Jesus and the  Centurion 
(Luke 7:1-19 w/ ref to Mat 8:5-13)

[HAVE THEM READ THE PASSAGE IN LUKE]

It's important to realize that this passage reveals to us the character of BOTH Jesus AND the cent; we can learn from what Luke tells us about them both. 

1ST: WHAT DOES THIS PASSAGE TELL US ABOUT THE CENTURION? 
	What WAS a cent? LIT TRANS meant "commander of a hundred" although these centuries or companies actually numbered anywhere from 50 to 100 men in the command. A somewhat comparable rank now would be an Army Company Commander, typically a Captain. However, where we often think of a Captain as a "young" man, the nature of the Roman Legions was that this was often a career position held for a lifetime. The historian Polybius listed the qualifications required in a Centurion: they must not be so much seekers after danger as "men who can command, steady in action, and reliable; they ought not to be over anxious to rush into the fight; but when hard pressed they must be ready to hold their ground and die at their posts". They were to be men of integrity and character. Every other mention of Centurions shows the same thing, too (Luke 23:47; Acts 10:22; 22:26; 23:17, 23; 24:23; 27:1, 43). 
	This Centurion was a gentile (obviously). He may have been seconded to serve w/ the forces of Herod Antipas or there may have been a detachment of Legionaires in Capernaum. He may have been a Roman, although there were Centurions of other races in the Roman Legions, too. 

v2 - "...a servant...who was dear..."; The lit trans of servant is "bond-servant" also trans "slave". Matthew used the Gr word pais which can also be trans as "boy", so perhaps this was a young servant child of the houshold. "Dear" is better trans as "held in honor" or "esteemed" from the Gr word entimos (sounds like intimate?). Although some commentators have pointed out that the word could just imply the servant was "valuable" like a really expensive piece of furniture - NOT LIKELY given the lengths this Centurionwas willing to go to save him. 
	Interesting point: Luke, the physician, does NOT spend any time describing the particular dz killing this servant, although Matthew does in Mt 8. To the Doctor what mattered in this case was that this illness was CLEARLY GONNA KILL that servant; this weren't no dz that had "spontaneous resolution" as one of it's characteristics. Also, the immediate clinical condition would have mattered more to him, that the servant was in extremis, literally just about to die, in the final agonal stages of what ever the disease was. NO ROUTINE HUMAN MEDICAL INTERVENTION WAS GOING TO MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE; this poor wretch was beyond any human hope of recovery, and I believe that grieved this man, this centurion. 

v3 - "...heard of Jesus..."; NO KIDDING he had "heard" of Jesus! He was the official military representative of Imperial Rome; He was held PERSONALLY responsible for KEEPING THE PEACE in one of the most disruptive, rebellious and constantly in turmoil regions of the Empire! Jesus was DEFINITLY going to be the subject of MUCH investigation, research and discussion among the peace-keepers of Judea. It is overwhelmingly likely that the Centurion was constantly seeking and receiving reports on Jesus activities. The Centurion probably had better documentation and more eye-witness confirmation of Jesus miracles than ANYONE ELSE, ESP since his AOR, Capernaum, was Jesus chosen home ground. 
	Try to imagine his growing interest and then amazement as report after report came in of what Jesus was doing AND saying. First seen with healthy military skepticism, explaining away the early reports as hysterical inaccuracies and exagerations. BUT FINALY, after a constant stream of intel, complete w/ corroberating testimony, this Centurion KNEW Jesus was MORE than just another potential problem for the Empire, threatening the peace w/ delusions of grandure and ravings of messiah-ship. OH YES! This Centurion would know of "messiah" and the promises held by his population. REMEMBER, he had been there for quite some time, certainly long enough to 1ST gain a deep and abiding and genuine love for his "subjects", THEN enough longer to gain THEIR genuine abiding respect and admiration. REMEMBER! These are NOT a people who would EVER give their conquerers the time of day OR the sweat off their brows. They were TRUELY a stiff-necked people. Sullen suspicious and READY to hate, this centurion managed to gain a REAL and COMPLETE affection FROM this people. In order to do this he HAD to really KNOW these people, WHO they were, and therefore WHAT they believed. And in DOING so he gained SUCH a deep respect for WHO they believed in that he built their synagog with HIS OWN money. 
	It is never made clear that he in fact was a worshipper of the true God, but a man would scarcely have done all he did to build their synagogue without some interest in the God who is worshipped there; he clearly was NOT a man of hard ice-cold cynicism seeking to bribe or appease the "natives" by doing what he did, such a man would never have done all the rest of this story. Some have thought he was a "god-fearer", one who worshipped God but declined to officially convert to Judaism. SO MAKE NO MISTAKE, HE KNEW WHAT IT MEANT TO CLAIM TO BE MESSIAH, AND EVEN MORE SO TO PROVE IT. 
	The Centurion NEVER before NOR EVER AFTER ever met Jesus; HE NEVER HAD TO. BUT WHAT HE DID KNOW WAS ENOUGH ABOUT JESUS TO MAKE A DECISION ABOUT WHO HE WAS AND WHAT HE COULD DO; The centurion's intel reports were HIS "gospel", HIS accurate and true revelation of the NATURE of Jesus revealed in the ACTIONS of Jesus.
	"...sent some elders of the Jews..."; Here he was the most powerful man by right of military force in the country side and he ASKS them. WHY? 
	He did not "order" Jesus to come, he ASKED; What does this say about this man? 

