Sunday, April 3, 2016 Lesson: Luke 7:1-10; Time of Action: 28 A.D.; Place of Action: Capernaum Golden Text: When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel (Luke 7:9). I. INTRODUCTION. Unfortunately, many people have the wrong idea about faith healing, claiming that if a person has enough faith he or she will always be healed. Of course, those who really study the Bible reject that idea, because even though we know God is certainly able to heal anyone, He s not obligated to do so, and sometimes He chooses not to heal a person. We believe in a different approach to faith healing. We have faith that God is able to heal a person if He chooses to do so. The issue is not God s ability, but His plan. In this week s lesson, we will be reminded that God is indeed able to heal as we discover the role that faith plays in any healing God performs. II. BACKGROUND FOR THE LESSON. Just prior to out
lesson text, we find Jesus in Capernaum, a city of Galilee regularly teaching on the Sabbath days and casting out demons (see Luke 4:31-37). While there in Galilee, Jesus healed Peter s mother-in-law as well as many others (see Luke 4:38-44). Jesus then taught the people near Lake Gennesaret from inside one of the boats (see Luke 5:1-3). At some point, Jesus told Peter to take his boat out into the deep water and drop his net to catch a great number of fish. Peter obeyed, and he and all the other disciples were amazed at how many fish they caught (see Luke 5:9-11). Jesus then proceeded to heal a leper (see Luke 5:12-17), and a paralyzed man (see Luke 5:16-26). After calling Matthew (also called Levi) to follow Him and answering questions from some Pharisees (see Luke 5:27-35), Jesus gave the parable of cloth and wine bottles (see Luke 5:36-39). Then in chapter 6, we find Jesus and His disciples on the Sabbath day going through a corn field picking corn to eat, and again being questioned by the Pharisees as to why He did what was unlawful on the Sabbath days. Of course, His answer was that He was the Lord of the Sabbath (see Luke 6:1-5). Then on another Sabbath Day while teaching in the synagogue, Jesus healed a man with a withered hand and went out into a mountain to pray the rest of that night (see Luke 6:6-12). At daylight, Jesus selected 12 men from among His many disciples and appointed them apostles (see Luke 6: 13-16). Then Jesus proceeded to teach the multitude from a plain of the mountain. Many scholars believe that this was Luke s account of the Sermon on the Mount that Matthew records in Matthew chapters 5-7. It included the beatitudes and another parable about two different builders who built on two different foundations (see Luke 6:17-49). This is where our lesson begins.
III. EVIDENCE OF GOODNESS (Luke 7:1-5) A. Jesus makes a strategic move from the mountainside to Capernaum (Luke 7:1). Our first verse says Now when he had ended all his sayings in the audience of the people, he entered into Capernaum. The phrase Now when he had ended all his sayings in the audience of the people refers to Jesus teachings to a great multitude in the mountain plain (see Luke 6:17-49). After He finished teaching, Jesus then entered into Capernaum. In New Testament times, Capernaum was the most important city on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. After being rejected by His own townspeople (in Nazareth) twice (see Matthew 13:54-58; Mark 6:1-6; Luke 4:16, 21-30), Capernaum became the center of Jesus ministry in Galilee. Capernaum is not mentioned in the Old Testament which seems to indicate that the city was founded after the Jews returned from the Babylonian Captivity. The Romans had a garrison for its soldiers in Capernaum. B. A centurion s critical need (Luke 7:2-3). 1. (vs. 2). This verse goes on to say And a certain centurion s servant, who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die. Here, we are introduced to a certain centurion. A centurion was a Roman soldier who was in charge of 100 men. This particular soldier is
described as a certain centurion probably because of how he treated his servant. We are told that his servant was dear unto him. In other words, this army officer loved his servant very much and highly valued him. This made him different from many other centurions who didn t show any concern for their servants. Thus, Luke described him as a certain centurion. Luke goes on to say that the centurion s servant, who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die. Luke makes it clear that this highly valued servant whom the centurion loved was so sick that he was close to death. In Matthew s account of this story, we are told that the servant was sick with palsy meaning he was paralyzed, and was terribly tormented by the disease (see Matthew 8:5-13) so much so that he was about to die. 2. (vs. 3). This verse says And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant. The phrase And when he heard of Jesus indicates that the centurion had heard about Jesus ministry, including miracles He had performed like those in Luke 4:31-44 and 5:12-26. Hearing about, and maybe even witnessing some of Jesus miracles, seemed to have caused this centurion to believe that Jesus was the Son of God, or at the very least a prophet. Luke went on to say that the centurion sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant. The centurion sent elders (or leaders) of the Jews to Jesus beseeching or begging Him to come and heal his servant. Here we have a unique situation. There
