08.11.08
Recognition of Christ’s Authority in Capernaum (Matt. 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-10)
Recognition of Christ’s Authority in Capernaum (Matt. 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-10)
Well, Jesus had gone and done it now. With the latest teaching of - again - repudiating Pharisaic tradition and practice, there was now a rift that would not be repaired between Himself and the religious authorities. Once Jesus returned to Capernaum after talking to the latest crowd, he is met by a centurion needing help.
Now you may have heard some teaching here that this was some sort of proselyte of righteousness. I don’t see that in these passages at all. The language used seems to be just standard language of any Gentile in addressing someone they had respect for. Perhaps even a love for in this land that had been under captivity for so long. Of note is the centurion did not bite at Jesus’ move to come to his house. To do so, for the Gentile, was no inconvenience but for the Jew it would have risked defilement (the thought, going into a Gentile’s house!). Even while addressing Jesus as ‘Lord’ (showing a high regard for His person) didn’t belay the faith this man had based on what he had heard from others. And as a military man, he was not forgetful of his mission - to get attention to a valued servant.
Edersheim notes: …the question with the Centurion would be: not, Could Jesus heal his servant, but Would He do so? And again, this other specifically: Since, so far as he knew, no application from any in Israel, be it even publican or sinner, had been doomed to disappointment, would he, as a Gentile, be barred from sharing in this blessing? Was he ‘unworthy’, or rather, ‘unfit’ for it? Thus this history presents a crucial question, not only as regarded the character of Christ’s work, but the relation to it of the Gentile world.
When Jesus showed a willingness to go and heal the servant, the reply of the centurion shows his recognition of Christ’s authority. Again, Edersheim notes:
He was a soldier and his thought was cast in a military mould. ‘I’, he argued, ‘am a man ranked under authority with soldiers under myself; and I say to this one ‘Go’ and he goeth; and to another ‘Come’ and he cometh; and to my slave ‘Do this’ and he doeth it.’ He pictures a spiritual hierarchy after the model of the military organization which he knew so well. Though only a subordinate officer subject to his superiors, he had authority over his soldiers; and, if he had only to issue his commands and they were executed, might not Jesus, whom he recognized as the Lord of all principalities and powers, do the lake and much more? There was no need for Him to approach the sufferer; let Him but speak the word, and ministering angels would hasten to fulfill it.
This centurion, because of his military experience and practice, understood that Christ didn’t need to be personally present to execute a command. The one in authority only needed to issue the command to have something done. What remarkable faith in the person and authority of Christ!
Christ is excited about this man’s faith (see vs. 10). Then in verse 11 Jesus refers to the duplication of this faith many times over as other Gentiles who would come from all parts of the earth to take their place in the kingdom. Then in verse 12 He makes certain that those that were physical decedents of the promise understood that those that rejected the King, even though there were servants (by birth), would exclude themselves from the kingdom and be consigned to darkness forever.
In response to the faith of the centurion, Christ gave him the assurance that his servant would be healed. This passage of scripture is a remarkable foreshadowing of the setting aside of the nation Israel because of unbelief. It also shows that the message Christ brought was for the Gentiles as well who would believe and take their place with the faithful of Israel in the kingdom. What a wonderful insight into God and His work for His children!
The centurion’s faith astonished Jesus, who then used it as an opportunity to reaffirm the inclusion of many foreigners in the kingdom of God. Although both Matthew and Luke recorded this event, only Matthew added Jesus’ comment about the diverse crowds that would flock to the final banquet, while those who assume they are guests of honor would be turned away at the gate. Matthew directed his Jewish readers to two truths:
- Jesus fulfilled all the foretold descriptions of the Messiah, and
- Jesus was the Savior of the entire world, not just the Jews.
The first truth defines Jesus’ identity as Messiah; the second truth defines his relationship to us. The first states a fact; the second offers a personal invitation to us. Will we be among the varied multitudes celebrating with Abraham the triumph of Jesus? Your RSVP is required.
(from The Life Application Commentary Series copyright (C) 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000 by the Livingstone Corporation. Produced with permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.)
