Sep 23
10
Old Testament Reading: 2 Kings 5:1–14
“Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor, because by him the LORD had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. Now the Syrians on one of their raids had carried off a little girl from the land of Israel, and she worked in the service of Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, ‘Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.’ So Naaman went in and told his lord, ‘Thus and so spoke the girl from the land of Israel.’ And the king of Syria said, ‘Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.’ So he went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing. And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, ‘When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you Naaman my servant, that you may cure him of his leprosy.’ And when the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, ‘Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Only consider, and see how he is seeking a quarrel with me.’ But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, ‘Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come now to me, that he may know that there is a prophet in Israel.’ So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha’s house. And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, ‘Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.’ But Naaman was angry and went away, saying, ‘Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?’ So he turned and went away in a rage. But his servants came near and said to him, ‘My father, it is a great word the prophet has spoken to you; will you not do it? Has he actually said to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?’ So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and he came and stood before him. And he said, ‘Behold, I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel; so accept now a present from your servant.’ But he said, ‘As the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will receive none.’ And he urged him to take it, but he refused. Then Naaman said, ‘If not, please let there be given to your servant two mule loads of earth, for from now on your servant will not offer burnt offering or sacrifice to any god but the LORD. In this matter may the LORD pardon your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, leaning on my arm, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, when I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, the LORD pardon your servant in this matter.’ He said to him, ‘Go in peace.’” (2 Kings 5:1–19, ESV)
New Testament Reading: Luke 7:1-10
“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.” (Luke 7:1–10, ESV)
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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.
Introduction
As we consider this story of the healing of a Roman centurion’s servant, we should look back in Luke’s gospel and also forward.
If we look ahead to Luke 7:18, we see that John the Baptist sends messengers to Jesus to confirm that he is indeed the Messiah. The answer that Jesus gives is found in 7:22-23: “And he answered them, ‘Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.’” Given where Luke goes in his gospel, it is right for us to see this story about the miraculous healing of a Roman centurion’s servant as yet another sign that Jesus is the Messiah. He performed this miracle, and many others, in order to demonstrate that he was the Lord’s Messiah, just as he claimed.
But I think it is also interesting to look back in Luke’s gospel to remember the things that Jesus said in his sermon on the plane. Remember, Jesus commanded his followers to love their enemies, to judge and condemn not, but rather to forgive and to give generously, expecting nothing in return. Jesus rebuked the self-righteous in his sermon and commended those of a humbly and lowly disposition. It seems to me that this Roman centurion is held out as a kind of model for the way of life that Jesus called his disciples to. In fact, the text says that Jesus marveled at the faith of this man, and said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith” (Luke 7:9, ESV). This Roman soldier possessed great faith to believe that Christ could say a word and his servant would be healed, but he also possessed many of the qualities that Jesus commended in his sermon on the plane. He was a humble, caring, and generous man who was kind even to those who were below him, and those who were considered to be his enemies, according to the world’s way of seeing things.
Let us now walk through the text together.
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Verse 1
In verse 1 we read, “After he had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum.” Capernaum was a small town in the region of Galilee located on the northwest side of the Sea of Galilee. This small town functioned as a home base for Jesus during his earthly ministry – many miracles were performed there. There is not much to say about Capernaum. Perhaps the most important observation to make about this city is that it was small, insignificant, and off the beaten path.
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Verse 2
In verse 2 we read, “Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him” (Luke 7:2, ESV).
A centurion was a captain in the Roman Army – a commander of 100. Can you picture him? He was a man of authority, a strong man, a man of war.
But we are told that he had a servant who was highly valued by him – that is how the ESV translates the Greek. The NASB says, that the servant “was highly regarded by him”. The KJV says that the servant was “dear unto him”. I appreciate those translations, for they better highlight the kindness of this centurion. This centurion did not only care for his servant because he was of value to him. No, this story shows us that the servant was dear to the centurion, which is why he showed him such kindness.
Before we move on, we should remember the political situation of the Jews in those days. Isarel was occupied by the Romans. The Jews were not free but were subject to this foreign power. The Romans were viewed by the Jews as enemies and oppressors, therefore. And they were very strong. This was the political situation into which our Lord and Savior was born. This was the political situation in which he ministered. He did not live in a free democracy but was a member of an occupied and oppressed people. Christians – and especially Christians in America today – would do well to remember this. We should remember that Jesus, his Apostles, and the early church lived within political systems very differnt from ours. They were not free. In fact, they were at certain times and in certain regions, persecuted harshly by those with power. We would do well to remember this fact and to pay careful attention to the way in which Christ and his followers lived so that we might obey their teaching and follow their example.
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Verse 3 – 5
In verse 3 we read, “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’” (Luke 7:3–5, ESV).
