Luke 7:1-10 - Jesus Amazed

Jesus spent His entire earthly ministry amazing people. He raised the dead, healed the blind, and cast out demons. He walked on water and was transfigured into His glorious state on a mountain.

The Gospels are full of amazing miracles that Jesus performed.

But today’s account is a little different. Today is one of two times that we see Jesus marvel or be amazed. The first time we see Him marvel is actually in His own hometown. This is recorded in Mark 6:6:

Mark 6:6 ESV

And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching.

This first amazement was a negative one. The unbelief of those in His own hometown of Nazareth was incredible. They were so blinded to the truth that He was amazed that they didn’t believe even after all of the reports about His mighty deeds that had gone out.

But today’s amazement is a positive one. We are going to see Jesus marvel at the faith of a man. Jesus will be amazed. We don’t often see the emotions of Jesus expressed and so this is a wonderful glimpse into the humanity of Jesus. We know that He is both fully God and fully man. So this amazement does not negate His deity. But instead, it shines a beautiful light on His humanity.

And one of the most interesting aspects of this account is that this man that amazes Jesus is a Gentile - not even one of the children of Israel.

Let’s jump in and see Jesus amazed:

Read Full Scripture:

Luke 7:1–10 ESV

After he had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him. When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue.” And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well.

Prayer

Today we will see three ways that Jesus responds with grace. The first is…

I. Jesus Responds with Grace to the Loving (1-5)

Luke 7:1 ESV

After he had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum.

After he had finished all his sayings. Some of you are wondering after our break to go through the book of Haggai what things He had just said!

If you recall, when we finished chapter 6 we had just covered what is called the Sermon on the Plain. This is a parallel account of the Sermon on the Mount found in the book of Matthew. Jesus has just taught the beatitudes and woes, to love your enemies, the proper way of judging and discerning, and how to build your life on a solid foundation.

This is the scene that we are entering today. And this first verse finishes with Jesus entering Capernaum.

Capernaum became Jesus’ major hub for His ministry. He spent much of His time there.

Capernaum will continue to come up throughout the Gospel of Luke. The town name actually means ‘house of Nahum’ although we are unsure which Nahum is referenced in this name. The Gospels reference this town some 16 times during the life of Jesus, but interestingly it falls off the pages of the New Testament after the Gospels. As seen on the map, it was right on the Sea of Galilee which is mentioned many times in the Gospels as well.

Now that we have our setting, lets get into the meat of the account.

Luke 7:2 ESV

Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him.

We are first introduced to a centurion. For those of you who aren’t history buffs, a centurion was an officer in charge of around 100 men. There would be six centurions and their men that served under a tribune. And then the largest designation of the Roman army was a legion which consisted of around 6,000 men.

Centurions were appointed after proving themselves as tried and tested. They were the trusted backbone of the military. They often functioned in the collection of taxes, keeping order, and enforcing the law.

Before getting into this particular centurion, it should be noted that every single mention of a centurion in the New Testament is positive. Cornelius in Acts 10:44-48 is a devout believer in Christ. The centurion present during the crucifixion in Mark 15:39 acknowledges that Christ was truly the Son of God. In Acts 22:25-26, a centurion protects Paul from being flogged since he is a Roman citizen and a different centurion relays a message in Acts 23:17-18 that saves Paul’s life. Finally another centurion protects Paul in Acts 27:42-43. It is amazing how God worked in these men to help advance the Gospel.

Getting back to our centurion in this account, he has a servant who is sick and at the point of death. Matthew adds a little detail to what is going on with this servant in his Gospel:

Matthew 8:6 ESV

“Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.”

I find it interesting that Matthew the tax collector gives a more detailed account of the patient’s symptoms than Luke the physician. Luke does get right to the point though. He says he is at the point of death! Matthew does leave out that important aspect of the situation!

Luke 7:2 ESV

Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him.

