When God Says …
“Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof: wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed.” (Luke 7:6-7 KJV).We have here in these passages a Roman centurion asking the Lord Jesus Christ to heal his sick servant, a gentile of faith and humility. He, being well aware of the Jewish custom not to associate with gentiles, asks the Lord not come and enter his house. He recognized and believed he is unworthy. This is an out of the ordinary display of attitude in a Roman officer to a citizen of an occupied land. Usually, they show power and control over their occupied subjects with arrogance. Here, he accorded the Lord with honor and respect by subjecting himself not worthy to be visited by the Lord. He requests that the Lord Jesus only speak the word to heal. This shows the centurion's profound respect for Jewish customs, deep sense of humility, and extraordinary faith in the Lord’s authority and power to heal by His word alone. This would be a faith that amazes even the Lord Jesus Christ.
Considering his gentile ethnicity and being exposed to their pagan religion, as a Roman, with so many gods and worships images of mythical beings, this officer’s expression of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is indeed amazing. He believes the Lord can heal his dying slave even from afar. He believes that the Lord can compress distance. He believes in the Lord’s omnipresence. A gentile man believes that there’s nothing that God cannot do. Yes, that’s how he looked at the Lord Jesus Christ. He is God Almighty!
This is a challenge for us children of God in Christ Jesus to stay settled in the Lord's grace, and most especially to those who have not receive the Lord like this Roman officer. Yes, especially those who are held captive by religions of many gods, that even worship images crafted by human hands, like this Roman officer. This man, having able to disengage from the captivity of his religion and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, is worthy to emulate. It is, therefore, time to believe by coming to the Lord Jesus Christ. Recognize that there is nothing hard for the Lord, which God Himself declared to Abraham, who is our father through grace. It is written, the Lord declares to the aging Abraham and Sarah their promised son: “Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.”” (Genesis 18:14 ESV).
And I say, AMEN!
Daily reflections by:
F. A. Frias
PFC Ministries
When God says... I say, AMEN! is a provocative reflection of the Lord's holy Word. It intends to challenge every seeker of truth to dig deep into the core of the Word of Life to point every being to Christ Jesus - the author and finisher of our faith, and to draw revelations for change, for nourishment and for strength of every soul.
Partners For Christ Ministries, INC
P. O. Box 773716
Ocala, FL 34477
Touching lives in Cambodia, The Philippines, The Middle East, The USA, and... other countries.
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