The Centurion's Servant
In Luke 7:1-10, Luke records that Jesus goes to Capernaum after concluding the Sermon on the Plain. There was a centurion who had a servant who was about to die due to illness. When he heard the things that were being said of Jesus, he sent to the Jewish elders to ask Jesus to come and heal his servant. The Jewish elders thought highly of the centurion because the centurion had been generous in building them a synagogue.
There are a couple of notes to make about the situation. Clearly, the Jewish people, as a whole, were not happy that they were under Roman occupation. Most wanted Rome gone, but how much they were willing to fight for that varied greatly. But as a Roman officer, it would be safe to say that an average Jewish citizen who didn't know the centurion would likely do as little as possible to appease or aid him. That the elders were willing to intercede truly says a lot about the character of the centurion.
Secondly, the centurion went above and beyond what was expected of him as an officer of the occupation by directly supporting the Jewish faith which was probably in direct opposition to what he had grown up believing. Because he did so, when he made a request of the leaders of the Jews, they rushed to help him and extolled his command. It is possible that the servant was Jewish. It is also possible that they hoped Jesus would somehow let the Roman centurion down, and thus let the Romans solve their problem of Jesus.
In any event, one thing to learn is that if you are in a position of power, looking out for those you are in charge of can engender good will where none would normally be expected. The Bible doesn't record whether the rebellion that was roiling from zealots towards Rome was less intense where this centurion kept the peace or not, so we can't make a definitive judgment. But having the support of the elders probably reduced the friction most Roman leaders would have faced. When we think of the scripture "Blessed are the peacemakers..." [Matthew 5:9] we typically think of how Christians should act, but it is true for anyone. Being a peacemaker, even as a soldier, has benefits.
Jesus heeded the call of the elders and went with them, but before He reached the place the centurion and his servant were staying, the centurion sent word that he was unworthy for Christ to come to him. He understood authority, quoted some examples, and said it was only necessary for Christ to give the word and he was sure the servant would be healed.
It isn't clear whether that was his intention all along and the first servant had misunderstood, or whether he was happy that he had exerted his influence enough to get Christ to make a move toward him and didn't want to press his luck so sent word again that Christ didn't have to come further.
At any rate, Christ, having dealt with His only people was astounded and declared He hadn't seen faith like that in His whole country. Christ was still asking whether He would find faith when He returns [Luke 18:8]. This is worth some more thought. The centurion had probably grown up worshiping pagan gods in the Roman pantheon of gods. He had probably seen much sacrificed to those who ran their temples with little or nothing to show for such sacrifice. He duty station takes him to Israel, and he discovers an Israelite going around teaching, healing, casting out demons, and doing miracles. The contrast between what he was hearing about and his experience with Roman gods was like night and day.
He probably wouldn't have thought anything of having a temple priestess come and visit him. But to have someone who was actually acting like he thought a god should act probably terrified him. He knew his heart, his life, what he had done to people and done in the name of the gods of his youth, and knew that he wasn't worthy to have a real god or a at least, in his mind, a real representative of a god, anywhere near him.
Every Christian needs to pray that they will so live their lives, full of the Holy Spirit and let the power of God work through them so that even those who aren't Christian are affected by their daily lives. As it is, if Christ were to come back today, He'd probably not be seeing the faith of that Roman centurion present in many Christians, or in Christian pastors, priests, or higher in each denominational hierarchy. And that is to our shame. God has not changed. His promises are still yea and amen [2 Corinthians 1:20]. Have faith in that and put your trust in Him.
When the servants that relayed the message to Christ returned, they found that the servant who was at death's door was healed. Faith is a powerful tool for every Christian.
Resurrection at Nain
After this, Luke 7:11-16 records that He traveled to Nain. As he arrived a young man was being taken from the city to be buried. Many people and several disciples had come with Christ to Nain, and there were many in the burial party, including the young man's mother. Ad He frequently did, He had compassion on the mother and told her not to weep. If she didn't recognize Him, her back probably stiffened with a lot of choice comments ready to flow.