was a normal animosity between Jews and Gentiles. However, instead of the usual hatred that Jews had especially for Roman soldiers, between this centurion and these elders of the Jews, there was a real friendship and a high degree of respect. These Jewish elders came to sincerely and earnestly beg for Jesus help on behalf of this man. Note: The centurion most likely sent these Jewish messengers instead of going to Jesus himself for a couple of reasons. First, he may have thought that Jesus wouldn t listen to a request from a Roman solider. Second, he was showing respect for Jesus, because a Jewish Rabbi or Teacher wouldn t enter a Gentile s home. Herein is a major point of this lesson: healing faith always begins with reverence and respect for God. In Matthew s account, the centurion went to Jesus himself, but Luke says that he sent Jewish elders or leaders in his place to present his request to Jesus. There really is no contradiction here because in dealing with the Jewish messengers, Jesus would really be dealing with the centurion. Matthew, writing to a Jewish audience emphasized the centurion s faith, while Luke writing to a Gentile audience (see Luke 1:1-4), highlighted the good relationship between the Jewish leaders and the centurion. C. The Jewish leaders make an intercessory request for the centurion (Luke 7:4-5). 1. (vs. 4). This verse says And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom he should do this. Once the
messengers reached Jesus, they besought him instantly meaning that they wasted no time presenting the centurion s request to Him. The Greek word for besought is parakaleo which means to come near in order to implore. The word implore in English means to beg and plead humbly and earnestly with someone to do something. Therefore, the Jewish leaders were begging and urging Jesus to fulfill their request. The reason the Jewish messengers gave Jesus for answering their request on behalf of the centurion was because he (the centurion) was worthy for whom he should do this. In other words, if any Gentile was qualified to receive such a favor, surely this centurion was. This centurion demonstrated his humility by following the words of King Solomon, Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips. 2. (vs. 5). This verse continues to say For he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue. Here, the Jewish elders expanded on their previous statement (see verse 4) by stating why Jesus should grant the centurion s request to heal his servant. They said For he loveth our nation which few Gentiles did. The centurion, though he was a Gentile, was more than just a hearty wellwisher to the Jewish nation and their religion; he genuinely loved the Jewish people. They told Jesus that this love was demonstrated in that he hath built us a synagogue. Surely, this centurion was unlike most others. Note: This centurion probably had read the Old Testament and found that it held the Jewish nation in high esteem, favored by heaven above all other people. As an indication that he was well-affected by their worship,
he built them a new synagogue at Capernaum. He probably realized that the synagogue they had was either falling apart or wasn t large enough to contain the people. In addition, he may have noticed that the inhabitants didn t have the ability to build a synagogue for themselves. By building the Jews a synagogue, the centurion was testifying to his respect and reverence for the God of Israel, his belief of Him being the one and only living true God, and his desire was like that of Darius to have an interest in the prayers of God s Israel (see Ezra 6:1-12). This centurion built a synagogue at his own costs and charges, and probably used his own soldiers who were stationed there to help in the construction. Building meeting places for religious worship is a very good work, and reflects a love for God and His people. IV. EVIDENCE OF FAITH (Luke 7:6-10) A. The centurion s humble recognition of Jesus (Luke 7:6). This verse says Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof. Hearing the request made by the Jewish elders on behalf of the centurion, Jesus went with them. Even though the centurion was a Gentile, Jesus was very ready to show kindness to him, because He is not only the Saviour of the Jews, but also of the Gentiles (see
Romans 3:29). As Jesus came near the centurion s home, he sent friends to him (Jesus), saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof. It appears that the centurion had a change of heart about Jesus coming to his house. The reason he gave for this change of heart was for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof. It s very clear here that the centurion knew who Jesus was and had come to recognize Him as the Son of God, whereas most Jews had not. This is why he realized that he was not worthy to have Jesus enter into his house. Note: The centurion recognized the true value of his potential Visitor and considered Him too important to grace his meager home. Likewise, when we consider that it is Jesus Christ whom we have asked into our lives, we too, should grasp the true value that He is the One who has graced our invitation with His divine presence. In addition, the centurion may have realized that having Jesus, a Jew, enter a Gentile s home would cause Jesus trouble among His fellow Jewish people. Certainly, the centurion wanted to avoid causing Jesus any unnecessary problems. B. The centurion s faith revealed (Luke 7:7-8). 1. (vs. 7). This verse goes on to say Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed. The friends that the centurion sent to meet Jesus continued giving Jesus the centurion s message saying Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee. Not only did the centurion feel unworthy to have Jesus come
