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The recording of events concerning the Centurion and his dying slave are written to tell us what an acceptable response of faith in Jesus is. The Centurion is
An officer in the Roman occuping army in charge of a 100 men. He is unique in that he is a convert to The God of Israel and showed his charity to the Jews by building them a synagogue.
Luke tells of this event to show what a correct understanding of God is, and also the way His authority works. The centurion is a man familiar with authority and is submitted under authority. He understands that God works as a Supreme Commander and ruler and does as He pleases. He understands all things are subject to Yhwh. He also understands that all God needs to do is speak the command of His will, and His will is accomplished. He not only has command over men but over all things, including illness. He has clearly heard all about Jesus and what Jesus was doing. He doesn't approach Jesus himself on behalf of his slave. Rather he sends the elders of the synagogue to speak for him to Jesus. The Jews from his synagogue see him as one of their own, not as an enemy of Israel.Even so he humbles himself before Jesus by expressing his unworthiness,although the Jews claim him to be worthy.This is seen when Jesus comes near his home. When Jesus has been convinced by the elders,he goes with them toward the Centurions home to attend to the dying slave. It must be noted that the slave is to be rescued because of the slaves master's faith. The term slave and servant are used synonomously in the account. While Jesus is on His way,the Centurion still sends people to Jesus as emissaries to speak to Jesus and say my Master is not worthy to have you come under his roof. Please just speak the word and my servant will be healed. The Centurion still hasn't met Jesus personally. It then seems the Centurions friends explain the Centurions rationale for saying to Jesus,"Only speak the word" and my servant will be healed." The rationale comes from His military mind of understanding authority. In a military mind of those days there would be no separation from a Supreme Commander and Emperor. Such a supreme commander or Emperor would have complete say as to what may or may not happen in His realm. At the same time all the supreme commander or Emperor would do is speak the word to one lesser and so it would be passed on until the will of the supreme commander or Emperor was done. So I put it to you, that the Centurion saw Jesus as the Christ the delivering King of Israel who is the incarnation of the true supreme commander,YHWH.. Jesus marvels at the mans faith and even contrasts it to that of Israels faith. He says of the Centurion I have not found such faith in all Israel!!!. Jesus perceives that the Centurion sees Jesus as the supreme King who only has to speak the word and His will,will be done without question. Because He believes Jesus word has ultimate authority over all things it is credited to him and when his friends arrived at the Centurions home they found the servant fully recovered. So here someone else is healed because of anothers faith in Jesus. The slave was healed without Jesus even seeing him or her. The slave was not saved from death because of his or her faith, but because of the faith of the centurion. All the more remarkable is that the Centurion himself never even met Jesus, or came face to face with him. The envoy which he sent did all the pleading on his behalf.So it could be said the slave was healed by proxy, by the faith of his master, the Centurion. This is truly amazing and wonderful in our sight, that God should work in such a way by recognising His authority to only speak His word and what He wills, will be done. |