And we are told that this servant is highly valued by the centurion. We read this today and think that this sounds kind and nice. But during this time in Rome servants, also known as slaves, were usually people who were purchased, owned, and treated as property. Yet, this centurion does not treat his servant like many did. This centurion highly values his servant. This phrase highly values is translated from the Greek word entimos (in-ti-mose) and also means precious and valuable. He loves this servant.

And because he values and loves this servant so much we see him send a group of Jewish elders to Jesus on his behalf.

A careful reading of Matthew makes it appear that the centurion, himself, went to meet Jesus. But Luke sheds light on this situation. The Jewish elders speak on behalf of the centurion and he, in fact, is not present with them. This is not contradictory. Matthew just records the words as coming from the centurion because that is where they originated.

So the Jewish elders arrive and say the following:

Luke 7:3–5 ESV

When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue.”

Note that this centurion has not met Jesus. We see here that he has heard about Jesus. We see a great faith already present that he would send these elders to Jesus. We also see the centurion’s humility and understanding of the Jewish culture in verse 3. He sends Jewish elders instead of coming himself. He understands the Jewish view of Gentiles and wants to be respectful to Jesus.

But what do the Jewish elders say to Jesus?

These Jewish elders come to Jesus and plead a case for the centurion. This is noble in and of itself. The problem is their pleading is assuming and frankly sinful. They come with a reciprocal blessing strategy and take a name-it-and-claim-it type of gospel strategy. This centurion has been good to God’s people and so he deserves to be healed.

In essence, they presume that God owes this man. God is in debt to this man for being kind to His people. And Jesus should heal this man to right the record of debt. This centurion helped build a synagogue and he is kind to the people so he deserves to have his servant healed.

We will contrast this view sharply with that of the centurion in our next point.

But let’s take a moment and try to apply this understanding to our own life.

Do we presume upon the Lord?

Do we sometimes assume that the Lord should owe us or bless us because we are faithful? Should our church grow because we faithfully exposit the Word of God? Should our church have an amazing building because we hold fast to the Word?

When we look around at some churches in our world that do not preach the Word of God and still are bursting at the seams with people and finances all the while they have a beautiful building while we meet in a shopping center with a overhang that threatens to buckle - it can become very tempting to question and presume upon the Lord doesn’t it? I know that as a pastor with a huge heart for our church that I can also struggle with this.

Lord, we are preaching and teaching your Word and not humanism or false doctrines while some others are smearing your Word and your Name and continue to grow faster than we do.

Don’t miss the fact that we do need to be generous givers and that we do need to be inviting people to church and sharing the Gospel with our community. There is absolutely a responsibility for us to do our part through the power of God. Sometimes we aren’t blessed because we, in fact, aren’t doing our part.

But God does not promise a reciprocal blessing. He does not promise to give us a beautiful building and an easy road in evangelism. He doesn’t promise an easy road without trials and struggles and even persecution. In John 16:33, Jesus in fact promises the opposite! In this world you will have trouble! But He ends with take heart! I have overcome the world.

What about applying this question to our personal lives as well.

Should our personal finances grow because we are generous and live simply? Should our health remain good because we attend church and serve the Lord?

I think if we are honest with ourselves, we all can buy into this false gospel if we are not careful.

God, why did I lose my job? I was giving generously to the church and to others and was working with integrity and for Your glory? Why would you let me struggle like I am.

Or why is my child being disobedient? I have been consistent with discipline. I am teaching them the Bible. Why is this parenting thing so hard?

Or why is my marriage so tough?

Why is my health not improving despite all of my best efforts?

Or why is it so hard… fill in the blank.

If we are not careful, we can buy into this false teaching that God owes us. My friends:

God does not owe us anything.

He has already given us the greatest gift imaginable - the gift of eternal life.

Brothers and sisters, we must realize that there are things that we will not understand on this side of eternity. But we must trust God and remain faithful.

I did an apologetics podcast a few weeks ago on why does God allow pain. I would highly suggest sharing it with others who might be struggling with that question. It is one of the most pressing questions of our day.