into his house, he also felt that he was not worthy to come to Jesus. Here we see the heart of Christ. The centurion didn t think he was worthy to visit Christ, yet Christ thought the centurion was worthy to be visited by Him; for it s true that those who humble themselves shall be exalted (see Matthew 23:12; Luke 14:11). Of course, sending for Jesus to help his dying servant was an act of faith, but even more of an act of faith was when he declared to Jesus but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed. Knowing who Jesus really was, the centurion said that Jesus didn t have to come to his house to heal. All Jesus had to do was speak the word and his servant would be healed. Yes, this was a major statement of the centurion s faith showing the depth of his understanding of the Person of Jesus Christ. There was no doubt in this man s mind that Jesus had the power simply to say the word and healing would take place. 2. (vs. 8). In this verse the centurion went on to say through his friends to Jesus For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. To explain the power he knew Jesus had, the centurion used his own experience as a leader of men. He said For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers. Not only was he a man who was under authority, but he had soldiers under his authority. And since they were under his authority he could simply say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. In other words, because of the authority that the centurion had over his
soldiers, all he had to do was tell them what to do and they did it and he didn t have to be present for them to obey. Note: The centurion was implying that Jesus also had authority over everything, even sickness and disease which were obligated to respond exactly to whatever Jesus told them to do. In other words, when a superior gave a command whether he or she was present or not, it was to be carried out by the subordinates without question. The centurion knew that Jesus had this kind of power and authority over sickness and disease so He could heal his servant even from a distance. C. The Lord s response to the centurion s faith (Luke 7:9-10). 1. (vs. 9). This verse says When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. Once Jesus heard the centurion s message from the messengers, he marvelled at him meaning that Jesus was amazed at the centurion s humility and faith, resulting in admiration from our Lord. The centurion s faith was especially amazing to Jesus because he was a Gentile who had not been brought up to know a loving God. Then the Lord turned him about meaning that Jesus turned to the people that followed him and said to them I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. Note: Christ wants those who follow him to take notice of the great examples of faith that are sometimes placed before us especially when great faith is found among
those that don t follow Christ as closely as those who profess faith in Him. The reason is so that those who follow Christ only by profession and not confession may be shamed by the strength of those examples of great faith. The faith of this Gentile was a specimen of that much greater faith which would be found among the Gentiles and not among the Jews, when the gospel would be published throughout the world (see Acts 28:28). The Lord Jesus Christ specifically called out Israel, God s chosen people as not having as great a faith as this centurion, because He came seeking faith in His people, but at this moment this Gentile possessed greater faith than any of the Jews, including His disciples. The majority of the Jews saw Jesus as nothing more than a human being, missing the reality of His true Person Israel s Messiah. However, the centurion saw Jesus for who He really was. 2. (vs. 10). Our final verse says And they that were sent, returning to the house, found the servant whole that had been sick. After Jesus commented on the great faith of the centurion, the friends he had sent to meet Jesus in his place, returned to the centurion s house where they found the servant whole that had been sick. Jesus had honored this soldier s faith by immediately restoring the servant to full health. As we ve previously noted, in Matthew s account he stated that the centurion came to Jesus himself, and Jesus responded to him saying, as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee (see Matthew 8:13). Note: Jesus was not impressed by someone who was a Jew, or held a position of religious leadership, or
exercised political authority. The only thing that mattered to Jesus was simple faith that believes He is who He says He is, and that God will do what He says. The fact that this centurion was a Gentile didn t matter to Jesus for there is no respect of persons with Him (see Acts 10:34). Therefore, Gentiles are not excluded from the benefit of His grace. V. Conclusion. The Bible does not teach that the Lord will heal every person who claims to have enough faith, or that He will respond with immediate healing to every person who prays for it for someone else. However, I don t doubt that the Lord is able to heal a sick person if it s His will (see I John 5:14). So how should we pray for a sick person? On the basis of this week s lesson, we can pray with the full confidence that the Lord is able to heal a person if He chooses to do so. We also should understand that the Lord does not choose to heal everyone even if he or someone else has faith. Even the Apostle Paul said, Trophimus have I left at Miletus sick (see II Timothy 4:20). Paul also prayed three times that God would remove the thorn in (his) flesh (see II Corinthians 12:7). But God didn t grant his request, telling Paul, My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness (see II Corinthians 12:9). We should never refrain from praying for sick people, but we need to pray biblically, something like this: Lord, I know You are able to heal (the person s name). Nothing is impossible for You. I don t know if You will choose to heal this person at this time, but I express my desire to You for this person s
healing and I accept Your will in this matter. If it s not Your will to heal (him or her) at this time, please bring comfort, peace, and encouragement to (him or her). In Jesus name I pray, Amen. At that point, we just need to wait on the Lord and He will strengthen our hearts (see Psalms 27:17). ***The Bible Expositor and Illuminator, Union Gospel Press***