But Jesus didn't waste any time. He went to the bier and touched it causing the people carrying the bier to probably stand still from shock. According to google sources, touching the bier would have the same effect of making Jesus unclean as touching the dead body would. It just wasn't something someone would come along and do.
When Jesus told the young man to arise, the immediate thought was probably to laugh, but when the young man sat up and started speaking, laughter or derision turned to shock. I wonder if they dropped the bier on the ground when the young man sat up and started talking. I probably would have dropped it.
Jesus took the young man to his mother, and everybody was filled with fear. The timelines I've seen would indicate that the resurrection of Jarius's daughter [Mark 5:35-42] happened a bit after. Before that, you go back a long time in Bible history for a resurrection [2 Kings 13:21], a period of roughly 820 to 830 years. So the surprise and shock were real. Healings are one thing. Raising from the dead is a much bigger deal.
The people gave glory to God, as they should, and decided that at the very least a great prophet was standing with them. After all, they would have had to go back to the above referenced dead man thrown into a crypt touching Elisha's bones and being revived for a parallel. And even though we are a cynical bunch, touching a casket and telling the person they didn't get to die just yet and to get up and get on with their life would raise just as big a stir today.
I'm not advocating you do that, unless, like Christ, God tells you to do it. That isn't my point. But everything still ties back to faith that you are in tune with God and faith in His power. A minister visiting the church told us that when he was younger he was taking a group of students by car to minister on a missions trip to I think Mexico, but I might be wrong on that. It was out of the country to the south somewhere, anyway. While en route, they came across a highway accident. There were already emergency response personnel there, and by the side of the road there was a body that had been covered up out of respect. They knew they had time to wait, and had gotten out, but felt led to pray over the body, and they person was resurrected.
God is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. God won't automatically resurrect everyone who dies. If you were dead and in heaven, would you want to come back? But sometimes His will does call for that, and if you are sure about His will, don't be afraid to pray, in faith, believing that God will do what He has told you He would do.
John the Baptist Doubts
As word of Jesus spread, Luke 7:17-20 records that those who were following John had a conversation with John and they sent a delegation to Jesus wondering if Jesus was the Messiah they were looking for. Now clearly, John had baptized Jesus in the first place before Jesus started His ministry, and the Father and Holy Spirit confirmed the position of Jesus. So you would think that there should be no doubt.
But in John's defense, let me point out a couple of possibilities. First, it isn't clear if John or John's disciples knew that the person doing the great works of God in the surrounding area was the same Jesus that John had baptized. Those bringing word to John might not have been present at Jesus' baptism.
Even with the same name, it is entirely possible that they, like many other Jewish folks at the time, were of the opinion that the Messiah was going to free them from Roman rule instead of carry out the mission He seemed to be doing. Still being under Roman occupation may have been messing with their minds and what their expectations for the Messiah were. The fact that few saw the Messiah's true purpose, even when explained to them, leans toward this view.
Finally, realize that at this time, John the Baptist was imprisoned by that same Roman government for speaking out against an immoral relationship in its local leadership. I'm sure that over his time of incarceration, he last lots of time for Satan to raise doubts in his mind about all he believed and did.
That same doubt is something we have to continually challenge in each of our lives today. Satan tries to bring doubts to our faith from any and all directions. Whether imprisonment, like John, or health or financial, or relationship issues, it is easy to bring doubts. We must keep our ultimate faith in God and His promises. God never promised a problem free life. He only promised He would help to see us through our troubles. He would send the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, to be with us always. And this was not yet something available to John the Baptist, so he was at a greater disadvantage.
