The faith of the Centurion

Luke 7:1-10

Key Verse 7:9

When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, "I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel."

Today we would like to think about the faith of a Roman centurion. In many ways the Centurion described in the passage is like a faithful mother, so we would like to dedicate this Bible study to the mothers of this nation. Just as a mother gives birth to a child, so also strong faith such as the faith of the Centurion gives life to men. If we learned the faith of the Centurion, we can turn all the miseries of our life into the blessings of God. In the passage Jesus spoke highly of his faith. He said that the Centurion had such great faith. In what respect is his faith so great? And more importantly than this, how did he acquire such great faith? 

First, he heard of Jesus. 

Let us read verses 1-3. Here we see the little expression "The Centurion heard of Jesus..." Associated with this expression are two words that help us better understand how this man came to have such great faith in the Lord: 1) Capernaum; and 2) Centurion. What is special about Capernaum? We know the answer. It was the center of Jesus' Galilean ministry. In Matthew 11:23 Jesus said of Capernaum, "And you, Capernaum! … If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day." This Bible passage indicates that in Capernaum Jesus performed the most number of miracles. By God's providence, the Roman government assigned the Roman Centurion to Capernaum, so that while he was serving the military duty there, Jesus the long awaited Savior of the world came to this area, performing great miracles, teaching great number of people with life giving word! 

Next, let us think about his position as a Centurion. A Centurion had charge over one hundred soldiers in the Roman army. His office gave him a better access to the information about Jesus. While I was working as the public prosecutor in one of the jurisdictions nearby Seoul, Korea, every once in a while they assigned me to a night duty at one of the local offices of the justice department. The night duty began at 8:00 p.m. and ended at 6:00 a.m. the next morning. During this period of time, as I was seated at my office together with my assistant, a whole bunch of agents from different government agencies kept making reports to me in regard to what was going on in the area: informants from the local CIA, detectives from the police department, and secret agents from army units in the area. Then, even without myself having to go out and see, I could understand exactly what was going on in the area. The information included which Catholic priests met what kinds of criminals in what suspicious areas, or which government official went into which motel with what category of women. The Roman Centurion was in such a position. Imagine one hundred soldiers stationed in Capernaum gathering all the intelligence information sensitive to the interest of the Roman government, and making reports to him. Of course there must have been bad reports and good reports. And he was lucky enough to have access to all the good works Jesus did in the area. 

In Romans 10:14 the Apostle Paul asks, "How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?" And thank God. Although he was a Gentile, through resources made available to him, the Roman Centurion heard of Jesus. As Paul says, when he heard of Jesus faith arose within him. 

When you think about it, you will quickly agree that a lot of people of our own generation are in a lot more favorable position in shaping their personal faith in the Lord than the Roman Centurion. We are living in the so-called information age. If you have the desire to know Jesus, there is tons of information made available on the Internet. You may say, "Oh, I did not graduate from a divinity school." Or "Oh, I am not religious." But, let us forget about licenses or degrees to teach the Bible. Let us leave the matter of religion aside for a while. Simply let us think about a man named Jesus who is from Nazareth. Let us think about his teachings and the miracles he performed and is still performing, the number of people he influenced and is still influencing. Let us assume hypothetically that you do not have any access to internet. Still, if you had the desire to know about Jesus, there are tons of resources available to you. The Bible is still the best seller. If you walked into any Goodwill store, you will always find one or two old Bibles on the shelves in the used book section. Or if you had the desire to know about Jesus Christ, you will always find someone around you willing to tell you all the wonderful works Jesus Christ has done for him or her. And you are still living in the land of freedom where the gospel is being preached freely. Yes, I admit that there are many false Christians who look like Christians but who are not really Christians. But let us forget about these false or pseudo Christians. Let us set aside people for a moment, and think about Jesus Christ. Remember: it was when the centurion heard of Jesus, not of Jesus' disciples or Jesus' believers, but Jesus himself, that faith arose within him. 

