With Great Faith Comes Great Humility
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The Character of Faith
The Character of Faith
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.
Gospel of Luke Recap
Chapter 1:
Birth of John the Baptist Foretold
Birth of Jesus Foretold
Mary & Elizabeth
The Magnificat
Birth of John
Zechariah’s song (or prophecy)
Chapter 2:
Birth of Jesus
Angel’s message to the Shepherds
Jesus’ presented at temple
Chapter 3:
John the Baptist prepares the way
Chapter 4:
Temptation of Jesus
Jesus’ ministry begins
Jesus rejected in Nazareth
Jesus casts out a demon
Jesus heals people
Jesus preaches in the synagogues
Chapter 5:
Jesus calls the disciples
Jesus cleanses a leper
Jesus heals a Paralytic
Jesus Calls Levi
Jesus answers a question about fasting
Chapter 6:
Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath
Jesus heals the man with the withered hand
Jesus names the 12
Sermon on the Plain
Now we are in chapter 7, verses 1-10, Jesus heals the Centurion’s servant
We are going to learn about the character and faith of this Centurion.
Character:
Cared for his servant
loved the nation of the Jews
built a synagogue
Humble
Faith:
Trusts that Jesus can heal
Understands the Authority Jesus carries
Demonstrates the logic of faith
What is faith?
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Faith is a sense within ourselves that what we believe to be true, and promises we hold, will be proven correct. It is a conviction of things we cannot prove in any scientific way, but nonetheless we have a strong belief that in time, these things will all be proven right.
Atheists rail over faith, that it is unscientific. Yet science and faith are not opposed. Science cannot prove all its own theorems. Richard Dawkins, the famous atheist, got very mad at John Lennox in a debate, when Lennox pointed out that Dawkins had faith, too. His faith was in the idea that out of nothing everything came, and without a cause. Dawkins cannot prove this by the scientific method. And we cannot prove that God spoke everything into existence by a scientific experiment, so both sides have faith. The biblical definition here of faith, is that it is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. And the atheist does not want to admit that this describes his faith in the big bang just as much as it describes our faith in the gospel.
Let’s go through the passage again and look for these points:
Character:
Cared for his servant
loved the nation of the Jews
built a synagogue
Humble
Faith:
Trusts that Jesus can heal
Understands the Authority Jesus carries
Demonstrates the logic of faith
After he had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum.
The sayings he finished? The sermon on the plain. Luke 6
Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him.
Centurion:
Commander of 100 (or possibly more) soldiers
Roughly equivalent to a Captain (O4 or O5) in today’s military
Servant was sick. Matthew’s account of this story adds that he had paralysis.
The servant was highly valued by him
Many servants were treated poorly in those days
This may have been a personal servant, or it may just be that this man cared for human life and cared for all his servants
Character quality: Care and concern for a person who ranked lower than him
When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant.
Faith quality: He trusts that Jesus can heal.
This is based on the reports about Jesus, but what else? The Holy Spirit draws people. Faith itself is a gift of God: Ephesians2.8-9
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
How does a person get this gift of faith? Hearing a report about Jesus. Faith comes from hearing, and hearing the Word of Christ. This man’s faith was in Jesus because he heard reports about him, and believed. He has the assurance of things hoped for, an evidence of something he cannot see nor prove scientifically.
He sent elders of the Jews. He is both respecting Jesus and also showing his felt need of a mediator.
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.”
For Jews to feel this way about him shows his character and the respect he had earned. They are going to bat for him, and this is evidence that he has proven himself to them.
He loves the nation
He built their synagogue.
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……
Character trait: Humble
He does not think as highly of himself as the Jewish elders had. So he sends a message to Jesus showing his reverence and humility (and possibly fear)
Luke 7:7–8 (ESV)
……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.”
LEB: “My servant must be healed”
Faith and logic.
Faith in the verbal command of Jesus (Who alone can speak things into existence, who can command events to happen)
This is the first example we see of someone saying something like this. Others felt the need for proximity for healing.
Logic: Chain of command. The one in command must be obeyed. He recognizes Jesus as the One in command
Say the word, and let my servant be healed. Jesus could have done this for all his healings. Lazarus, etc.
Jesus marveled or was amazed at only two things that scripture tells us. One was the lack of faith in his hometown, and the other is this man’s faith.
And this faith from a man who had none of the upbringing of the Jews! Here is an early sign in Jesus’ ministry that God’s grace would come on Gentiles as well, since he grants repentance and faith even to people outside of the tribe of Israel.
And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well.
The proof. Faith realized. No longer did he need faith to believe the servant would be healed. His faith became sight.
The power of the voice of God: Psalm107.17-22
Some were fools through their sinful ways, and because of their iniquities suffered affliction;
they loathed any kind of food, and they drew near to the gates of death.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.
He sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction.
Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man!
And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, and tell of his deeds in songs of joy!
Character:
Cared for his servant
loved the nation of the Jews
built a synagogue
Humble
Faith:
Trusts that Jesus can heal
Understands the Authority Jesus carries
Demonstrates the logic of faith
With great power comes great responsibility, and
With Great Faith Comes Great Humility