Jesus' Reply
Luke 7:21-23 records what Jesus did in response. He went on about His Father's business, just as if they had never asked Him anything at all. He healed of infirmities and plagues. He freed people from the control of evil spirits. He restored sight to the blind. Then He quoted scripture [Isaiah 11:2, 29:18, 35:5-6, 42:1-5, 60:1-3, 61:1-2] and told John and His disciples to make their own judgment. There was an additional blessing Jesus promised for those who were not offended by Him.
And that, really, is all that Christians can do today. It is easy to stop going about the Father's business and argue about what Christianity is all about. Once you stop doing the Father's business and start talking, you've lost half the battle. If there were two people like Jesus, alive at the same time, and one was just talking, but the other was both talking and doing great works, which one would get the people's attention.
Just words, also, weren't sufficient. Note that Jesus knew the scripture, and showed the disciples of John direct examples of that scripture being fulfilled. And yet, even at that, He couldn't make them believe. He could only remind them of scripture, show them the works, and tell them to come to their own conclusions.
That's all we can do today too. We can tell people the truth, hopefully God will lead us in ways and work through the Holy Spirit and us to do works, speak words of prophecy, knowledge, or wisdom that will get their attention, and then let them choose. The choice is always theirs. It wasn't for nothing that Jesus said, toward the end, that if the people listening couldn't accept His words, they should at least accept His works and believe [John 10:37-38]. Just remember that belief alone is not enough. The devils believe, and tremble [James 2:19].
John the Prophet
Once the servants left, Jesus talked with the people about John. Luke 7:24-28 records the praise Jesus lays on John. He speaks of John's purpose. John was sent to prepare God's people for the ministry of Jesus Himself. And in Jesus judgment, John did a fine job. Jesus goes so far as to say that in humanity at least, there hasn't been a greater prophet than John the Baptist.
The way it is worded, however, makes you wonder if prophecy is also something that is done in heaven, as Jesus says that even though John is the greatest among men, the least in the kingdom of God is greater than John. Even if this extreme isn't what was meant, remember that at this time the Holy Spirit wasn't available to fill believers. Jesus walked in the fullness of the Spirit, but that was it. It wouldn't be until Acts when the Spirit would begin to be poured out on those who sought the Baptism in the Spirit and had accepted Christ. Prophecy is one of the named gifts of the Spirit. But at the time of John's ministry, he stood above all the rest not because of his characteristics, but because of his message. The Messiah was coming - Repent and get ready!
Jesus asked the people about what they expected when they went out to observer John's ministry. He was unique, perhaps, among all the prophets Israel had ever had. Both in food and clothing, John didn't put on airs. He was a plain man, with a plain message. He didn't dress all fancy. I think there was a subtext there about Jesus Himself.
John's servants and come to inquire if Jesus was the promised Messiah. They had expectations of what a Messiah should look like, and Jesus didn't fit the bill in their eyes. His actions didn't match their expectations either. And yet, He was the Messiah. Jesus warning was that people needed to look on words and actions, just as He had finished showing John's followers, and not on outward appearances and pomp and circumstance.
How often are we guilty of that today? If Jesus were to show up in our church, dressed as a beggar, would He be welcome? Would we listen to what He had to say or would we dismiss what He taught because He didn't look like someone whose opinion mattered? Previously in the sermon on the plain, Jesus warned against judging, but the various people's reactions to John the Baptist were paralleling their reactions to Jesus.
The People's Response
Luke 7:29-30 records the people's response to Jesus comments on John the Baptist. Those who had been baptized with the baptism of John, heard Jesus' words. The Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God since they had rejected John the Baptist as well.
The reality is that people have a tendency to form opinions on the first experience with something, and those opinions are hard to change later in life. That's why every Christian needs to try to live like Christ so that a person's first experience with Christianity isn't a bad one.
Unfortunately, there are all too many times when first experiences tarnish everything that comes later. In the modern world, with history books that contain records of all of the wars fought over time, frequently for wholly political reasons that had nothing to do with Christianity, but carried out under the auspices of the church, sometimes a person's ideas about Christianity will be warped before they ever meet a true Christian. It only takes the failure of one high profile Christian to wreak havoc with the witness of thousands of perhaps less well know but otherwise upstanding Christians.