This past week I was blessed to meet a lady (not in our church) who is currently battling a life-threatening cancer that had listened to that podcast and received encouragement from it.

My friends, there are many things we just cannot grasp right now such as why God allows cancer or pain or suffering.

1 Corinthians 13:12 states:

1 Corinthians 13:12 ESV

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

We see in a mirror dimly. We cannot fully make out exactly what God is doing right now. But one day it will all make sense. We just need to trust Jesus and remain faithful as we move forward.

Next we see that...

Scripture References: Acts 10:44-48, Mark 15:39, Acts 22:25-26, Acts 23:17-18, Acts 27:42-43, John 16:33, 1 Corinthians 13:12

II. Jesus Responds with Grace to the Lowly (6-7)

Luke 7:6–7 ESV

And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed.

Luke’s account highlights the centurion throughout this passage. And sometimes we get lost in that and miss the grace of Jesus Christ. That is why I have started out all of the points with Jesus responds with grace. The Jewish elders have come with a heart that may or not be in the right place - but a theology that is most certainly off base. Yet, Jesus went with them.

How gracious is Jesus here? Isn’t it amazing that Jesus shows mercy and grace to those who don’t deserve it? He could have looked at them and lectured them on why their thinking and theology was off-base and walked the other way. Yet He graciously goes with them.

You and I receive mercy and grace when we don’t deserve it as well. We don’t deserve salvation, yet He freely offers it through the cross. We don’t deserve to be born again, yet after repenting of our sins and placing our faith in Jesus Christ - He makes us a new creation! The old has gone and the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17). And frankly, as those who have sinned against a holy God, we don’t even deserve to have breath in our lungs today, but He continues to sustain our lives!

Getting back to our Scripture, the centurion now sends some of his friends to meet Jesus. The words that come toward Jesus are not what many would ever expect. This man who has already humbled himself by sending a group of Jewish men to intercede on behalf of a slave has now humbled himself even further. He has shown himself as lowly and unworthy. He refuses to presume upon the Lord Jesus Christ. He even calls Jesus Lord which means master!

And then he does the unthinkable. He asks that Jesus heal from a distance. He says that if Jesus says the word, the servant will be healed.

What amazing humble faith is exerted here!

This centurion firmly believes that Jesus has the power over life and death. And he makes his request as if he is a poor beggar. It reminds me of the tax collector asking for forgiveness in Luke 18:13:

Luke 18:13 ESV

But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’

What does Jesus say about this man when comparing him to the self-righteous Pharisee mentioned just before him?

Luke 18:14 ESV

I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Jesus honors and gives grace to the humble and lowly. See James 4:6:

James 4:6 ESV

But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Let’s take a moment and contrast the theology of the Jewish elders and this Gentile centurion:

Theology of the Jewish Elders - worthy, deserving, presumptuous, weak faith, God owes them

Theology of the Gentile Centurion - unworthy, undeserving, not presumptuous, strong faith, God doesn’t owe him anything

Note the vast differences between these two. My friends, this brings up another important question for us today…

Which one of these are we most like?

That is a difficult question isn’t it? How do we approach God in our prayers? Are we humble and lowly or are we presumptuous?

God honors and gives grace to the humble. I pray that we model our lives after this Gentile centurion who has a big faith in God and a small view of himself.

And finally we see that…

Scripture References: 2 Corinthians 5:17, Luke 18:13-14, James 4:6

III. Jesus Responds with Grace to the Loyal (8-10)

Luke 7:8 ESV

For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

This centurion understands the structure of authority. He understands what it is like to have people over him and under him. And he sees Jesus as a man who has supernatural authority. He sees Jesus as over all but the Father. He carries with Him the authority of God. He might not have understood that Jesus was God-made-flesh as we do today, but He understood that Jesus was sent from God. He understood that the authority of God was upon Jesus and that Jesus had supernatural power to do anything.

