After my series on the parables, I found I was drawn to look into the miracles of Jesus in the Gospels. I have never studied the mighty works of Jesus as a focused effort before and am looking forward to finding nuggets of truth that we can be encouraged by.
I have provided a general introduction, with an opportunity to download two files for your reference in my initial post Signs and Mighty Works of Jesus – Introduction.
Although I typically use a format I found useful for the parable posts, this particular post will be in two parts, with a possible harmonization on the two texts being considering in Part A
With that said, let’s take a look at
Jesus Heals a Centurion’s Servant
Matthew 8:5-13
When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.” And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man 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 this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment.
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.
General Observations
Who came to Jesus? Was it the centurion or the elders of the Jews or the centurions friends? Matthew states that the centurion came to Jesus, while Luke states the centurion sent elders of the Jews to Jesus. Even laterLuke adds that the centurion sent his friends.
What is going on?
Lets compare the two gospels, and try to find a resolution to this seeming problem by considering the following order of occurrences. (Thanks to CARM.org for assistance in understanding this harmonization)
The Centurion’s Strategy – Step One
Luke 7:2-5
2 Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him. 3 When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. 4 And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy to have you do this for him, 5 for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue.”
A setting for our story is provided. The centurion’s servant is sick, very sick to the point of death. He seems desperate, beginning with requesting favor of a miracle working rabbi in the vicinity. During the Lords teaching on the mount, the centurion may have heard of the gathering to hear the rabbi, and headed to the synagogue to plead with the elders. It seems the centurion had considerable influence with the elders, since he built the synagogue for them.
This is his first line of request to the Master.
Remember this is a centurion, who lives by considering strategy and battle plans. He is seeking success with this rabbi, and sends his first line of “attack” to Jesus in the form of the elders of the Jews.
The Centurion’s Strategy – Step Two
Matthew 8:5-6
5 When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, 6 “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.”
Here comes the centurion’s second line of “attack”. Had the elders returned already, and informed the centurion? It seems not – see Luke 7:6 below.
So why had the centurion approached the Rabbi? Was this a calculated part of this warriors strategy, to wear the Rabbi’s possible resistance down and gain His favor?
Or had the centurion, out of anxious concern for his valued slave, simply not waited? Was the centurion showing the emotional burden of his slave’s sickness, and was simply not able to restrain himself from approaching the rabbi himself?
I am of the opinion that the centurion just couldn’t wait. He was out of his mind with worry and needed to take advantage of this rare opportunity to request help from Jesus. Who knows the exact timing and circumstance, but it seems apparent that this centurion was motivated out of love for his slave.
The Lord’s Simple Response – to a Gentile!
Matthew 8:7
7 And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.”
Jesus simply agrees to come to the centurions home to heal the slave. He agrees to come to a gentile’s home, even to possibly enter it! It is interesting that Jesus defines that He will come to the centurions home. More on this later!
Is the Master using this request to emphasize a topic, or to provide an illustration? We have spoke of the reason for the miracles in our introduction to this series, and occasionally in each post. This miracle seems to have provided an opportunity for the Lord to teach on the relationship between authority and faith. We will look at this further in our next post.
The Centurion’s Strategy – Step Three
Luke 7:6-7
6 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. 7 Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed.
Jesus went with “them”, which may be referring to the elders of the Jews. This implies that the centurion, after his personal request to the Master, rode off to return to his home. Remember my friends, he was a centurion, and centurions were afforded horses to travel about their district, while the Master simply walked everywhere.
As an aside, verse 7 mentions that the centurions did not “presume” to come to the Rabbi, but we saw just a verse or two back, that he had actually approached the Lord. This presumption of the centurion is referring to the centurions feeling of unworthiness in front of the rabbi, not of his actual actions.
Luke then tells us that as Jesus approached the centurions house, the centurion sent friends to confess of his unworthiness for the Rabbi to come under his roof. This may be the centurions way of respecting the cultural differences of the Jews, and how good religious Jews would not enter “dirty gentiles” homes. Remember Cornelius, in Acts 10, where Peter had to be convinced against his religious convictions to enter a “dirty gentiles” home to deliver the message of the gospel?
Yet the centurion does not want to loose this opportunity, and confesses his understanding of the Lords authority through his friends request to the Master.
This topic of authority is key to the miracle. The centurions understanding of authority rises to the occasion. His word is enough to move his army, to send his soldiers into battle. He does not require to be near his soldiers in order for their obedience to be exercised. His logic of authority is flawless in this regard, as well it may be for a roman soldier.
How would it be of any difference when applied to this miracle working rabbi. Why would there be location limitations imposed on the miracle working rabbi, since the miracles, in the centurions logic, are also based on authority, and not on location?
The Centurion’s Confession
Matthew 8:8-9
8 But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I too am a man 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 7:8
8 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.”
Authority. This topic will become a key element of our next post.
Matthew 8:10-13
10 When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. 11 I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, 12 while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 13 And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment.
Luke 7:9
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.”
Authority. Faith. Jesus links these topics together, and uses a “dirty gentile’s” understanding to upbraid a religious nation.
When was the last time God used an unlikely subject, even one who may seem to be against you, to teach you an important lesson? As we close this post on harmonizing this miracle, I cannot help but to encourage us all to watch for the mysterious working of God in our lives, seeking to break us down and to conform us to His image. He is mysterious in His workings, and we have to be open to His many ways of teaching, even through a “dirty gentile” who may be oppressing you!
By the way, I would have been of the “dirty gentile” persuasion (a Canadian by birth, and Texan by choice) and I use this expression only to emphasize the first century Jewish common thought. We have our own issues with dividing people from each other. This aught not to be!
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Considering the Bible 