Jesus Heals a Centurion’s Servant

u003c!u002du002d wp:heading u002du002du003enu003ch2u003eIntroductionu003c/h2u003enu003c!u002du002d /wp:heading u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennOur lesson this week is going to move us into a new unit of lessons titled:  Faithful to Heal.  By this point in the quarter, we have seen how the believer should be faithful to serve and faithful to prophesy to (to teach and lead) those who are in need of guidance or even dead in the spirit.  This week’s lesson is being taught from u003ca href=u0022https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+7%3A1-10u0026amp;version=NKJVu0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopeneru0022u003eLuke 7:1-10u003c/au003e.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:heading u002du002du003enu003ch2u003eBelieving God Can Healu003c/h2u003enu003c!u002du002d /wp:heading u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennFrom our lesson last week, when we saw Ezekiel prophesying to dry bones in a vision from the Lord, u003ca href=u0022https://newfoundfaith.org/ezekiel-brings-hope-to-israel/u0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noopeneru0022u003ewe saw the Lord’s restorative poweru003c/au003e.  Now, we know that the Lord can certainly heal and restore because we have learned, studied, and we have believed.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennNow, we have to consider that many of those that lived during the days of Jesus, were just as many people who live today – they lacked faith in the power of God.  Sadly, many of those that did not believe were Jesus’ own people – the Jews.  Yes, Jesus may have been moving about performing miracles, but there were still many who lived at that time and questioned the miracles of Jesus.  In fact, there were many Jews that suggested that Jesus performed miracles – cast out demons – by the power of Beelzebub – a demon (u003ca href=u0022https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt.+12%3A24u0026amp;version=NKJVu0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopeneru0022u003eMatt. 12:24u003c/au003e).nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:heading {u0022levelu0022:3} u002du002du003enu003ch3u003eSeeking Jesus’ healingu003c/h3u003enu003c!u002du002d /wp:heading u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennSo, what’s interesting about our lesson this week is that though many of the Jews questioned the power of Jesus, a centurion (a Gentile) believed and u003cemu003edesperately u003c/emu003esought Him in His time of need.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennOur lesson opens u003cemu003eafter u003c/emu003eJesus’ teaching of the Beatitudes along with other lessons that He had taught; we are told that after concluding His teachings, He entered Capernaum (v.1).  Capernaum was actually Jesus’ dwelling place after He was rejected in Nazareth when He announced His ministry (u003ca href=u0022https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+4%3A16-30u0026amp;version=NKJVu0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopeneru0022u003eLuke 4:16-30u003c/au003e); it was a place where Jesus taught regularly.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennWhen He entered Capernaum, we are told that Jesus had some visitors that were waiting for His arrival for a very specific reason.  We are told that a centurion’s servant was sick; this servant was very close to him (v.2).  Now, when the centurion had heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to Jesus to plead for Him to come and heal the sick servant (v.3).  They pleaded with Jesus by saying that the centurion was u003cemu003esupportive u003c/emu003eof the Jews and had even built a synagogue.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennNow, again, to me, this is an absolutely amazing statement of this centurion.  I say this because I don’t believe He did u003cemu003eany u003c/emu003eresearch into who Jesus was and what He was about.  He likely had heard from these elders that Jesus was going about the land performing miracles – healing the sick and making the lame walk again.  Those stories alone were u003cemu003eenough u003c/emu003efor this man to send off for Jesus to u003cemu003eat least u003c/emu003egive Jesus a shot.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennTo me, this is a great testimony of the centurion because there are many people living today who have heard of all that Jesus has done and yet, they refuse to even give the Lord a try.  There are u003cemu003eliving testimonies u003c/emu003eof the power of the Lord and what faith in Christ can do, and yet, people choose to u003cemu003eignore u003c/emu003eand reject Christ.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:heading {u0022levelu0022:3} u002du002du003enu003ch3u003eThe centurion’s faith is trueu003c/h3u003enu003c!u002du002d /wp:heading u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennSo, after the cries for Jesus’ help, Jesus went with the elders.  This reminds me of how the Lord responds to our cries of help in times of need.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennWhen Jesus was not far from the centurion’s home, there were friends that the centurion had sent out to meet Him.  They met Jesus with a message from the centurion that said, “Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof (v.6).”nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennThis, again, is a testament of the faith of the centurion!  The centurion was being very humble because of the u003cemu003epower u003c/emu003eof Christ.  And again, I want to point out that this centurion had only u003cemu003eheard u003c/emu003eof Jesus – he had u003cemu003enever u003c/emu003eseen Jesus.  This man was so humble that through these messengers, he said, “I did not even think myself u003cemu003eworthy u003c/emu003eto come to You.”nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennYet, his faith was made more clear when he said of Jesus, “But say the word, and my servant will be healed (v.7).”  So, the centurion trusted in Jesus’ power but we will also see in this next verse that the centurion trusted in Jesus’ u003cemu003eauthorityu003c/emu003e.  If you have heard me preach long enough, then you know I focus a great deal on the Lord being u003cemu003esovereign u003c/emu003e- He is almighty and has rule over u003cemu003eall thingsu003c/emu003e.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennSpeaking of Jesus’ authority, we will see the centurion say, “I also am a man placed under authority, having 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 (v.8).”nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennThe centurion was expressing that Jesus had u003cemu003eauthority u003c/emu003eover what was ailing his servant (or anything else for that matter).  For the centurion, all he needed was for Jesus to say that his centurion was healed and he would believe.  This kind of faith is absolutely extraordinary and its the kind of faith that we even lack at times.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennThere are often times where we will pray for the Lord to do something and we u003cemu003equestion u003c/emu003ewhether He has moved on our behalf or not.  Let us remember how the writer of Hebrews defined faith; the writer said, “faith is the substance of things u003cemu003ehoped u003c/emu003efor, the u003cemu003eevidence u003c/emu003eof things not seen (u003ca href=u0022https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Heb.+11%3A1u0026amp;version=NKJVu0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopeneru0022u003eHeb. 11:1u003c/au003e).”  The centurion’s faith was u003cemu003eundoubtedly u003c/emu003etrue.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:heading {u0022levelu0022:3} u002du002du003enu003ch3u003eJesus u003cemu003emarvels u003c/emu003eat this faithu003c/h3u003enu003c!u002du002d /wp:heading u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennSomething that I have expressed over the past couple of weeks in sermons is how Jesus said that the humble will be exalted by God.  We see that scripture play out in the closing verse of our lesson this week.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennThe centurion was humble and truly believed that Jesus could heal.  Jesus, we are told, after hearing those things, u003cemu003emarveled u003c/emu003eat the centurion.  To those that were following Him (likely the disciples and those elders) Jesus said, “I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not u003cemu003eeven u003c/emu003ein Israel (v.9).”  This is the kind of faith that the Lord loves!  This is the kind of faith that all of us should possess in God.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennWhat’s fascinating about this is that we don’t even see Jesus go into the centurion’s home to heal the servant.  The only thing we are told is that those who were sent to get Jesus and the friends that delivered the message to Jesus, returned to the centurion’s home to see that the servant had been made well.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennJesus taught the disciples that faith the size of a mustard seed could move mountains.  Faith that has no doubt can truly u003cemu003eheal u003c/emu003e- I believe it can heal us physically, mentally, emotionally, and spirituallyu003cemu003e.u003c/emu003ennu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e