And in this he showed his loyalty and faithfulness to Jesus. He let him know that he respected and trusted Jesus.

How does Jesus respond to this humble and faithful plea?

Luke 7:9 ESV

When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.”

As we have already alluded to in the introduction - I love the word, marveled here. The Greek for this word is thaumazō (thah-vlas-o) which also means to be amazed, to wonder, and admire.

And Jesus gives this man an astounding compliment. He states that he has not found in all of Israel faith such as this man has.

We mentioned this in the introduction but it is worth repeating - this Gentile centurion of the Roman army is who Jesus says has more faith than all that He had encountered in Israel.

Note the paradox of this man’s faith.

He is bold enough to ask but humble enough not to presume.

There is great truth in this. See James 4:2-3

James 4:2–3 ESV

You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

We are to boldly ask in the name of Jesus. But it should be done so in humility and selflessly.

And also note the extent of his faith in Christ. He had never met Jesus. But there was plenty of evidence that Jesus was all-powerful. He had likely heard of the many miracles that Jesus had done thus far. And his faith in Christ was based on facts.

This is a great teaching on faith for us today. Hebrews 11:1 states:

Hebrews 11:1 ESV

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

We see that faith is not based on things that we see per se - but it is based on assurance. Our assurance comes from facts. We have the Word of God which assures us that God’s Word is reliable and that God is faithful. We have countless examples of God fulfilling His promises throughout the ages. Our faith may be based on the unseen - but it is not a blind faith. It is a faith firmly fixed upon Jesus Christ with the assurance given by the Word of God.

Note something here. Jesus doesn’t even say that this servant will be healed. He just admires this man’s faith and turns and goes in another direction. But, obviously, the Jewish elders and the centurion’s friends understood the answer was yes. And our last verse today lets us know the conclusion of this matter…

Luke 7:10 ESV

And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well.

Interestingly, the focus of this entire text is not on the healing that Jesus did from a distance. This is almost mentioned as an afterthought. We need to see how incredible this healing was though!

Jesus is not even in proximity of this servant. It is very likely that Jesus has never even met this servant while on earth. And yet He does this miracle from a distance.

We must understand the power of Jesus Christ and embrace His deity as well. The book of Colossians spells this out beautifully.

Colossians 1:19 ESV

For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,

Christ is God. All of the fullness of God dwells in Christ.

He isn’t a part of God or even part God. He is fully God and fully man.

And we have seen His humanity in His response to the centurion’s faith, and we have seen His deity in this miraculous healing.

This is quite the account friends.

I can’t help but think that the centurion felt much like the Psalmist in Psalm 30:2:

Psalm 30:2 ESV

O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me.

His cry had been heard. His humble and faithful plea to the Messiah was answered. He wasn’t the one who needed healing but his servant did. And how he must have rejoiced that the Messiah would consider his plea and answer him in this way.

Scripture References: James 4:2-3, Hebrews 11:1, Colossians 1:19, Psalm 30:2

Conclusion:

Brothers and sisters. Our Savior is ready to heal from a distance today as well. I am not speaking of physical healing which our God does still do this at times according to His will! But I’m speaking of the miraculous healing of taking a dead heart of stone and giving one a new heart. By placing your faith and trust in Jesus Christ and repenting of your sins, you can experience healing from a distance! That is because God is never truly distant from us. He is always there, ready to save lost souls.

I love the words of the song “God Made Low” by Sovereign Grace that we sang this past Christmas season. It speaks of Christ in a manger all the while still being transcendent and fully God.

As He sleeps upon the hay

He holds the moon and stars in place

Though born an infant He remains

The sovereign God of endless days.

Sovereign Grace “God Made Low” (verse 3)

What a beautiful love that Christ has for us. I pray that each of us has responded to this free gift of eternal life, and that you realize that He is always right there ready to forgive you and grant you eternal life.

And for those who are saved, I pray that we learn from the faith of the centurion. May we come to God humbly and with great faith because we know that Jesus responds with grace.