Luke 7:1-10: Faith in the Face of Death

Introduction

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/pope-francis-puffer-jacket-pic_n_64214f99e4b03793a8b07359 - AI jacket - CHAT GPT - We’re living in a world in where we’re going to increasingly not know what is real.

Here’s what you know is real: death. Death not a pleasant thought - not something we want to think about or talk about - but a reality for all of us. Unless Christ returns in the immediate future, 100% of us will die.

You don’t know the details of how you will die - terminal disease, natural causes, tragic accident, etc. You also don’t know when you will die - young age, old age, live to 100? BUT… you will die.

Death is the great enemy that is coming for all. Death is the constant reminder that we’re human - NOT immortal. Death is the constant reminder that we live in a fallen world.

Jesus has come to give you HOPE in life and death.

Today - palm Sunday. Next Sunday - Easter. Holy Week - A week to remember that Jesus defeated death through His own death and resurrection.

This week and next - two stories in Luke’s Gospel that remind us of our helplessness in the face of death and the power of Christ to overcome our greatest enemy.

This matters because you need to know that this life is not all there is (Hebrews 9:27).

This matters because you need a faith that can look death in the face and say, “I do not fear...”

If you are going to have a faith that is able to look death in the face and say, “I do not fear...” you need to settle two realities in your heart this morning.

The praise of you is not what you need.

Sermon on the plain concluded - a call to faith - come to Jesus, listen to Him, act on His word. After the sermon, Jesus returns to Capernaum, His home base of ministry.

What I expect after the sermon on the plain is an example of a disciple of Jesus living by faith. Maybe a story of how one of the twelve demonstrates the kind of faith Jesus describes in the sermon on the plain, but instead a story about a Roman centurion.

Not the kind of Roman centurion we expect. Normally, Roman centurions are enemies of Israel. Hardened captains of the Roman army who oversaw 100 Roman soldiers.

But, in Capernaum, a beloved Roman centurion resides. He loves Israel. Why? Maybe in Israel he’d come to believe in Israel’s God. We don’t know, but this centurion was beloved by the people of Capernaum, and he was generous. He had a synagogue built in Capernaum. (Picture… We’ll visit this synagogue in 2024.)

The centurion earned the respect of the people of Capernaum. It was an unlikely friendship…

Now, death comes knocking at the door of the centurion - not his death - but the death of a beloved servant. A compassionate centurion - doesn’t see his servant as a piece of property - but values and loves his servant.

This powerful centurion, so beloved in his community, can do nothing for his servant. He sends elders for Jesus. Centurion likely heard Jesus teach during Jesus’ previous ministry in Capernaum. Maybe Centurion had seen Jesus perform miracles. Regardless, Jesus is the only hope centurion has for his dying servant.

Sends Jewish elders to get Jesus. Makes sense - Jesus is a Jew - Centurion thinks his Jewish friends might have more pull with Jesus than a Roman centurion.

vs. 4 - They plead: “He is worthy for you to grant this...”

Notice what the Jewish elders do NOT say - “Jesus, you are his only hope...” Or, “Jesus, have mercy on the centurion’s servant.” Instead, “The centurion is worthy of a miracle.” Or, “He deserves it.”

The elders sing the praises of the centurion NOT the praises of Jesus. In their minds, “The centurion has earned this miracle.”

Reality: In the face of death, the praise of you is not what you need.

BUT… we really like the praise of us.

We like to praise ourselves. Tendency to build ourselves up in the eyes of others so - “Look at what I’ve done” so people will be impressed by us. Some of us talk about ourselves way too much.

We like to hear others praise us. We are glory hogs - we want people to glory in us. Nothing wrong with being encouraged, or appreciating the encouragement of someone else. We all need to be encouraged. BUT, it is sinful to long for the praise of the people in such a way that you find your identity in the praise of man.

Some of us need to quit talking about ourselves so much and we need to quit worrying about what people are saying about us.

In the face of death, it doesn’t matter what you say about yourself, and it doesn’t matter what somebody else says about you. All that matters is what God says about you.

The praise of yourself is not going to help you stand in the face of death or any other trial for that matter. You might say to yourself, “Because of my accomplishments, I deserve...” Or, others might say of you, “Because of who she is, she deserves...” But what do you really deserve?

If you put your hope in the praise of you, you’ll wrestle with two ways of thinking:

Haven’t I done enough? You’ll look at past accomplishments and think because of what you’ve done you are entitled to something from God. After all, everyone else sings your praise, shouldn’t God sing your praises as well? Shouldn’t He be impressed with you? Haven’t you earned eternal life from God? Aren’t you entitled to eternal life because of your accomplishments.

