“What We Learn from the Centurion”
Luke 7:1-10

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Pastor Kevin Vogts
Trinity Lutheran Church
Paola, Kansas
Second Sunday after Pentecost—May 29, 2016

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Our text is today’s Gospel Reading, the story of the faithful centurion, whose servant Jesus heals.  You are invited to follow along the bulletin insert on the last pages of the bulletin as we consider, “What We Learn from the Centurion.”

1)  We Learn from the Centurion to Humbly Confess Our Sins and Unworthiness

The “Cleveland Plain Dealer” newspaper has a church reviewer, like a movie reviewer, except that he goes to different churches, and then writes a review for the paper of the worship service.  Some years ago he attended a Missouri Synod congregation and what struck him most, and struck him deeply, was the opening words in the confession of sins: “I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto you all my sins.”  He said it was a little shocking, because in all the churches that he visits, most of them don’t talk much about sin anymore.  But, he also found it refreshing, to have a whole congregation of nice-looking, well-dressed, middle-class people proclaiming to one another that they are in fact “poor, miserable sinners.”  He said he liked having that stark confession at the beginning of the service, because it lets you really know WHY you are there: you are a poor, miserable sinner, in need of a Savior.

That is why WE are here today: because we are all poor, miserable sinners, in need of a Savior.  Nice-looking, well-dressed, middle-class, but, nevertheless, poor, miserable sinners, in need of a Savior, like the centurion in our text.

You can see the connection between “centurion” and our words “cent” and “century.” As you would expect, a centurion was an officer commanding about 100 common soldiers, like a lieutenant in our army commanding a company of privates.  And like the cadets at West Point, we are told by ancient historians that Roman centurions were the very highest caliber individuals, selected from among the best and brightest.  Perhaps that’s why every centurion that appears in the New Testament is portrayed in a very positive light, as honorable and upright, and in several cases faithful to Christ, like the centurion in our text.

The Gospels report that at the moment of Christ’s death, the centurion charged with overseeing the crucifixion actually “praised God” and proclaimed: “Truly this was a righteous man!”; “Truly he was the Son of God!”  In Acts, the centurion Cornelius is described as a “devout,” “righteous and God-fearing man.”  Also in Acts, when Paul is on the way to Rome there is a shipwreck and the soldiers want to kill all the prisoners, but their commander, a centurion named Julius, stops them in order to save Paul’s life. 

It is interesting that the first depiction we have of Christ upon the cross is actually a graffiti, scratched into the floor of a barracks in Rome.  It was apparently drawn by some soldiers to make fun of one of their fellow soldiers, named Alexamenos, who is shown bowing down before Christ on the cross.  Whoever he was, it is a wonderful testimony to Alexamenos’ faith.  So, it seems from the New Testament and outside evidence that very early on there were quite a few Christian believers among the soldiers and centurions of the Roman Empire.

The centurion at Capernaum was a VIP, a “very important person.”  He was a respected and powerful officer in the world’s greatest army, the leading local representative of the great empire which ruled over this conquered country.  The Romans looked upon Palestine and the Hebrew people as backward and primitive.  The Roman enclaves they built in Palestine were considered outposts of true civilization.  As an archaeologist I have excavated at one of them, called Abila, a fine Roman city, plopped in the middle of the desert.

So, this centurion could have had a haughty, proud, superior attitude.  From the Roman viewpoint, he was the ONLY person in Capernaum who was nice-looking, well-dressed, and middle-class.

There was only one area in which the Romans respected, even looked up to, the Hebrew people: their religion.  The other religions of the Roman Empire were a hodge-podge of dozens of pagan false gods, and the moral standards were very low.  But, the Hebrew faith was different, with a strict belief in only one true God, and very high moral standards.  Many Romans and others were attracted to this faith.  They generally did not fully convert but became sort of associate members of the synagogue, called “God-fearers.”  They would attend the services, read the Scriptures, say the prayers, and strive to live according to the Ten Commandments. 

What attracted and appealed to these God-fearers most was the prophecies of a great Messiah, the Savior, who would come for the whole world from the Hebrew people.  The centurion at Capernaum was no doubt one of these God-fearers, who was awaiting the promised Messiah: 

“[Jesus] entered Capernaum.  There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die.  The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant.  When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, ‘This man deserves to have you do this, because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.’  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.  That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you.’”

The centurion at Capernaum was a VIP, a respected and powerful officer, the leading local representative of the world’s greatest empire; nice-looking, well-dressed, middle-class, even wealthy.  And, yet, he confessed to this Rabbi that he is a poor, miserable sinner.  We learn from the centurion to humbly confess our sins and unworthiness.

