The Faith That Marveled The Master.

Introduction:

We are continuing in our series going through the book of Luke together that we have titled “The Son: From the manger to the grave.” We have just finished examining Luke’s account of Jesus famous “Sermon on the mount”. We were five weeks examining the words of Jesus in that sermon so as we transition back into the narrative of the life and ministry of Jesus in ch.7 it is a good time to pull back and review the overall purpose of the book of Luke in Scripture.

Luke wrote his Gospel in order to proclaim the glorious news that the “Son of Man”, God’s Son, has come to earth to sake and save the lost. It was initially written to a man named Theophilus along with the book of Acts, who was himself a gentile and likely held some sort of position within the Roman government. Luke is the Gospel of Salvation for all mankind.

In Luke we learn several things about the Lord Jesus for instance:

that Jesus came to make salvation available to all people.

that He is deeply interested in individuals.

that He came for the outcasts and sinners.

that He came for the poor.

that He values women.

that He cares about children.

that he hears and answers prayer.

and many more.

We see many of things on display for us in Luke ch.7 along with Jesus power over sickness and death.

As Luke 7 opens, we are greeted with a change of scenery from the level place on the mountainside to the city of Capernaum. Capernaum was Jesus base of operations for his ministry and was within walking distance of where Jesus delivered the “Sermon on the mount.”

Apparently in the city of Capernaum there was a Roman Centurion who lived there which was pretty common place around the Roman Empire.

Centurion- Part of the Roman military and supervised 100 soldiers (equivalent to maybe an Army captain today). During the time of Jesus this would have been a band of auxiliary troops likely in the command of Herod Antipas (the tetrarch of Galilee. This likely means that he was a gentile but not from Rome, instead from the surrounding regions of Phoenicia or Syria. This man’s main job would have been to keep general order through law enforcement and to oversee the collection of taxes. Most Centurions mentioned in Scripture are talked about favorably.

This man had a sick servant but he also had an enormous amount of faith. Jesus says of this man that:

Luke 7:9 (NKJV)

... I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!”

This man, who was a Gentile had a faith that Marveled the Master and it is that faith that we will examine together this morning. We will see from the text

A flawed perspective on faith. (v.3-5)

An enlightened perspective on faith. (v.6-7)

A divine perspective on faith. (8-10)

1.) A flawed perspective on faith. (v.3-5)

This centurion is an interesting case study. He was not your ordinary gentile/Roman centurion.

We see this not just in his deep concern for his slaves well being but in the fact that he was able to get Jewish elders seek out Jesus on his behalf.

These elders would have likely been the rulers of the synagogue and were not given to be errand runners for gentile. They saw themselves as better than gentiles.

They didn't just come to ask Jesus because they had too, v.3 tells us the begged Jesus to come heal his slave and they begged Jesus because in their eyes this man had done something worthy of receiving favor from the Lord.

Luke 7:4–5 NKJV

4 And when they came to Jesus, they begged Him earnestly, saying that the one for whom He should do this was deserving, 5 “for he loves our nation, and has built us a synagogue.”

This tells us that this man was probably a “God-fearer”- someone who accepted the Jewish God but didn't become a proselyte to Judaism (Cornelius in Acts 10:2)

While it was true that this man loved the people of Israel and had built a synagogue, that did not make this man “worthy” of receiving Christ favor.

The Jewish elders deemed this man “worthy” because of things he had done. To them these external works carried favor with God.

This was a surface level argument presented from how they viewed their own lives. Judaism had become about nothing but external self righteousness.

Folks, doing good deeds or even religious acts does not earn us favor with God.

Titus 3:5 NKJV

5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,

Romans 3:10 NKJV

10 As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one;

Our good deeds are just surface level righteousness but deep down inside we are not righteous we are sinful. To these men, this centurion was worthy because they could see all the good he had done and they had no idea that he was a sinner.

2.) An enlightened perspective on faith. (6-7a)

Jesus saw something that these Jewish elders couldn't see and went with them toward the centurions home where his slave lay dying.

But, as they were near the home they are met by another delegation of the centurions friends who he sent to them to stop Jesus from coming in his home.

This shows the centurions understanding and respect for the Jewish culture. See Jewish law did not permit for a Jew to enter the home of a gentile. If he did, he would be ceremonially unclean and could not worship in the temple until he went through rituals that deemed him clean.

This centurion saw himself differently than the others saw him.

The Jewish elders saw him as worthy because of his good deeds, but he saw himself as unworthy of Jesus presence.

He knew who he was, an unclean gentile.

Friends, when we see ourselves for who we really are, we know that we are unworthy of the Lord showing us any mercy. Sadly the opposite is often true, we see ourselves as worthy and everyone else as unworthy. It’s far easier to see the sin of others than it is to look upon our own condition.

Notice something else about this centurions faith. Not only did he see himself in the proper light of unworthy before God; he saw Jesus in the proper perspective too.

As a military commander, this centurion new what it was like to be under the authority of those above him. He also knew what it was like to give orders and have others obey him.

He saw Jesus not as a peasant jew from Galilee but as the all powerful Lord of the universe who holds dominion over life and death.

Seeing Christ for who he really is and seeing yourself for who you really are the essential components to faith.

3.) A divine perspective on faith.(v.7b-10)

This centurion expressed his faith through words in v.7b-8. He understood the power of Jesus to heal wasn’t based on proximity, that Jesus was so powerful that the mere speaking of his word was enough.

Notice Jesus response to the centurions faith

Luke 7:9 NKJV

9 When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, “I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!”

There are only two instances in all of scripture where Jesus is said to be marvelled by something. The first was after Jesus home town on Nazareth rejected and tried to kill Jesus in Luke 4.

What was it about this man’s faith that made Jesus marvel?

A.) HIs background

This man was a gentile, he was not raised with the words of scripture as a part of his life. He was not a part of God’s covenant people Israel. Yet he had faith, that the jewish people over all did not.

B.) His job

He was a soldier for the Roman army. More than that he was an officer who wielded authority.He was not of the sort to willingly humble himself before anyone, let alone a jewish peasant. Yet, he humbled himself before Christ.

C.) His wealth

In scripture having much wealth is seen as a spiritual disadvantage because they breed an attachment to this world. Jesus would go on to say this about riches in Luke 18:24-25

Luke 18:24–25 NKJV

24 And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

But, this man, with enough wealth to build a synagogue he wasn't even allowed to enter, threaded the needle to get to Jesus.

D.) His certainty

This man believed in Christ power though he could not see it. He believed that Jesus could heal just by speaking. He had faith like Noah, Abraham and Moses. The people the Jews counted as heroes yet lacked the same faith in God that this man possessed.

Conclusion:

What is your faith resting in today?

Do you see yourself as deserving of Christ grace as the elders thought the centurion was?

If so, you are sadly mistaken. You must face the hard truth that apart from the grace of God, your heart is desperately evil and full of sin.

Jeremiah 17:9 NKJV

9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?

The reality is that like the centurion you are not worthy of the grace of Christ. There is nothing about you that can come even close to meriting the favor of God.

But, seeing yourself as unworthy isn't enough, you must also see Christ for who he is.

He is God robed in flesh.

Colossians 1:15–18 NKJV

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

He is the one and only savior.

Colossians 1:19–20 NKJV

19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, 20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.

This man had a faith that marvelled the master because he saw himself and Christ in the proper perspective. Do you?