So here is my question for you: What do you do with all the resources the Lord God made available to you? With all the good reports about Jesus and His great teachings and wonderful work which is being reported daily, do you still remain unconvinced about him, particularly of his love and power? If this is true, at the time of judgment, a man like the Roman Centurion will rise and condemn you. (Read also Hebrews 4:2.)

Second, he sent some of the elders to Jesus. 

Look at verses 2-3 again. "There a centurion's servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant." 

"The centurion heard of Jesus and sent...asking him to come and heal his servant." Notice the word "sent." This word indicates that the Centurion combined what he heard of Jesus with faith. Then he applied his faith to the specific problem he had. Then he took action. In the previous passage Jesus rebuked his disciples saying, "Why do you call me Lord, Lord, but do not do what I say?" But unlike Jesus' disciples, this man was a man of "action". Say, "action!" 

In 2 Kings 20:1-7, at the age of 45 the King Hezekiah was on the verge of death due to a disease called a “boil.” He prayed to the Lord. The Lord heard his prayer. But the Lord did not heal him immediately. Rather, through the Prophet Isaiah the Lord God gave him an interesting instruction: "Prepare a poultice of figs." The Lord did not even say, "Apply it to the boil." The Lord simply said, "Prepare a poultice of figs!" But the king knew what he had to do: "Apply it." Thus 2 Kings 20:7b reads, "[He] applied it to the boil, and he recovered." Thereafter he lived 15 more years! 

In applying one's faith to a specific problem we have in life, on many occasions, we need to make specific actions to get the problem resolved. I learned this firsthand due to the small problem developed on my left thumb. About 20 years ago, fungus broke out over an area of ½ square inch on the thumb of my left hand. I felt itchy. But I kept ignoring it. But after suffering for more than 2 decades of "inaction", I started paying attention to this problem. So on the internet I looked for a skin disease. Then there was one posting that says, "Apply duck tape for one week." Immediately I applied a patch of duck tape to the affected area. So far it seems to be working. The area got smaller, and I already started feeling much better. 

My point here is this: we should not ignore the problems we have in life. Rather, we must apply our faith in the Lord to the problems we have in life. Then, by faith take actions that are most likely to get the problem resolved. The problem you have in life could be any problem - it could be a job problem, a marriage problem, a relationship problem, this sin problem or that sin problem, or anything. It can be your own problem, or the problem of your children, the problem of your sheep, or even the problem of a society, a nation, or the whole world! 

"Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge," says the Bible. (Pro 23:12) So, I would encourage you to think about what you heard of Jesus. Then combine your findings on Jesus with faith. Then see how you can apply your faith to the problems you have! Then as you pray more, the Lord God will reveal to you specifically what actions you need to take, whom to meet, where to go, what to say, how to say it, and much more. 

Third, “This man deserves to have you do this.” 

Let us read verses 3-5. Then what happened? Look at verse 6a. "So Jesus went with them." Jesus "started" moving toward his house. Until Jesus started moving, however, this man had to overcome tons of difficulties. In those days, the wall of hostility still existed between the Jews and the Gentiles. John 4:9; Acts 10:28. But this man overcame the barrier. How did he do that? We know the answer. He loved the nation Israel. He also built their synagogue. He practiced Jesus' instructions saying, "Give, and it will be given." He lived a life of love, especially the love of giving the elders of the Jews loved him back dearly, even praying earnestly to Jesus on his behalf! 

In their plea to Jesus, there is something which deserves our special attention, and that is, “This man deserves to have you do this.” The point of this statement is critical to the effectiveness of our prayer. It tells us what makes our prayer effective. That is, it is not just what you say with your mouth, but who you really are before God and before men. Surely, prayer is not just expressing one’s wishful thinking to the Lord. It is not just for you to kneel down, and cry out to the Lord saying, "Lord, please do this or do that." Rather, it involves your entire person. For example, are you a humble or a proud man? Are you a generous man or a stingy man? Are you judgmental or forgiving? What is your relationship with you neighbor? For example, in your relationship with your neighbor, are you known as a peace breaker or a peace maker? All these go to your personality. And they are all relevant to the effectiveness of your prayer. 

