Tom Mount – November 10, 2024

 

Scripture reading: Luke 7:1-17

Jesus heals a centurion’s servant

1 When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people who were listening, he entered Capernaum. 2 There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. 3 The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. 4 When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, 5 because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” 6 So Jesus went with them.

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. 7 That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8 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.”

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.” 10 Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.

  • “Centurion” – commander of a “century” (100 men); under him were decurians (10 men); above him was a chiliarch (1000 men). Sixty centuries made a Legion. Centurians were the backbone of the Roman armies. They were paid well (sometimes 100x more).
  • “Servant” – probably like family. Seriously sick (cf. Mt 8:6, paralyzed).
  • He recognized Jesus’ authority to heal. Just as his soldiers obeyed him, he knew this sickness had to obey Jesus (also demons, nature and death itself).
  • He understood Jesus’ authority was not spatially limited: he could heal from a distance, “just say the word.” His situation was analogous to our current situation.
  • He also recognized he was not worthy of Jesus’ attention (cf. Isa 66:2).
  • Note Jesus’ response: he was “amazed” – thaumatzo, “marveled, wondered at.” He uses him as an example to Israel. Then he heals his servant (but his words are not recorded).
  • Do you “amaze” Jesus with your faith in him? What can we do to increase our faith?

Jesus raises a widow’s son

11 Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. 12 As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.”

14 Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” 15 The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.

16 They were all filled with awe and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help his people.” 17 This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country.

  • “Nain” – a small town twenty miles SW of Capernaum and six miles SE of Nazareth.
  • “town gate” – protective structure. The dead were considered unclean and were always buried outside the town to avoid “corpse defilement.”
  • “only son of his mother…widow” – she was now vulnerable with no means of support.
  • “touched the bier” – this would render him ritually unclean (Num 19:11,16). But instead of having contamination transmitted to him, Jesus communicates life to the man. This is what happens when Life meets Death! Death gets swallowed up by life.
  • Result: the son is resuscitated. Note: he is not resurrected (cf. 1 Cor 15:20). This is one of three resuscitations Jesus performs during his earthly ministry.
  • This shows the extent of Jesus’ authority. The lesson for us: nothing is too hard for him.
  • Response of the people: “filled with awe and they praised God” – natural response anytime God does something unusual that demonstrates his love and care for us.
  • “A great prophet has appeared among us” – like Elijah (1 Kings 17:17-24) and Elisha (2 Kings 4:18-37).
  • What motivated Jesus to do this miracle? See v. 13, “His heart went out to her” – splagchnizomai, “bowels turned upside down.”
  • Do you feel that Christ has compassion on you? Cf. Ex 34:6; Isa 30:18.

 

What is your takeaway from this text?

 

Do you understand the extent of Jesus’ authority to do literally anything he chooses? Do you recognize your own delegated authority in Christ to do his work on earth? Do you sense that he looks on you with infinite compassion? Are you trusting him in true faith?