v4 - KJV "...besought him instantly..."; better trans of "instantly" is "pressingly", see other trans; THEY were not acting out of fear or concern for themselves, but for the centurion! Their own sense of urgency is testimony to his character! 
	"he is worthy"; Why would the cent NEED such an indorsement? Because in that day and time, no self-respecting Jew would have ANYTHING to do with one of their conquerors; ESP a "religious" Jew, at least in the general public opinion; (Mt 15:23-28 and the Caananite women: dogs and crumbs); 

v5 - they give Jesus 2 reasons for their endorsement: 1st, he loves our nation, and 2nd, HE built us our synagogue; the Gr "HE" is emphatic, as in HE HIMSELF, at HIS own expense; it wasn't done with public $'s in some political goodwill gesture; 

v6 - SO, Jesus "went", better trans as "was going" or "was on His way" there when the 2nd messengers met Him; WHY? Perhaps he realized that a religious Jew would have scruples about entering the house of a gentile, filled with potential unclean, contaminating things that would require a pious Jew to be kept out of the Temple for days while undergoing ritual cleansing; These messengers are "friends" now, not civic leaders; men who would have been waiting w/ him in his vigil over the dying servant; This centurion was a man who could inspire such loyalty and personal commitment; 
	This is genuine humility, a genuine acknowledgement of Jesus moral superiority over him;

v7 - "say the word", He did not see it as necessary for Jesus to be present in person in order to effect the cure; lit trans "speak with a word" meaning he regarded the word as the instrument whereby Jesus purpose could be effected; No fancy razz-ma-tazz, waving the arms or jumping about; JUST THE EXPRESSION OF WILL was ALL Jesus needed and the cent KNEW THAT! The Gr used an imperative mood better trans a more graphic and powerful "...and let my servant be healed"; The word "healed" is a medical term, NOT "be treated" but meaning complete and absolute restoration of total health; 

v8 - KJV "a man set under authority"; The sense of the Gr indicates something operating dailey, and the  sent is describing not his appointed position so much as his daily course of life; ; a better paraphrase would be: I know how to obey, being myself under authority; and I know how others obey, having soldiers under me. If then I, in my subordinate station of command, am obeyed, how much more YOU, who are over all, and whom diseases serveas their master..." [AMP is better trans; read it]; 
	The cent is acknowledging that Jesus power is above him; He does NOT call Jesus the messiah, we never find out just WHAT the cent though Jesus to be; although it appears that he thought Jesus to be more than a man; the order of the words in the Gr may imply "For I also, a man (as compared to you), am set under authority, having soldiers under myself..."; 

v8 - "Jesus marvelled at him"; Only twice is Jesus recorded as marvelling at people, HERE because of faith, and in Nazareth because of unbelief (Mk 6:6); What did He DO? He turned, and He prefaced w/ "I tell you..."; This isn't so much a criticism of Israel as it is praise of the cent, because the implication is that Jesus DID find faith in Israel, just not a great as the cent; 
	Was it a "saving" faith? I don't think so; 
	crucial issue seen in this account: Jesus did not criticize the centurion for not acknowledging His Messiaship, He rather rewarded the centurians faith in what he DID know, in what he DID see; the Centurion responded to the light he had been given, and Jesus rewarded that with more light of revelation;