Thoughts On Luke - Day 28

                                            Luke 7:1-10

When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people who were listening, he entered Capernaum. ² There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. ³ The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. ⁴ When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, ⁵ because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” ⁶ So Jesus went with them.
He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. ⁷ That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. ⁸ For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
⁹ When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” ¹⁰ Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.

      Wouldn't you want to hear Jesus say of you, "Here is a woman or man of great faith"? Like Job being singled out, "Consider my servant Job." Like Daniel being told by an angel, "You are highly esteemed." Unfortunately, most of us are more concerned with being highly esteemed or being "considered" here on Earth. Heavenly praise is something we want to hear when it is all over. It's not tops on our priority list now. You can see in this passage the earthly perspective by what was said about him by the elders of the Jews. They said that he deserved healing because he is a friend to the nation of Israel and if not for him, the synagogue would not even have been built. These were good and commendable things, I'm not knocking that. I, myself have won several humanitarian awards which I am extremely grateful for and honored that people think that highly of me.

     But what does God think of me - that is the question that matters. We had just seen in chapter 6 where Jesus says, "woe unto you when all men speak highly of you because that's what they did with the false prophets." What did Jesus think of the centurion? He thought that he had the greatest faith that He had seen to this point. What was so great about this faith and how can I have it? I want it more than anything! First of all his faith enabled him to see people from a divine perspective. Here he was a Roman leader of many men and very important in the world's eyes. Yet he was traumatized by the illness of his servant. He treated the Jewish people with respect and honor while most Romans despised them. And he considered a young Jewish rabbi, Jesus, as so much better than him, that he didn't even deserve to come into his presence. I've got to ask myself, as a doctor, who is respected for the most part in the community, with wealth, people under me - do I consider myself better than other people? Or do I look at everyone as equally valuable in the eyes of God and equally loved? Am I tainted by earthly ranking of importance or do I view people with heavenly eyes. A mind directed by, or eyes that see from a Heavenly view of things is the first step to great faith.

    Secondly, something we just discussed in our last blog - putting ourselves under the authority of Jesus, making Him our Lord, recognizing that He is our master and submission to Him is the other prerequisite of great faith. Technically this is probably point "B" of the first point because a heavenly view of the world not only affects our view of people, status, worth, importance, but it also should affect our view of who is running our life. Are we in control or is God in control? Do we answer to ourselves and "always be true to yourself" or do we answer to a God who made us and owns us? How we see those things determines our faith. The centurion saw himself under the authority of Jesus. He saw sickness, disease, life, death under the authority of Jesus. Do I see everything that happens to me, whether good or bad, as something that God is in control of? Do I rest in that and find comfort in that or do I fret, get angry, anxious, depressed, proud, conceited, etc. in response to the good and bad in my life. Does God get the glory regardless in my life - in your life. That is great faith.

      For further reading on great faith look to Hebrews 11 and the beginning of 12 and end of 10 and count the illustrations of faith that related to looking to or fixing their minds on heavenly things rather than earthly things. I count 7. How many do you see?

      Lord, fix my eyes on You today. Let me live for eternity. Increase my faith!
             Turn your eyes upon Jesus
              Look full in His wonderful face
             And the things of Earth will grow strangely dim
             In the light of His glory and grace.