A centurion's faith

When Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion sent word to Him, requesting Jesus to heal his servant, lying paralyzed at his house, suffering great pain. Matthew relates the event without clarifying that the centurion did not come himself to Jesus, but sent word by some Jewish elders. Luke includes this detail, telling how these elders also told Jesus how this centurion loved the Jewish nation, and had even built a synagogue for them. Jesus agreed to come heal the centurion's servant.

But when the centurion was told that Jesus was coming, he sent his friends to Jesus to ask Jesus to just say the word. The centurion believed that Jesus did not need to physically enter his house, and physically touch his servant to heal; instead he recognized that Jesus had the authority to command what He wanted.

The centurion saw in Jesus what was a normal part of his life. If Rome sent word, the legion would go. Caesar did not need to come to give his orders in person; what Caesar said would be done. The centurion was under authority, and knew that he would obey his orders. The centurion had soldiers under him; they would obey him in what ever he said. The centurion recognized the miracles that Jesus did came from the authority of another kingdom, a kingdom greater than Rome. Jesus had preached that the kingdom of heaven is near; the centurion believed it was. His servant would be healed if Jesus commanded it.

Jesus heard what the centurion said, and was amazed at his faith. Jesus pointed out this man's great faith to His disciples, as He told the centurion's messengers that it would be done as he believed. The servant was healed in that same hour; when the messengers returned with word, they found the servant already healed. The authority of the kingdom of heaven had healed the servant when Jesus spoke; it did not wait for them to return.

The centurion's faith provided a contrast to the leper's faith. The leper assumed that Jesus had to touch him in order to be heal; it is what everyone understood to be necessary as they watched Jesus healing. So the leper stopped before Jesus, bowing down, not knowing if Jesus would be willing to touch an unclean man. The centurion recognized what Jesus did to be the result of authority, not physical touch; he saw a kingdom at work. The centurion did not want to trouble Jesus to enter his house, knowing that a Gentile's house would be unclean to the Jews. The leper needed Jesus to touch what was unclean because his faith needed that point of contact. The centurion did not need Jesus to touch what was unclean because his faith did not need that point of contact. Both the leper and the Roman centurion were outsiders to the Jewish community; both had faith that Jesus could heal. But the Roman centurion had a greater faith, not needing the outward point of contact.

Jesus used this event to teach His disciples; briefly, as the friends of the Roman stood before them, Jesus told His disciples that many shall come from the nations to sit at the table in the kingdom of heaven with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. His disciples had seen Jesus begin to walk to a Roman army officer's house; He had already touched a leper, now He was going to enter the house of a Roman soldier. His disciples watched as Jesus did the unexpected, not restrained by their cultural barriers. But when Jesus turned to them, telling them of this Roman soldier's great faith, greater than anyone in Israel, they knew they were included in those who had lesser faith. When Jesus said that many will come from east and west to sit at the table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, they knew that the kingdom of heaven was not just a Jewish kingdom. Everything that they had assumed about the kingdom of heaven was shaken; the kingdom of heaven was open to all nations. When He said that the sons of the kingdom would be cast out into outer darkness, they knew that it was not enough just to be Jewish.

But this is all Jesus said about this as they walked in Capernaum that day. His disciples did not hear an elaborate thesis on the Gentiles from the Scriptures; Jesus did not discuss the mechanics of faith. But the disciples would remember what happened; later they would understand. Again, this is "see one, do one, teach one". They would need to deal with the issue of the Gentiles themselves soon enough.

His disciples saw Jesus give love to an "enemy", this Roman officer who acknowledged the greater authority of the kingdom of God.

Disciples must see faith in the inward, apart from the outward biases of culture.