2)  We Learn from the Centurion to Trust in Jesus as God and Savior

Though he was not Hebrew himself, as a God-fearer the centurion was familiar with the prophecies of the Messiah, that God would come down to earth.  And one of the key indications of the true Messiah would be miraculous healings, as Isaiah prophesied, “Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows. . .  Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy.”  Jesus puts it this way, “The miracles I do in my Father’s name speak for me. . .  Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.”

Our text says the centurion had “heard of Jesus.”  No doubt he had heard about all the miraculous healings Jesus was performing.  And it seems he also understood, better than many of Jesus’ own Hebrew people, what these miracles mean: Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophecies; Jesus is the promised Messiah; Jesus is the very Son of God.

“’Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof.  That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed.  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.’”

Just as the centurion has authority to order and command his soldiers and servants, he BELIEVES that Jesus has authority simply to say the word and order and command his sick servant be made well.  The Greek word used in the initial request to heal the servant literally means to “save.”  The centurion acknowledges Jesus as the Lord, with the power to heal and save.

“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.’  Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.”  We learn from the centurion to trust in Jesus as God and Savior.

3) We Learn from the Centurion to Trust God’s Word

The centurion trusted the truth of the Old Testament prophecies, recognizing from them that Jesus is the promised Messiah, the Savior and Lord.  And so he also trusted the truth and power and promise of Jesus’ word.  As Jesus says, “Whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. . .  If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples.” 

Sadly, there are many churches and preachers today who are denying and deviating from God’s Word.  A survey of clergy in one of the largest denominations in the United States asked, “Do you believe the Bible to be the Word of God?”  Astoundingly, only 18% said “Yes”; 82% said “No.”  Without the foundation of trust in God’s Word, clergy, and congregations, and entire denominations are veering off into heresy and immorality.  As Paul says in today’s Epistle Reading, “[You] are turning to a different gospel—which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.”

Jesus said, “Your Word is truth . . . the Scripture cannot be broken.”  Psalm 33 says, “The word of the Lord is right and true.”  Paul urges us in 2nd Thessalonians, “Hold fast to the teachings passed on to you.”  We learn from the centurion to trust God’s Word.

4) We Learn from the Centurion to Turn to Jesus in Time of Need

Jesus says, “Come unto me, all you who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.”  The centurion was burdened with a heavy load of grief and worry over his dearly loved sick servant.  He came to Jesus, and gave that burden over to him.  “Cast your burden upon the Lord,” Peter says, “for he cares for you.”

Like the centurion, what is the heavy load of grief or worry that you are burdened with?  Like the centurion, come to Jesus and give your burden over to him.  As Paul says in Philippians, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  We learn from the centurion to turn to Jesus in time of need.

5) We Learn from the Centurion to Give Generously to Build God’s Church

Though as a God-fearer the centurion was only an associate member of the Hebrew faith, we are told he built the synagogue at Capernaum.  Excavations there have probably uncovered the very synagogue that he built.

The centurion literally gave to “build” God’s church, a church building for the worship of God, and that is very important.  Like the centurion, we need to help support this house of worship, and the ministry here.  But, “giving” to build God’s church isn’t limited to financial giving, and “church” refers not only to a building, but also to the spiritual body of believers, here and around the world.

There are so many ways for you to “give” generously to help “build” God’s Church: through your prayers, for our congregation, our missionaries, and the needs and problems of your brothers and sisters in Christ; through your time and service to the Lord, in many different ways; through your acts of Christian love; and, like the centurion who literally built the synagogue at Capernaum, through financial contributions to the work of the Church.  Peter puts it this way, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.”  We learn from the centurion to give generously to build God’s Church.

6)  We Learn from the Centurion to Not Be Ashamed of Christ and Our Faith

You may remember the movie “Dances with Wolves,” when the army officer played by Kevin Costner is accused of “going native,” becoming too much like the Native Americans he is supposed to be watching.  The centurion at Capernaum was putting his power and position and prestige and prosperity on the line by so publicly and boldly professing his faith in Christ.  He could have easily been recalled and demoted for “going native,” going overboard with this Hebrew religion.

Paul says in Romans, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes,” and in 2nd Timothy, “So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord.”  We learn from the centurion to not be ashamed of Christ and our faith.

“[Jesus] 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.’”  We learn from the centurion:

To humbly confess our sins and unworthiness;

To trust in Jesus as God and Savior;

To trust God’s Word;

To turn to Jesus in time of need;

To give generously to build God’s Church;

And to not be ashamed of Christ and our faith.