Luke 7:1-10
1 After Jesus had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. 2 A centurion there had a slave whom he valued highly, and who was ill and close to death. 3 When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him, asking him to come and heal his slave. 4 When they came to Jesus, they appealed to him earnestly, saying, "He is worthy of having you do this for him, 5 for he loves our people, and it is he who built our synagogue for us." 6 And Jesus went with them, but when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to say 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 only speak the word, and let my servant be healed. 8 For I also 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 slave, "Do this,' and the slave does it." 9 When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, he said, "I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith." 10 When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.
Luke 7:1-10 (Matt 8:5-13; John 4:46-53) (May 29-June 4) is the story of the healing of a servant of a Roman centurion. [1] The healing takes place at a distance, with the pronouncement of Jesus and the healing occurring at the same time. Yet, the healing is not the main point, with the focus upon the dialogue.[2] In context, Jesus has just insisted that love is to be extended to the enemy (6:22-23), and this story says this includes a member of the occupying Roman army, who becomes an example of exemplary faith. The incident occurs in Capernaum, where Jesus cast out an unclean spirit, healed Simon's mother-in-law, and cured many who were sick, all of which escalated the reports about him (Luke 4:31-41). Upon entering Capernaum, the centurion approaches Jesus, addresses him as Lord (Κύριε, the secular use of a master over subordinates) with the request to heal his servant, who is suffering. This text implies a parallel between Jesus and Elijah. In this case, the parallel is with the successor to Elijah, Elisha, in his healing of Naaman of Syria (II Kings 5:1-14), in which both commanders willingly submit to the authority of a prophet. However, the contrast is that while Naaman had objections and qualifications, the centurion has none. In context, Luke is relating stories of various groups of people who receive Jesus. Here, he emphasizes the worthiness of the faith of a gentile. A Roman centurion is a soldier, a man of war, part of an occupying army. This centurion owns a slave. Such are the realities of human history. War and slavery have been constants. Yet, the text offers a reason to soften our attitude, for the man honored and held in high esteem his slave. He was more than a precious commodity. The slave was dear to him. This the household variety of slavery. The slave and his family were part of the household of the centurion. He could have been highly educated and skilled, tutoring the children of the centurion. Luke has the centurion sending Jewish elders to Jesus, hoping that they would receive a favorable hearing. The elders urge Jesus to assist, for he is worthy of having Jesus doing this for him, for he loves the Jewish people, showing that love by building the synagogue in the town. They do more than deliver the request. They pass along significant information about who this Roman soldier is. Since the Jewish messengers shared Jesus' religious and national identity, and this Roman officer had done a lot for the Jewish community, Jesus would be hard-pressed to reject the centurion's request. Jesus expresses no concern for the motives of the centurion. Jesus goes with them. When they are not far from the home of the centurion, the soldier sends friends, a literary device that enhances suspense. This delegation relates the message of the centurion. He sent the delegation because he thought it improper to approach Jesus. The centurion does not insist on physical proximity of Jesus to his slave, for as a commander of soldiers, he issues commands and those under him in authority obey. This stresses that the response of Jesus is immediate and sovereign. The readiness of Jesus to respond to his request overwhelms the officer. The saying reveals a matter of fact and concrete form of faith. Astonished by Jesus' firm confidence, the officer is open to expect everything from him, even what is impossible by any human means. Returning to the Q text, the centurion says he is not worthy to have Jesus come to his home, thereby contradicting the view of the Jewish elders whom Luke has introduced. The story is consistent with a common theme of Luke is that of human unworthiness, Peter (Lk 5:8) and the tax collector (Lk 18:13). However, Jesus can say the word now and the servant will be healed, using the analogy that the centurion has authority to issue commands and so does Jesus have such authority. The centurion knows the effectiveness of an authoritative word. Such faith amazes Jesus, for it always partakes of the miraculous. If we have any doubts about this interpretation, the saying of Jesus in verse 9 should remove it: I tell you (the sole ground of his authority for the demand of God expressed through him[3]), not even in Israel have I found such faith. a saying of unusual trust. The lack of faith in Israel is the point of the story. This gentile has a faith that goes beyond the superstitious hope for a miracle.[4] The story emphasizes the worthiness of the faith of a gentile. Jesus shames his fellow Jewish people by pointing to the faith of the centurion. This faith anticipates the faith of gentiles as experienced in the first century church. It is a warning to the complacency of those who claim the succession of Abraham, and a praise of those who live their faith. This faith has confidence in the power of Jesus to perform a miraculous cure. Faith is alive as practical confidence in concrete situations of need. The surprise of Jesus shows that faith, when it really occurs, partakes of the miraculous. Faith is not so much an assent to a specific doctrine but expresses itself in vital terms. However, the allusion to the lack of faith in Israel is the point of this story. Luke then corroborates the exceptional faith of the centurion by relating that the slave was returned to good health.
[1] All three accounts agree that the cure takes place at a distance. The pronouncement of Jesus and the cure occur simultaneously. Matthew 8:8-10=Luke 7:6e-9 are almost word for word the same and form the heart of the Q form.
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