Notice three things:
One, notice that the centurion was aware of Jesus. He must have heard of Jesus’ teaching and of the miraculous deeds that he was performing from the Jews living in Capernaum. That the centurion was aware of Jesus tells us something about Jesus – the word was spreading fast concerning him! But this also tells us something about the centurion. This man was not living in isolation from the Jewish population but was engaged. He must have been somewhat interested in the Jewish religion and in the Old Testament Scriptures for the news of Jesus to be brought to his ears.
Two, notice the effort made by the centurion to care for his servant. He sent elders of the Jews to Jesus asking him to come and heal his servant. This centurion was a kind man. He cared even for those who were far beneath him in status. Where did this kindness come from? Well, it may be that God, by his common grace and through the light of nature, granted this man with a merciful and kind disposition – that can and does happen. But it seems as if the Lord was doing something more in this centurion. As the story progresses it becomes clear that this centurion was touched by the special and saving grace of God, and this is why he had such love for this servant of his.
Three, notice the respect that the Jews had for this man despite the fact that he was a Roman centurion with authority over them. When the Jews came to Jesus the text says that they “pleaded with him earnestly” on his behalf. Stated differently, their hearts were in it. They did not go to Jesus because it was their duty. They did not go because they were threatened with the sword. The elders of the Jews went to Jesus with love and respect for this centurion in their hearts, and when they got there they “pleaded with him earnestly” or eagerly.
And look at what they said. “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”. The Greek word translated as “nation” is ἔθνος. “Nation” is a fine translation of this word, but you should know that the word carries the meaning of “a body of persons united by kinship, culture, and common traditions…” (BDAG, 276). So, this Roman centurion loved the Jewish people, their culture, and customs. And evidently, he loved their religion too, for the Jews pleaded with Jesus 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”. A synagogue is a church building or a meeting house. It appears that this Roman centurion was personally interested in the Jewish religion, therefore.
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Verse 6 – 8
In verses 6-8 we read, “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.’” (Luke 7:6–8, ESV)
Notice three things about these verses:
One, the centurion had friends. “When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him…” Not only did the Jews love and honor this man, he had other friends too who were willing to go to Jesus on his behalf. I make this simple observation to make a connection with something that Jesus said in his sermon on the plane. “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:37–38, ESV). This centurion was kind and generous to others, and what came back to him? Others were kind and generous with him. They loved him and saw him as a man worthy of honor.
Two, notice the humility of the centurion. The Jews told Jesus, “he is worthy to have you do this for him.” But how did the centurion regard himself? He sent his friends to Jesus to say, “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.” This humble spirit of the centurion is to be contrasted with the arrogant pride and self-righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. Evidently, this Roman centurion understood and lived by the ethical teaching of Jesus: “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye” (Luke 6:41–42, ESV). The Roman centurion knew that he was a sinner. He saw himself as unworthy to be in the presence of Jesus.
And that leads us to the third observation about verses 6-8. This Roman centurion possessed a remarkable understanding of who Jesus was – more than a mere man.
One, he clearly understood that Christ was holy and great. This is clear from his statement, “I am not worthy to have you come under my roof.”
Two, he understood that Jesus possessed great authority. When he articulated his confidence that Christ could heal his servant from a distance he said, “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 Roman centurion understood that Christ possessed authority, not over common soldiers as he did, but over sickness and death itself. Think of that for moment. No mere man has authority over sickness and death, and yet this centurion believed that Jesus possessed that kind of authority.
Three, some students of the Bible have noted that this centurion understood that Jesus was the Word of God incarnate. He objected to Jesus coming under his roof and said, “But say the word, and let my servant be healed”. God alone has the power to speak things into reality. In the beginning, the LORD created the heavens and earth by the word of his power. The repeated refrain of Genesis 1 is, “and God said”, “and God said”. And when we come to the New Testament it is made clear that God the Father created the world through the Son (or Word) and by the Spirit. When the centurion requested that Jesus “say the word” to heal his servant, he expressed the belief that Jesus possessed the very power and authority of God to bring things into existence by his word – indeed, we know that Christ was and is the Word, the second subsistence of the Triune God, incarnate (see John 1).
Truly, the faith of this Roman centurion was marvelous, and Jesus noticed.
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Verse 9-10
Look with me at verses 9-10: “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.” (Luke 7:9–10, ESV)
When Luke reports to us that Jesus marveled at the centurion we are to understand that Jesus marveled according to his human nature. The divine nature cannot marvel, properly speaking, for God is never surprised. But Christ, in his humanity, did marvel over the great faith of this Roman centurion.