In the Pharisee's case, they had already rejected John because he wasn't doing the things that they thought a prophet should do and he wasn't eating or dressing like one either. Since Jesus was lifting him up as a shining example of a prophet, it was another mark against Jesus in their eyes. They were wrong, but first impressions matter. And that isn't to say anything was wrong with John. But people have ideas about how Christians should act, dress, work, ... fill in the blank. The fact that we are all just as different as they are doesn't matter in their eyes. If their first experiences with someone who calls themselves Christian (but may not be) doesn't measure up, it's another black mark against the religion.
Luke 7:31-35 carries on with this theme as it applied in that day. In Jesus case, the Pharisees were rejecting Christ because of the people with whom He was eating, drinking, and associating. To be clear, I'm pretty sure he was exactly where the Holy Spirit wanted Him to be. But we have to realize that even when following God's plan for our lives, some will take offense. And frequently, for those who chose to take offense, there is nothing that we can do to keep them from doing so.
Woman at Simon the Pharisee's House
The rest of chapter 7 [Luke 7:36-49] revolves around a dinner engagement with Simon who was a Pharisee. Once everyone was seated and eating, a woman who was evidently well known as a sinner came and crying, washed Jesus feet with tears, dried His feet with her hair, anointed Him with alabaster oil, and kissed His feet. Simon evidently hadn't invited her - she was crashing the party - and worse, in his eyes, she was a well known sinner. He thought several bad thoughts about her as he watched what she was doing to Jesus.
As Jesus recognized his thoughts through the Holy Spirit, He speaks to Simon, asking if a man were to forgive a debt of 500 pence from one person and 50 from another, which of the previous debtors would be likely to love him the most. Simon, of course, answered that the one who was forgiven the most would probably love the most. Jesus agreed.
Jesus then went on to describe that when Jesus came into Simon's house, Simon didn't perform any of the host functions that would normally be done for a guest. He hadn't given him a kiss and he hadn't washed Jesus's feet, nor provided the means for Jesus to do so. He didn't offer any anointing.
Jesus then probably shocked Simon by going on to say that the woman's sins, which were many were forgiven. Jesus wouldn't have been expected to recognize the woman, as Jesus wasn't from there. But because she showed her love to Jesus, Jesus forgave her of all she had ever done. Those who had fewer sins to be forgiven, probably like the Pharisee, wasn't particularly thankful for the forgiveness they received in their Jewish faith.
The thing that we need to realize in this day and age is that we run the same risks of the Pharisee. When you have been brought up in Christianity, you hopefully don't have a lot that you feel you need to be forgiven, so when you accept Christ as Lord, it doesn't seem like such a big deal. Someone who was a vile sinner and accepts Christ as Lord knows everything that he or she is being forgiven of, so it is a big deal to them.
The reality is that no matter how big or how small the load of sin is that you carry, any sin cuts you off from God. We must all confess and ask forgiveness for all that we have done. no matter how minor it seems in our eyes.
Everyone around Jesus who were paying attention to what was going on took offense that Jesus was claiming He could forgive sin also. Although there wasn't a huge debate at that point, I'll bet there was after Jesus left. But Simon probably didn't have a lot to say since Jesus had just read his thoughts and demonstrated a knowledge of the people around Him that could only have come from God Himself.
At any rate, Jesus told the woman to go away in peace and that her faith had saved her. Salvation has always been simple. It was simple for the woman then. It is simple for us today. But we still must make that conscious choice to accept Christ's sacrifice for ourselves. Salvation isn't automatic, although the Assembly of God takes a position that until one reaches an age where the conscience and understanding is at a level where you can understand the concepts of sin and salvation, one is covered by the grace and mercy of God.