I’ll never be able to do enough. You’ll either live entitled or live in despair because you might look at your life and see that you haven’t accomplished enough. After all, how can you know if you are deserving of a miracle? How can you know if you have done enough to impress God?

In the face of death, or other trials, you’ll quickly find out that the praise of you is not what you need. You need something better and more assuring.

The power of Christ is all you need.

The elders come to Jesus singing the praises of the centurion, but we quickly discover that the centurion does not sing his own praises.

The elders are able to convince Jesus to come to the centurion’s home, but before Jesus arrives, the man comes out of his home to greet Jesus.

Notice: how the centurion speaks of himself is very different than how the Jewish elders spoke of him: “Lord, I am not worthy...”

The elders: “The centurion is worthy.” The centurion: “I am not worthy.” Further… “I didn’t even consider myself worthy to come to you.” Because he’s not a Jew? Didn’t consider himself worthy to come to the Jewish Messiah and ask for help?

The centurion has a much better perspective of who he is and who Jesus is than the Jewish elders.

If you think about it, the centurion is an example of the kind of faith that Jesus teaches about in the sermon on the plain: dependent on Jesus. In the face of death, the centurion knew that Jesus was all he had. His accolades and his good life in the eyes of the Jews meant nothing .

Then, an amazing statement of faith… “But say the word, and my servant will be healed” (vs. 7). Don’t know what the centurion knew about Jesus or exactly what he believed about Jesus, but the centurion convinced that there is power in Jesus’ word. Centurion stood before the God of all creation who had come to give life. Jesus has the authority to take life and give life, and He wants to give life!

Centurion convinced that Jesus had authority. Centurion knew about authority - he was under the authority of the emperor - and the emperor had given him authority to command soldiers listened to the centurion’s word.

Centurion convinced that Jesus has authority - convinced that sickness and death would listen to the word of Jesus. What faith!

vs. 9 Jesus AMAZED - One of two places in Gospels that speak of Jesus being amazed. Mark 6:6 - Jesus amazed at the lack of faith of the Jews in Nazareth - Here, Jesus is amazed at the faith of a Roman centurion.

Luke holds up a Roman centurion - not an ethnic Jew - as a model of amazing faith.

The actual healing is almost an afterthought - vs. 10. The story is NOT as much about the healing as it is the amazing faith of the centurion.

Story teaching a simple reality: In the face of death, the power of Christ is all you need. What people think about you doesn’t matter - what people say about you doesn’t matter - in the face of death all that matters is the miraculous work of grace accomplished for us in the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Simple reminders in this story:

Get over you. You might have accomplished somethings in your life, but in comparison to Christ, you haven’t accomplished anything. Paul knew this (Philippians 3:7-11). Paul got over himself, but he couldn’t get over the power of the resurrection.

Never get over Jesus. Galatians 6:14 - the cross of Jesus is worth boasting about. You’re not worth boasting about. Nor, are the things you tend to boast about worth boasting about.

One day, maybe soon, maybe years from now, death is going to stare you in the face. When it does, how will you respond?

Four questions to ask this morning as we begin Holy Week:

Where is my praise targeted? At me? At others? Or, at the ONE who has the power over life and death.

What in my life do I think is too big for God to handle? Amazing faith is always in awe of the power of Jesus, and amazing faith always believes that Jesus can act and will act on our behalf. If Jesus can overcome sin and death and give us eternal life, isn’t He powerful enough to handle other areas of your life? He is powerful enough to give you victory over addition. He is powerful enough to restore your marriage. He is powerful enough to save your child that you’ve been praying for to come to faith. He is powerful enough to use you for His Kingdom. He is powerful enough to be your comfort as you walk through anxiety, stress, and depression. He is powerful enough to give you peace in every storm. He is powerful enough to heal your heart after it’s been broken over and over again by people you thought loved you.

What have I stopped praying for that I need to start praying for again? Whatever it is you think is too big for God to handle is the thing you’ve stopped praying about. Prayer is a demonstration of faith - Prayer is saying to God, “I believe you are able...” Have you stopped praying for your marriage? Your children? Your anxiety/depression? What do you need to start praying for again?

What steps do I need to take that demonstrate faith? For the centurion, it was bold request of Jesus to speak the word. What is it for you?

Holy Week is our week to remember that Jesus has the power to give us eternal life. He gives us eternal life by going to a cross and dying the death that we deserve then rising from the dead victoriously. If you want to experience the hope of Easter, place your faith in the One who willingly gave His life for you. Turn from your sin and turn to Him.