason I did not even consider myself worthy to come to You, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man placed under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it." Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled at him, and turned and said to the crowd that was following Him, "I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith." When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health."
Let's look at verse 1, "When He had completed all His discourse in the hearing of the people, He went to Capernaum." Luke sets the chronological starting point for what he's about to tell us, "When He had completed all His discourse in the hearing of the people," he's obviously talking about the greatest sermon Jesus ever preached, His historic Sermon on the Mount, which He just finished in the sixth chapter. It's difficult for us to imagine today, thousands of people trekking countless miles on foot, enduring hunger and thirst, simply to listen to a little-known rabbi from Nazareth preach, but that's exactly what they did.
Perhaps, the last occasion when a multitude of Jewish individuals assembled together in such a vast number to receive profound teachings from the Lord was at Mount Sinai, when they listened with awe and fear, in trembling reverence to the divine directives He had for their lives, as He gave the Ten Commandments to the children of Israel. However, instead of descending in a display of overwhelming power with fire and smoke, He chose a much more humble and relatable form, His own Son Jesus Christ, Who came to dwell with us in human flesh. If we're truly listening, Jesus' words will evoke the same reverence in us over two thousand years later.
Then, Luke wraps up verse 1 with "He went to Capernaum." Capernaum, a trading village of about 1500 people, surrounded by beautiful hills, nestled on the northwestern Galilean seashore to the south of Chorazin, and north of Gennesaret. Though small in size, Jesus eventually made Capernaum His headquarters during His Galilean ministry, located on the main trade route between Damascus and Egypt, so people were exposed to Jesus on a pretty regular basis. One of the most significant facts to remember about Capernaum is it was one of the three cities, along with Chorazin and Bethsaida, cursed by Jesus for its lack of faith.
Matthew 11:20-24, "Then He began to denounce the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent. "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. Nevertheless I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will descend to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day. Nevertheless I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you." Jesus said over two centuries ago it would be obliterated, and if you visit the location today, you won't find it, it's gone.
Verse 2, "And a centurion’s slave, who was highly regarded by him, was sick and about to die." The term Centurion is a title that was given to the highest ranking NCOs, non-commissioned officers, there aren’t really hard and fast modern equivalents, I suppose it would be the equivalent of a captain in the Roman army, who had who ascended through the ranks being battle tested and still remained close to their men, which consisted of about 80 to 100 soldiers, within a cohort or legion, enforcing discipline, training, and maintaining order. The backbone of the Roman army, Centurions known for their commitment, courage, bravery, fortitude, strength, with a willingness to share the dangers of combat, they were instrumental to the effectiveness and efficiency of the Roman army, keeping the morale high of the troops under their leadership and battle-ready. The role of Centurions was complex and multifaceted, as they needed to possess a combination of leadership, tactical skills, and a deep understanding of Roman military traditions and strategies, a position for which they were well-compensated, wearing distinctive armor that set them apart from the common soldiers and carrying a vine staff, signifying their authority, also a tool used to enforce discipline among the troops, ensuring that orders from the top were effectively executed with precision.
Why would they have a Centurion in the city of Capernaum? It’s likely that this Roman centurion was tasked with the responsibility of making sure taxes were appropriately collected in a bustling economic center. Remember, Capernaum was an important hub for trade and commerce. Given the diverse population in the region, a Roman Centurion would be crucial in upholding the Pax Romana, meaning "Roman Peace," further justifying the need for a Roman military presence, historical accounts suggest that Centurions were often respected figures sometimes engaging in civic duties making it beneficial for both the Roman authorities and the local population. However, he was still outside the chosen people of God and all those wonderful covenants and promises that the Jewish people of Israel enjoyed. All outsiders were typically loathed by the Jewish population. We don't know this centurion’s name just that his "slave, who was highly regarded by him, was sick and about to die."
This centurion must have been deeply moved by the suffering of his servant to approach Jesus. And with such great faith. Luke records this miracle immediately after the Sermon on the Mount was completed in the hearing of the people and for very good reason, the city of Capernaum was very nearby where Jesus delivered that powerful sermon. I believe the reason the Holy Spirit inspires Luke to put the record in this chronological sequence is because this is the theological connection; this man exemplifies the living illustration of that sermon. By placing these crucial events in this order, Luke not only conveys a deeper spiritual message but also allows readers to witness the practical application of these profound teachings that marked out a true believer, providing a powerful living example of discipleship for others to follow, as well as help to underscore how the message of the sermon is not just theoretical but actively influences and transforms the lives of individuals.
Verse 3, "When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders asking Him to come and save the life of his slave." We don't know what nationality this Centurion was, some have speculated that he might not have been Italian, that he was possibly a Samaritan. If that were true, the Jews had every reason to oppose and hate him. But what I want you to focus your attention to "When he heard about Jesus," somebody obviously told this man, a Gentile, Roman Centurion soldier and possibly a Samaritan about Jesus! The news about Jesus was spreading rapidly throughout the region, and somebody somewhere along the way provided this centurion with enough information about the power of Jesus, telling him that nobody has ever seen or heard anything like Him before; He was healing the sick, granting sight to the blind, casting out demons, that He was literally demonstrating power over the physical and the supernatural worlds, that "he sent some Jewish elders asking Him to come and save the life of his slave."
I want to tell you something right now, for a Roman soldier to ask some Jewish elders to do his bidding on behalf of a slave, that in itself is beyond belief. This man believed that Jesus could heal his slave and the extent of his love for this young boy who is very sick that drove him to ask the Jewish elders to be his intercessors and to go to Jesus because this soldier heard enough details about Jesus' unprecedented power that he doesn't feel worthy to go himself. Matthew tells us the young boy is lying paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented. We don't know the details about how or why he became ill, just that he was suffering in agony. The word slave is the word "doúlos," it can either be translated as slave or servant, what is extraordinary, what is not normal is the level of affection this Roman Centurion has for this young boy denotes he's not just an inanimate object to him, he's the object of his deep concern. So, I hope you're starting to see that there is something very different about this Gentile Roman soldier.
By the way, allow me to clear up an issue for any conservative Bible believing students of the Bible out there, that is how to explain the differences between Matthew and Luke's Gospel accounts. Since we believe that the Bible is inerrant, we must also believe that there are no unexplainable differences between the two parallel accounts of the same incident. Matthew tells us in chapter 8:5-9, "a centurion came to Him, imploring Him, and saying, "Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented." Jesus said to him, "I will come and heal him." But the centurion said, "Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it." In Luke’s account, always concerned about the details, tell us centurion did not meet Jesus face to face but instead sent a number of Jewish elders on his behalf to ask Jesus to come and heal his servant, he didn't actually go himself. In Jewish culture, when a man of authority sends someone else to representative him, it is as if he is going himself. Normally, Jewish elders wouldn't even respond to such a request by a Roman soldier, so that is amazing as well.
This verse speaks volumes about faith, humility, and the willingness to go great lengths to seek help for those we love. It also powerfully conveys the sharp contrast between the self-righteous Jewish establishment and their self-justifying works based system and a true child of God and citizen of the kingdom of heaven. Jesus is giving a powerful lesson on faith and he's pagan, Gentile, Roman soldier to do it. What's even more amazing is, the Jewish elders went and they do it quickly, begging Jesus do this for him! Why in the world would they beg Jesus to heal this Roman centurion's slave?
Come back next time and we'll find out.
May it be so..
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen
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