And to fully appreciate the greatness of the faith of this man we must recognize that it was a well-rounded and mature faith that he possessed. Yes, the centurion did believe that Jesus could heal his servant from a distance, but this faith was rooted in an understanding of who Jesus was. Stated differently, the centurion believed that Jesus could heal from a distance and by his word, because he knew that Jesus was no mere man, but was the Messiah, God with us. And more than this, the centurion’s faith in the Messiah was shown to be true by his actions. He was a man known for his love and kindness. When Jesus commended this man for his remarkable faith – faith of a kind that Jesus had not found amongst the Jews – he was not merely considering his confidence that he could heal. Others had demonstrated that kind of faith. Think, for example, of the men who lowered their paralyzed friend through the roof of the house (Luke 5:17ff.)). They were confident that Jesus could heal. But this centurion showed that his faith was very strong. He knew that Jesus could heal by his word and from a distance. He knew that Jesus could heal because he knew who he was – no mere man, but the Messiah, the holy one of God. His faith was shown to be great because of the fruit it produced – a life characterized by love, kindness, and generosity.
Jesus healed the servant, one, to show mercy to the servant and the centurion, two, to commend the faith of the centurion, and three, to demonstrate that he was the Messiah, the word of God incarnate.
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Reflections
I’ll move this sermon to a conclusion by offering a few reflections on this text.
One, when I read this story of Jesus commending the faith of this Roman centurion and healing his servant I immediately think of the mercy and grace that Jesus Christ would show to the gentile nations under the New Covenant. Do not forget, brothers and sisters, that under the Old Covenant, the saving grace of God was largely confined to Israel, for the promises concerning the Messiah were entrusted to them. But when Christ came into the world to accomplish salvation, he did not come for the Jews only but atoned for the sins of many from every tongue, tribe, and nation. Luke makes much of this. Do not forget the words of that “righteous and devout” man named Simeon who was “waiting for the consolation of Israel”. When he saw the baby Jesus at the temple, “he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said. ‘Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel” (Luke 2:25–32, ESV). That the Messiah would be the savior of the world was revealed in the Old Testament. It was revealed during Jesus’ early years. And Luke highlights this fact in various ways in his Gospel, one of them being by the telling of this story of the faith of the Roman centurion – a faith greater than any that Jesus had seen within Israel. As we study the Scriptures we must keep this grace transition ever in mind – the gospel of Jesus Christ, which was largely confined to Isarel under the Old Covenant, has spread to the nations under the New Covenant, and we are all beneficiaries of that. Let us give thanks to God, therefore. And let us walk worthily.
Two, as I consider the love and generosity that this Roman centurion showed to his servants, his friends, and the Jewish people over whom he ruled, I am reminded that it truly is the poor in spirit and those who weep who are blessed. Truly, those who forgive and give generously will be given unto. This centurion was blessed indeed. He had many friends. Even his political enemies loved and respected him. Why? Because he was a kind and generous man – a benevolent and just ruler. Most of us here in this room possess some kind of authority. Some are elders and deacons in the church. Some are husbands. Some are fathers and mothers. And some have authority in the world in their places of employment. Whatever the authority may be, we should seek to emulate this man who was so kind to those who were under him. Indeed, to emulate this man is to emulate Christ, who, though he possesses all authority in heaven and earth, is gracious and kind to sinners like you and me.
Three, as I consider this story of the Roman centurion and of his relationship to the Jews who knew him in Capernaum, I see a wonderful example of what it looks like to love your enemies. Politically speaking – culturally speaking – this man should have been at enmity with the Jewish people. He, like so many others, could have been heavy-handed and harsh with them, but he rose above this and showed them love and kindness instead. Brothers and sisters, we Christians are called to rise above the things that divide us politically and culturally and to love even our enemies. Think of how powerful love is. It can break down barries of any kind. We see an example of how powerful it can be here.
Four, this story about the Roman centurion does encourage me to walk humbly before the Lord, I would encourage you to do the same. I would imagine that many Roman centurions were filled with pride because of their power. But this man was powerful yet humble. And there is true strength in humility. When we are weak we strong, and this is especially true of those who run to God and to Christ in their weakness. Men and women who think of themselves as strong will never run to Christ. But those who walk humbly before the Lord will turn to Christ to find true strength in him.
Lastly, all of the good qualities that I have highlighted in this Roman centurion were his by the grace of God. This is always the case. Any goodness that is found in anyone is by God’s common grace. But this man was given the gift of faith in Jesus the Messiah. He called out to Jesus in his need, and Jesus drew near to him. This is God’s gift. Brothers and sisters, let us never forget that “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” (James 1:17, ESV). And the greatest gift of all is Jesus and the ability to trust in him to the salvation of our souls. “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.” (Ephesians 2:8–9, ESV)
