I.        INTRODUCTION

A.      Throughout His ministry, Christ went about preaching to the Jews, but Gentiles were also affected by Him.

                                                             1.      On one occasion, a Gentile woman begged Jesus to heal her daughter (Matt. 15:21-28).  Jesus said, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”  However, because of her faith, he granted her request and healed her daughter.

                                                             2.      As Christ’s fame spread throughout the land, even King Herod, who ruled over the Jews, heard about Him and wanted to see Him (Matt. 14:1; Mark 6:14; Luke 9:9; 13:31-32; 23:8).

B.      One Gentile who was affected by Jesus was a Roman centurion, and he made a special request of the Lord.

                                                             1.      This Roman man was remarkable, for Jesus declared about him, "Not even in Israel have I found such great faith.”

                                                             2.      His story is the subject of our lesson in Luke 7:1-10.

II.      THE FAITHFUL CENTURION

A.      In the city of Capernaum, the Roman centurion asked for Jesus to come and heal his slave (Luke 7:1-3)

                                                             1.      Jesus had come to the city of Capernaum just after He gave the Sermon on the Mount.

a.       Capernaum was on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee.

b.       Later, Jesus would excoriate that city for its lack of faith, saying to them, "[I]t shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you” (Matt. 11:23-24).  This makes the centurion’s faith in that city all the more remarkable.

                                                             2.      The centurion’s slave was very sick and near death.  Matthew reveals that he was paralyzed and suffered great pain (Matt. 8:6).

                                                             3.      The centurion sent his request by some Jewish elders probably in hope that their standing among the Jews would give them a good chance of convincing Jesus to come.

B.      When the Jewish elders delivered the centurion’s request, they testified of the good character of the centurion (Luke 7:4-5).

                                                             1.      The centurion’s request to Jesus was a sincere appeal from a good man.  He did not simply want to see if Jesus could really perform miracles.  Contrast this to Herod’s intentions (Luke 23:8).

                                                             2.      His character was evident by his works.  He had loved the Jews enough to build a synagogue for their assemblies in Capernaum.  This also showed his reverence for their God.

C.      The centurion expressed his humility and faith to Jesus (Luke 7:6-8).

                                                             1.      He had such high regard for Jesus that he felt unworthy to have Jesus in his house.

a.       This is truly remarkable considering the general disdain of the Romans for the Jews and the social standings of Jesus and the centurion.  Contrast this to the Roman soldiers who abused Jesus before His crucifixion (Matt. 27:27-31).

b.       The centurion sent his friends to intercept Jesus because he did not feel worthy to come to Jesus himself.  This was a tremendous expression of humility and submission.

                                                             2.      He had such confidence in Christ’s power and authority that he only requested for Jesus to "say the word” to heal his slave.

a.       The centurion understood the concepts of authority, rank, and order.  He exercised these concepts in his life every day.

b.       Therefore, he knew that Jesus needed only to issue a command for his slave to be healed, for he knew that Jesus possessed great authority and power to heal.

D.      Jesus marveled at the centurion’s faith and granted his request (Luke 7:9-10).

                                                             1.      In Christ’s travels among the Jews, He had seen different measures of faith, most of which were weak and small.  Unlike the centurion, many of the Jews demanded to see signs from Him and still would not believe (Matt. 12:38-39; 16:1-4; Mark 8:11-12; Luke 11:16, 29; John 2:18; 6:30).

                                                             2.      However, this Roman centurion did not even require Christ’s presence.  He only requested a word, and for this Jesus marveled.

                                                             3.      Jesus healed the slave and restored him to complete health as the centurion requested.

III.   LESSONS

A.      "He is worthy…”

                                                             1.      The Jewish elders deemed the centurion to be worthy of his request to Jesus because he had proved himself to be sincere and loving.

a.       It was evident that he sincerely loved God’s people and revered God by what he did.

b.       In this way, he was similar to Cornelius, another Roman centurion, in Acts 10:1-2.

                                                             2.      Like this Roman centurion, are you worthy of the requests you make to God?

a.       When you ask God for your "daily bread” (Matt. 6:11), remember the Lord’s words in Matthew 6:33 – "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

b.       As a Christian, it is necessary that you "walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called” (Eph. 4:1).  Indeed, Christianity is a high calling that demands a worthy walk in sincere faith.

c.        Part of your worthy walk is the love of your fellow Christians (1John 4:21).  The centurion showed his love for the Jewish nation by building their synagogue.  How do you show your love for God’s people?

B.      "I am not worthy…”

                                                             1.      Although the Jewish elders deemed him worthy of his request, the centurion deemed himself unworthy of Christ’s presence.  This is an excellent example of genuine humility.

a.       Notice that the centurion did not report his good works to Jesus, but other men did so.  In this, he showed the wisdom of Proverbs 27:2 – "Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.”

b.       The centurion displayed the kind of humility taught by Jesus in the parable of the ambitious guest (Luke 14:7-11).  In conclusion, He said, "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

                                                             2.      The centurion gives a sharp contrast to Naaman, who sought healing from Elisha (2Ki. 5:1-14).

a.       Naaman was insulted when Elisha did not come to him, but the centurion sent his friends to stop Jesus from coming to his house because he considered himself unworthy.

b.       Naaman expected Elisha to perform a spectacular miracle of healing, but the centurion simply asked Jesus to "say the word” to heal his slave.

c.        Naaman learned reverence for God only after the miracle had occurred, but the centurion revered the Lord before Jesus healed his slave.

                                                             3.      Do you have the sense of humility like the centurion?  Our attitude should be that which was taught by Jesus in Luke 17:10 – "So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done.’”

C.      "Just say the word.”

                                                             1.      The centurion recognized the authority of Christ’s word.  Through the works He had done, Jesus had demonstrated authority over both the natural realm and the spiritual realm.

                                                             2.      Even more than the centurion, we should recognize the authority of Christ’s word.

a.       We know that Jesus is the Word through whom God created all things (John 1:1-3; Col. 1:16-17; Heb. 1:1-3).  The centurion did not know this.

b.       We know that Jesus declared, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matt. 28:18).  The centurion did not know this extent of Christ’s authority.

                                                             3.      Therefore, even more than the centurion, we should be willing to submit to the authority of Christ.  Remember, the Lord needs only to say the word, and we will be saved or lost, for it is His word that will judge us in the end (Matt. 7:21-23; John 12:48).

D.      "Not even in Israel have I found such great faith.”

                                                             1.      The citizens of Israel were the chosen people of God who were taught the Law of Moses, but no one in Israel had shown faith like this Gentile man.

a.       Israel had the advantage of the Law and the Prophets to lead them to Christ and to prepare them for His coming.  Even so, few of the Jews recognized Jesus as Christ.

b.       The Roman centurion did not have these advantages, but he had learned faith anyway.

c.        Concerning faithful Gentiles and faithless Jews, Jesus said, "I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 8:11-12).

                                                             2.      Today, the Israel of God includes all the faithful in Christ from all nations (Isa. 2:1-4; Rom. 9:6-8; Gal. 3:28).  Even so, sometimes faith can be found outside of God’s kingdom.

a.       There are some like this centurion and Cornelius in Acts 10 who have faith in God but lack the accurate knowledge of the gospel of Christ.

b.       When we find such people of faith, let us guide their faith into the true knowledge of Christ and explain "the way of God more accurately” (Acts 18:26).