Amy C Walters

Jesus Heals a Centurion’s Servant | Luke 7:1-10

The Centurion in Luke 7 is used to being able to boss people around, just with his words. He believes that Jesus has even greater authority, so much so that he is willing to bet his servant’s life on it. The Centurion demonstrates that amazing faith takes Jesus at his word.

There’s still one big part of this story that we haven’t really taken apart yet: the Centurion’s statements at the end about authority. Through his friends, he says, “I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I say to this one, go, and he goes, and that one come, and he comes. I tell my servant, do this, and he does it.” 

Two posts ago, we talked about how the Centurion did not insist on his own rights. Clearly, he has the authority to tell people where to go and what to do. But there are more layers to what he says.

In the full statement, the Centurion starts off by saying, “Lord, don’t trouble yourself. I don’t deserve for you to come under my roof. That is why I did not consider myself worthy to go to you myself, but say the word and my servant will be healed.” Say the word. 

The Centurion has some power and authority in his words. He can move people and get things done just by saying it because the people under his authority have to obey his words. And the Centurion is basically saying to Jesus, “You have authority over this sickness. And if you just say the word, the sickness has to leave. It has to obey you.”  The Centurion believed in the power of Jesus’ words.

That’s what he’s saying here. And that’s what causes Jesus to stop and be amazed at the faith of the Centurion, to turn to the people who are following him and say, “I tell you, I have not seen such faith, even in Israel.” 

So Jesus doesn’t go to the Centurion’s house and yet the servant is healed. I wonder if the people who were following Jesus were disappointed that they didn’t get to see the miracle. Some might even argue that it would be beneficial to witness the healing themselves, that it would build their faith. 

But instead of showing them another healing, Jesus points out the Centurion’s faith. He holds it up as a model to his followers and says, “This is amazing faith.” 

Notice too, that the people who were sent to Jesus returned to the house and found the servant well. Has Jesus said like, “Your servant is healed, go back home”? Luke doesn’t record anything like that, and yet the servant is well. The Centurion is saying, “You just have to say the word and he’s healed.” Jesus doesn’t even say it and the man is healed. Such power that Jesus has.

The Centurion in this story never actually meets Jesus. He hears about him, he sends the elders, he sends his friends and then his servant is healed.

You and I are in the same boat as this Centurion, in the fact that we, too, have only heard about Jesus. We didn’t get to meet him face to face. Not yet. We haven’t been there in the crowd when he has taught and has healed. We’ve heard about him.

Do we have a faith like the Centurion to take Jesus at his word? It can be easy to think that the people in Jesus’ day had it so much easier because they could see him, they could be face to face with him, they could reach out and touch him. It’s easy to think it would be so much easier to believe him if that was the case. But the Centurion shows faith by hearing. 

One more detail that I want to point out. Notice the role of the friends. And notice the role that friends have played in other stories we’ve talked about. In the story of the paralyzed man who was healed and forgiven (Luke 5:17-26), it was his friends that brought him to Jesus and lowered him through the ceiling. In this story, it is the friends of the Centurion who come to Jesus and then go back home and get to see the miracle that has happened. 

What a privilege we have as friends to bring our friends to Jesus. We play a pivotal role in connecting them to Jesus. Are we doing it? 

Our key truth for today is that amazing faith takes Jesus at his word. Just like this Centurion who says, “Just say the word and he’ll be healed.” Amazing faith believes and banks on the words of Jesus. So much so the Centurion didn’t even go to him himself. So much so that the Centurion didn’t even have Jesus come into his house. He was willing to bet the life of his servant on the power of Jesus’ words.