The Life of Christ

LESSON 7

SECTION 73

Lk. 7:2 And a certain centurion’s slave, who was highly regarded by him, was sick and about to die.

• According to Mt. 8:5 what we are about to read took place in Capernaum.

A centurion was a Gentile Roman officer stationed in Israel in charge of between 60-160 soldiers; the average number was about 80.

• Israelites didn’t serve in the military; they just paid taxes to help pay the Roman soldiers for protection.

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His slave was sick and about to die.

• Matthew’s account adds that he was paralyzed and in great pain (Mt. 8:6).

• This centurion probably had many slaves, but verse 2 notes that this particular slave was highly regarded by him.

• We note the relationship between “faith” and “love.” Gal. 5:6 speaks of “faith working by love.” The more we love someone the more faith we naturally generate for their welfare.

Lk. 7:3 And when he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders asking Him to come and save the life of his slave.

Luke’s account indicates that the centurion sent Jewish elders.

• In Matthew’s account it appears that he went himself (Mt. 8:5).

• In essence, the Luke account provides a more accurate picture; the centurion having approached Jesus by proxy using Jewish elders.

• Luke, being a Gentile, notes this because he best understood how the centurion, also a Gentile, would feel particularly unworthy to approach Jesus, not being a Jew, himself.

• Matthew, not being a Gentile ignores this fact and makes it appear as if the centurion, himself, approached Jesus. In the Jewish culture that is what has just happened.

• Matthew knows that in the ancient world a messenger sent on someone’s behalf was seen as equal to speaking to the person directly (much like an ambassador or press secretary speaks for the president today). 24 The main point being, this centurion felt so unworthy before Jesus that he dared not make the request himself; in his thinking, it would be more effective and respectful to have Jewish elders speak on his behalf.

24 Wilkins and Moreland, Jesus Under Fire (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1995), 85.

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