Jesus welcoming the outsiders in - characters unique to Lukes gospel

Luke 7v1-10 - Amazing faith recognises Jesus authority

Wouldn't it be great to have the faith of some of the great Christians? Wouldn't it be great to have an amazing faith in God - the kind of faith where we expect to see great things of God - the kind of faith we see in the lives of DL Moody, Jackie Pullinger, George Muller…- things like this church building filled to overflowing for instance

Today, we are going to find out how we can have that kind of amazing faith.

As you know, we are following a series in Luke's gospel - not merely people that happen to be mentioned in Luke, but people who are all outsiders for one reason or another (Luke has a special interest in telling us about Jesus' reaction to those who were outsiders). Today is the only outsider who is actually mentioned in another one of the gospels, but this Roman centurion deserves our attention, because he teaches us about amazing faith. This is the only time that Jesus was amazed at anything good. We ought to look at it carefully.

As we look, we find that amazing faith recognises Jesus' authority and trusts his word.

Reading: Luke 7v1-10

This Roman soldier certainly recognises that Jesus is very special - and he sent the most important people that he knew, elders amongst the Jews, to bring a message to Jesus. His dearest servant was sick and about to die. The Roman had come to the end of his resources, he was out of his depth. He recognised the need for a higher authority to intervene.

The elders pleaded earnestly with Jesus, and really talked up this centurion - he had helped to build their synagogue, and he really loves the nation of Israel, Gods people. They say that this man deserves to have Jesus come and heal his servant. (This is in contrast to the attitude of the centurion himself, we notice).

Jesus comes, filled with compassion for the sick and hurting. But just before he reaches the house, probably within sight of it, the centurion sends friends to him. In his humility of heart he says that he doesn't deserve to have a young rabbi of a conquered people come into his house. Perhaps he was aware of the distance which devout Jews often kept from Gentiles like himself.
Nonetheless, Jesus' mission was not only to the nation of Israel. As in the examples which we saw Jesus give last week, in Luke 4, The compassion of God is directed towards all men, not just those considered to be "in" with God.

Amazing Faith (v9)

It is interesting that the gospel says that Jesus was "amazed". This is a strong word, and it's one that is only used by Jesus in one other occasion (when Jesus was astonished at peoples unbelief in Nazareth). There had been plenty of people around who believed that Jesus could help them or heal them or feed them… earlier on in this gospel we see lepers cleansed. People healed because of their faith in Jesus.

But with this centurion, this soldier, there is something different. What is it about him that so impresses Jesus?

The key issue is that he recognises Jesus' authority.

Have you come to meet Jesus today? Are you trying to live by faith in him? Perhaps you believe in Jesus, but things still don't seem to make sense?

The Centurion had a true, real, living faith - and it drew the attention of the Lord Jesus. The thing is, this man's faith went hand in hand with his attitude and his action.

Let's think about his attitude first.

Recognising Jesus' Authority (v6-8)

The centurion believes that if Jesus just says the word, his servant will be healed. He doesn't need to see Jesus come and stand over the man and wave his hands or anything - it will be enough for Jesus to say the word.

What reason does he give for this faith?(v8)

The centurion himself stands in the chain of command of the Roman army. He is used to command and we see him twice in this passage sending delegates in his place. He is responsible for 100 men, and he has authority over them… not because of his personality or charm, but because he himself is under the authority of his superiors in his legion, and so on up through the chain of command until it reaches the emperor himself. He knows that his power and authority come to him from above…

The remarkable thing that the centurion realised, the thing that so amazed Jesus, was he understood that the source of Jesus' power was his authority - his divine authority. By coming to Jesus in this way the centurion was willingly submitting himself to Jesus' authority.
Jesus is amazed to see that the first person to realise this isn't a member of the Jewish nation, who had heard all the prophecies about the coming messiah, but instead a Gentile, an outsider.

That's you and me! The kindness and mercy of Jesus towards the Centurion is just a taste of his kindness and mercy that he now extends to all people everywhere.

What I want to focus on though is this issue of authority. True faith recognises Jesus' divine authority, and Jesus is looking for that kind of faith from people now, today.

This is why Christians refer to Jesus as "Lord". True faith doesn't follow a figurehead, it serves a master.

Now what about his actions?

Trusting His Word (v7,10)

Our passage ends very simply., the account being compressed in comparison to the additional information given in Matthew 8. The emissaries of the centurion return home and find that the servant has been healed

In the account in Matt 8 Jesus words are recorded "Go, it will be done just as you believed it would". Jesus tells him that the servant will be healed.

Had the centurion asked for proof? No. Did he ask Jesus to come along anyway? No. His only request was that Jesus would "say the word", and he trusted that his servant would be healed. He knew that Jesus didn't have to be present in order to heal.

The centurion trusts Jesus, so he takes him at his word. Jesus didn't need to be physically present to heal the servant. Jesus didn't need to be physically present to make a change in someone's life.

Jesus doesn't need to be physically present to make a change in someone's life today either!
We have Jesus' word today in the Bible, which is still the word of God to us. Among the many things it contains are promises and commands from Jesus,

Promises from Jesus: I will never leave you. I will take you to be with me. I will build my Church.
Commands from Jesus: Do this in remembrance of me, feed my sheep. Love one another.

Conclusion

As we often find, the answer is simple - but it is the putting it into practise which is hard.

If we want to have amazing faith in the Lord, a faith that will see these empty chairs filled, then we are going to have to come to terms with Jesus' authority. Are we going to be obedient to him, obedient to his commands? In the sermon on the mount, Jesus said " you have heard that it was said love your neighbour and hate your enemy, but I tell you: love your enemies…"

If we are being disobedient to this basic injunction, how can we expect answers to our prayers? If we are not allowing Jesus to have any authority over the way we live our lives, ignoring his commands, why should he listen to us?

Easy to say, hard in practice. Can I read you a short passage from near the end of Corrie Ten Booms book, the Hiding Place (p220)

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If Corrie Ten Boom can, by Gods grace, stretch out a hand in fellowship to a man who once humiliated and degraded her in the concentration camps - can't we rely on Gods grace to stretch out a hand of fellowship too? How dare we say it is "too hard" when we compare the hurts which we have experienced with the things that she underwent in the concentration camp?

Alex White