In considering these factors, let us also not forget that like you and I the Lord also has feelings and emotions, likes and dislikes. Just as you are a person, so also the Lord is a person. The only difference between the Lord and us is that he is a lot more patient than any of us. But the bottom line is that the Lord is a person, not a machine. He is not a gopher. He is not a check-writer. He is not merely a social security officer issuing a social security check for the needy. 

The point is that after deciding to apply one’s faith to the problem he has, and as one brings his prayer requests to the Lord, he must do the homework due him. It could be an attitude problem, the attitude towards God or towards your neighbor. It also can be the problem with your lifestyle. If for example you keep condemning others, and not forgiving, you cannot expect God to forgive you of your own sins. If you have a problem of not getting along with your spouse or your common life brothers or sisters, and you still ask God to send you many sheep, how can you expect the Lord to give you many sheep? Didn't the Lord say to his disciples, "[W]ith the measure you use it will be measured to you"? 

The other day I saw a billboard run by a credit union: "Take a scenic drive to one of our ATMS...and get cash." Even in getting to one of the ATMS nearby such as the ones located at Washington Mutual on Firestone and Lakewood, you need to get out of your place, get into a car, drive up to the place where the cash machine is located. And in going there, most likely, you will have to fight the traffic, keeping the laws and regulations such as California Traffic Code. The same is true with the life of our prayer. In bringing our prayer requests to the Lord, the first thing we need to do is for us to be a man of love, mercy, and righteousness. The Roman centurion was a man of love. He loved the nation Israel. He loved the people inside and the people outside. He loved a slave and he loved a colonial people. And he was a sacrificial man. Philippians 2:4 says, "Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." And through his righteous acts, the Roman centurion looked to the interests of others! No wonder the Lord was willing to go and help this man out. 

Fourth, “But say the word, and my servant will be healed.” 

At a critical moment, then the Centurion made his request known to Christ by wrapping his request with the words of absolute faith - "just say the word faith". 

Look at verses 6b-8. "He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: "Lord, don't trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." 

This man belonged to an upper class. But he was very humble. Before Jesus Christ, whom he called Lord, he found himself as nothing, not even worthy to have Jesus under his roof. Then, having been trained as a professional solider, who knows what it is to take orders from his superior and how he gets the work done by simply obeying it or issuing an order to his subordinate, he understood that Jesus' word is as good as the job done. 

Particularly what he said about Jesus' word truly impressed Jesus. "But say the word, and my servant will be healed." (New American Standard Version adds the word "just" after the word “But.") I would call this man's faith "Just say the word faith." Just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 

How did Jesus respond to this man's just say the word faith? Look at verses 9-10. "When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, "I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel." Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well." Here Jesus spoke highly of this man's faith. Jesus is the Son of God. He knows how he created the universe and how it runs. So nothing should amaze him. But there were two occasions in which Jesus was quite amazed: some people who should have believed in him did not believe, so he was amazed by their unbelief. Another occasion is here. He was amazed by such great faith, demonstrated by a man who even did not know the Bible well. So he said, "I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel." In the history of Israel, there arose many men and women of great faith. Abraham is one, Isaac is another, and Jacob is still another. But Jesus says that none of them are a match for the centurion in terms of the greatness of their faith. 

What then is so great with the man's faith? His faith is the faith that believes in Jesus' word at face value. Just say the word, and my servant will be healed. Jesus' word is as good as the result. He believed that Jesus' word will bring about the intended result regardless of space and time. 

