The
account opens by noting that after the sermon
Jesus came into Capernaum. A centurion there has
a slave who is near death. A centurion was a
soldier in Herod Antipas's army who commanded
about one hundred men. As a mercenary, he might
serve as a tax soldier or a policeman. Only Luke
notes that he is a Gentile; but he is not a
Roman, since the Romans did not enter such
military roles until A.D. 44. He is
probably what Luke calls elsewhere a
"God-fearer," a Gentile who does not yet fully
identify with Israel but does respect the God of
Judaism....
The centurion has heard about Jesus and his
miracle-working power. So he sends Jewish elders
on his behalf. The action is culturally
sensitive: not knowing Jesus personally and
recognizing that he is of Jewish heritage, the
soldier sends representatives of Jesus' own
ethnic background to plead his case. There is no
demand made of Jesus, only a request.
This event allows Luke to show that Jews and
Gentiles can get along--a message of ethnic
cooperation that would be revolutionary in
ancient times, just as it is today. We can only
imagine the impact if the whole church were able
to visibly show how Christ leads us to respect
ethnic diversity and to work together
across ethnic lines.
With the elders' request comes a character
endorsement. They assert that the centurion is
worthy to receive the benefits of Jesus' work.
This is the one time in the New Testament that
the term "worthy" (axios) is used to
describe a person positively, rather than a
group (NIV renders this term in the phrase
deserves to have you do this). This soldier
supports the nation and has built a synagogue.
Here is a man of means and generosity. Roman
support for synagogues is well known, since they
believed it promoted order and morality in the
community (Josephus Antiquities 16.6.2
162-65; 19.6.3 299-311).
So Jesus reaches across racial and social
boundaries and begins to travel with these
elders; but then a second wave of
representatives appears. They end up commending
Jesus by explaining that the soldier does not
feel worthy to have Jesus enter his home. The
teacher need not trouble himself with a journey
to the soldier's home. Here Luke reveals the
depth of the centurion's humility, despite the
elders' estimation of the man as worthy. The
remark also recalls Peter's humble attitude in
5:8. Others recognize the centurion's character;
he does not carry his own banner. Even so,
before Jesus, who is worthy? This text, like
Jesus' earlier exchange with Peter, shows that
God honors such humility.
The centurion also understands authority, so
he adds that Jesus can exercise his authority
anywhere. The centurion knows what it is to be
under authority and to issue commands
like "Go," "Come" and "Do this."
If such authority works for a soldier, surely it
works for Jesus. He knows that Jesus' authority
is all that is needed to produce healing.
Jesus reacts emotionally (this is one of the
few places where Luke records Jesus' emotion):
he is amazed. Jesus is said to be amazed
only here, in Matthew's parallel account (Mt
8:10) and in Mark 6:6, where he is astonished at
unbelief. Jesus turns and issues his
commendation: "I have not found such great
faith even in Israel!" The statement is like
a neon light. Here is faith that should be
emulated. Here is trust, confidence, rest in the
authority of God and awareness of his plan. The
Jewish nation, and all others, can learn from
this outsider. Aware of Jesus' authority, the
centurion has committed the well-being of his
beloved slave into Jesus' hands. Jesus commends
the centurion's humility and his understanding
of Jesus' authority: such faith is exemplary.
Returning home, the messengers find the slave
healthy. The request has been granted, the slave
restored. Jesus' commendation must resonate even
more powerfully as they contemplate the miracle.
Surely if such faith is possible outside of
Israel, it can happen anywhere. Furthermore, it
is clear that Jesus possesses a unique
authority: he does not need to be physically
present to bring about what he wills.
