Jesus affirms what is good

 JESUS AFFIRMS WHAT IS GOOD

 

[Jesus] was amazed at [the centurion], and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.”

LUKE 7.9

 

Based on LUKE 7.1–10

 

Think of an acquaintance who is least like you. Perhaps someone who’s even part of a demographic or institution that has hurt you.

What would it take to see past the hurt and affirm the good in this person?

This is the tension of today’s story, because typically Roman centurions were antagonistic toward Jews, and Jews were hostile toward the occupying Romans. The Roman centurion was tasked with keeping the peace in this small town off the Sea of Galilee, and he had military troops at his command who would forcefully and sometimes brutally establish their authority. The Romans feared nothing.

Yet here is a Roman centurion who is unlike the others. The Jewish leaders of Capernaum tell Jesus that this foreigner loves their nation and had even built their synagogue. He was a God-fearing Gentile, but a Gentile nonetheless, and thus ceremonially unclean under Mosaic law.

So when the elders of the town come to Jesus and ask Him to come and heal the centurion’s sick servant, they likely expected some resistance from Jesus, because no law-abiding Jew would willingly enter an unclean Gentile’s home, let alone a Roman centurion’s. Jesus pushes back to test their hearts, but they plead with Him, this Roman built their synagogue, and they didn’t want to lose his good favour, even if it meant compromising their purity laws on this point. Quite possibly, Jesus is revealing the duplicity of their hearts, as these religious teachers condemned Jesus for healing on the Sabbath but were now asking Him to bend the rules for their own self-interest.

Nonetheless, Jesus sets out toward the centurion’s home. He was nearly there when He was met by the friends the centurion had sent to deliver his message, “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof.” The centurion understood Jewish purity laws well enough to know that Jesus would be defiling Himself by entering his home. And though he was a man in authority, his humility shines bright. The message from the centurion continued, “That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed.”

Amidst the elders’ pleading, the centurion’s humility and faith stand in stark contrast. He commanded the respect of his troops and the people, yet he recognised that he didn’t deserve Jesus’ intervention or even His presence. Recognising his own unworthiness in the presence of such divine power, he asked for what he didn’t deserve with an unparalleled faith.

And Jesus was amazed.

The elders saw only the centurion’s outward appearance, his position of power, his potential to help them with their own needs. Jesus saw this man’s past, his hurts, his accomplishments, his disappointments, and his wilful choice to believe Jesus was who He said He was, even though he’d never met Him.

Jesus saw his faith, and He loved what He saw.

The pioneer and perfecter of our faith (Heb. 12.2) recognised the seeds of belief blooming into unwavering trust, and He marvelled at the man. It wasn’t a rabbi, or a disciple, or a scribe or a synagogue elder that impressed Jesus. It was a Roman soldier.

Jesus breaks through cultural boundaries by affirming the good in this foreigner and proclaiming God’s plan to welcome all His children from around the world into His kingdom, yet those Jews who resisted Him would be thrown out (Mt 8.11–12).

When it comes to faith in Jesus, it’s not enough to inherit a religion from your parents or to follow a set of rules. Faith in Jesus must be personal and sincere, though it be small. A little, in Jesus’ hands, is enough.

 

Prayer 

 

Dear Jesus, You are in charge of every molecule in the universe, but so often I try to solve my own problems instead of turning to You. Forgive me. Help me believe You, to trust You with the big and small of my everyday life. Thank You for loving me and for championing the good You see, even when it’s small. Continue growing my faith, and help me champion the good I see in others too. 

In Jesus’s name, Amen.

 

If you want to read more 

 

1 Sam 16.7, Mt 8.5–13, Heb 12.2