Just say the word and my servant will be healed. The centurion's faith inspires us to believe in the word of God at face value. All Scripture is God-breathed, meaning it represents the word of God. (2Ti 3:16) We must believe in the Scriptures at face value. For example, John 3:16 says, "God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." We must believe and act upon this word at face value. Isaiah 53:5 says, "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed." Think about the last six words: "by his wounds we are healed!" The Apostle Peter personally believed in this word, so he said in 1 Peter 2:24, "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed." Notice the difference: Isaiah says, "We are healed", but Peter says, "You have been healed!" What Isaiah says is like a man seated at a restaurant, looking at a dish saying, "This is New York steak. If you eat it, your stomach will rise, so you will be satisfied." But, what Peter says is like a man saying, "I already consumed the steak. It is already in my stomach. I am full. And I am fully satisfied now. Isaiah is right." In this way if we operate with the centurion's “Just Say the Word Faith”, we can pluck from the tree of Jesus, the source of life, tons of blessings such as eternal life or complete healing of all of our wounds. 

The kind of blessings we pluck from the tree of Jesus' words includes not just spiritual but physical ones. For example in Luke 6:20-49, we studied Jesus' teachings to his disciples in five lessons. (Blessings and woes; love your enemies; do not judge; a tree and its fruit; and a house on the rock) These words represent a divine framework for prosperity without a limit. For example, Jesus taught us to not judge, not to condemn; forgive, and give; and as we give Jesus says more will be given; we do not give in order to receive. But the bottom line remains the same: these commands (words of Jesus) are the framework for prosperity without a limit. Just practice it, and the result will be there. And we must put them into practice with the centurion's "just say the word and my servant will be healed faith!" As we keep operating with the faith that believes in Jesus’ word at face value, we can turn all the curses in life into the absolute blessings of God. 

For the last two weeks, the Lord God blessed us with the presence of two servants: Dr. Paul Hong of Toledo and Missionary John Park of New Jersey. In many ways Dr. Paul Hong was handicapped. For example he has really poor eyesight. He is also short. His English is terribly broken. But, he had the “just say the word faith”. With this faith he married a wife who is 4 years older than he. But his marriage life was not entirely smooth. For example his wife failed RN exam not once or twice, or even seven times, but 12 times. But still by faith, he kept encouraging and praying for her. So on the thirteen’s try, she passed the RN exam. In addition, the God of Isaac in Genesis inspired him so much that by faith in the God of Isaac, he kept digging the well of PhD studies majoring in business management.  Then, as of now, he is the chapter director of Toledo UBF, a tenure professor in business management, and internationally renowned scholar being invited by many business men worldwide for speech engagement. 

Missionary John Park is another example. In his late thirties, he came to the U.S. with just $100 in his pocket. But with the Centurion's faith he put into practice Jesus' word in Mark 6:37, "You give them something to eat". Then one day in front of a college campus he found a nice house for sale which he thought could be used as a Bible center. So by faith he made an offer to buy the house. The realtor then asked him, “How much down payment do you have?” He said, “$100. But my Father is very rich. So do not worry about the money thing.” The realtor thought that this strange looking Korean guy had a very rich father back in Korea who was going to give his son a huge amount of inheritance money. But in fact his biological father was broke. Missionary John meant his Heavenly Father. Anyway, the realtor believed him. And he bought the house. Lately he tore down this house, and built a new Bible center which is worth more than one million dollars. Now, he is not only the director of New Jersey UBF pioneering Princeton, but also a board member of a company selling computer products worldwide. 

In conclusion, we learned that the Centurion combined what he heard of Jesus with faith. Then when a situation arose he applied his faith to the problem he had. Then, in the spirit of love, especially the love that gives, he prepared a vessel in which Jesus could pour his blessings. Then as Jesus turned his shining face towards him, in absolute humility he presented his request with just say the word faith. Then, even without Jesus having to say anything, he received what he prayed for. Most importantly he received the seal of divine approval. He made his name into the hall of faith in God's kingdom. One word: just say the word and your servant will be healed.

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