Denis Fortin

Dean and Professor of Theology

Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary

Devotional presented at the

General Conference Spring Meeting, Andrews University, April 6, 2008

One of the most beautiful sites around the sea of Galilee is the village of Capernaum.  Christians know much about Capernaum, this little fishing village that also served as a sort of headquarters for Jesus.

Jesus began his ministry in Capernaum and it seems that he was quite welcome there.  The gospel of Mark begins with Jesus visiting this village soon after his retreat of 40 days in the wilderness.  At that time he called his first disciples: Peter and his brother Andrew, and James and John, the sons of Zebedee.

Mark also tells us in that first chapter that one Sabbath, may be even the first one Jesus spent in Capernaum, he attended the services in the synagogue.  A beautiful synagogue that likely overshadowed many surrounding buildings.  Archaeologists and Israeli authorities have partly rebuilt it and it remains one of the best sites to visit around the sea of Galilee.  Any one who has visited Capernaum has been impressed by its synagogue.  This is one of those sites where thoughtful tourists wish to spend some quality time without being hurried by the tour guides, where one wishes simply to sit still for a few minutes and be immersed in deep thoughts, reading a few stories of the gospels, meditating, imagining.

That Sabbath Jesus got up, read a passage of Scripture, and taught the people.  We are told that the people “were amazed at his teaching; for he was teaching them as one having authority, not as the scribes” (Mk 1:22).  But as he was teaching a man with an unclean spirit started to challenge him.  “What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth?  Have you come to destroy us?  I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”  And Jesus rebuked the evil spirit.  No doubt, this was a Sabbath service to remember.  People were amazed and the news spread like wildfire to the nearby towns.

After the service, Peter invited Jesus to his house.  And there he found Peter’s mother-in-law sick with a fever.  Jesus healed her.  And the news about Jesus the miracle worker spread again even more to nearby towns.

As soon as the Sabbath was over that evening, people began to arrive with their sick relatives and friends, seeking Jesus.  Mark tells us the whole city gathered at the door of Peter’s house waiting to see Jesus.  “And he healed many who were ill with various diseases, and cast out many demons” (Mk 1:34).

Capernaum: the village where Jesus began to change the world.

We are told that one day, not too far from Capernaum, Jesus sat down on a hill with many, if not hundreds, of his disciples and he began to teach them.  As one with authority, Jesus spoke about a way of life that sounded unusual to many.  “Blessed are the poor in spirit for they shall inherit the kingdom of heaven.”  “You are the salt of the earth.”  “You are the light of the world.”  “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.”  “Do not judge, and you will not be judged.”  “Enter through the narrow gate.”

And then he concluded his sermon on the mount with a simple illustration.

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?  Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.  But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed and the ruin of that house was great.” (Lk 6:46-49).

Once he completed his teaching, Jesus and his disciples headed for nearby Capernaum.

And there they had some sort of an encounter with a foreigner that left Jesus amazed and almost speechless.  And the lessons gained from this encounter are, I believe, something we can greatly benefit from.

There are two synoptic accounts of this story.  I’ll start with the one in Matthew (8) and end with the one in Luke (7).

Matthew tells us that “when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, imploring Him, and saying, ‘Lord, my servant [boy] is lying paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented’” (8:5-6).

1. The servant boy and the centurion

We don’t know much about this centurion nor about his servant.

The word used to refer to the servant indicates that this person was a boy not a grown up person.  How did this boy come to be a servant or slave of the centurion, we don’t know.  But somehow this centurion liked this servant and felt sorry to see him in pain and suffering.  Given the custom of the time to not worry much about the lives of servants and slaves, the reaction of the Centurion is commendable and unusual, particularly coming from a Roman officer, since Roman officers were not known for their interest in the sanctity of life.  It is likely, given where this story happens, that this young servant may have been a Jew, perhaps an orphan the Centurion had bought or hired as a servant.

There is a vague parallel between this story and the story of Naaman, the commander of the army of the king of Syria.  He also had a young slave, a girl, who told him about the prophet Elisha and how God could heal him though the prophet.  It’s interesting to note how young people in servitude, people of insignificance in the eyes of men, were used by God to touch the lives of foreigners.

Somehow the centurion heard about Jesus and all the miracles he had done in Capernaum and surrounding towns.  And he thought Jesus could certainly heal his servant boy.  He was right in his assessment of the situation.

So, according to Matthew’s account, he came to Jesus and implored him to heal the boy.  Something Jesus was more than willing to do.

We don’t know much either about this centurion.  A centurion was a military leader responsible for a company of 100 soldiers.  Hence we can infer that there was likely a Roman military base nearby.

Luke’s account of the story adds that the religious leaders in Capernaum thought very well of this man.  Although a centurion, and therefore a representative of the hated Roman occupation, one who could likely abuse civil and human rights with impunity, this man was a believer in the true God, the God of Israel, and had contributed generously to the building of the synagogue in Capernaum.  And thus he was well regarded by the synagogue and villages leaders.

In fact, not only did they speak well of this centurion, they also thought him to be worthy of Jesus’ attention because of his generosity.  “He is worthy for You to grant this to him; for he loves our nation and it was he who built us our synagogue” (Luke 7:4-5).

I’m not sure how Jesus felt about this reason for a miracle because we are not told.  It seems that Jesus performed miracles and attended to people’s needs regardless of whether they were worthy of his attention or not.  But still I’m wondering: Can anyone be worthy of God’s intervention in their lives?  Can anyone deserve God’s miraculous actions?  Can anyone earn God’s favor?  How much money should someone give to the church or to some charities in order to be considered worthy by God to do a miracle for her or her family?

Somehow our idea of God is cheapened and degraded if we think we can buy his services.  If we go along with this reasoning, the centurion must have been very worthy because the miracle asked for was not even for a member of his own immediate family; it was for a slave boy.

In any case, regardless of what Jesus thought of the leaders’ reasoning and motivations for this request, He decided to go along and to heal this servant boy.  In Matthew’s account Jesus said to the centurion, ‘I will come and heal him’” (8:5-7).

What happened next is likely why this story is in the Bible.

2. No Need to Come Into My House

According to Matthew, when the Centurion saw that Jesus was on his way to his house to heal the boy he interrupted Jesus’ walk.

The centurion said, “Lord, I am not worthy for you to come under my roof, but just say a word and my servant will be healed” (Matthew 8:8).

Whatever the synagogue rulers may have said about this centurion fades away when Jesus hears what the centurion thinks.  While they all thought the centurion deserved this act of kindness and mercy from Jesus, the centurion did not think it necessary for Jesus to bother himself with coming into his house because he did not feel worthy of or fit for Jesus’ visit.

We are not too sure of the reasons why the centurion did not think Jesus should visit his house.  Perhaps being a good proselyte he understood that an observant Jew should not come into the house of an unbeliever for this would defile a Jew.  Although Jesus did not seem to mind visiting the home of an unbeliever, perhaps the centurion did think about Jesus’ reputation and preferred that he not come.

And here is where Luke’s account of this conversation becomes more poignant.  While Matthew says the centurion himself came to plead with Jesus for his servant boy’s healing, Luke tells us that the centurion sent the village elders to plead with Jesus on his behalf.  But when the centurion heard that Jesus was on his way to his house, he got a little bit anxious and sent another messenger and this time told Jesus that he need not come himself.

Here’s Luke’s account: “Now Jesus started on His way with the [Jewish elders]; and when He was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to Him, ‘Lord, do not trouble Yourself further, for I am not worthy for You to come under my roof; for this reason I did not even consider myself worthy to come to You, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed.  For I also am a man placed under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it’” (Luke 7:6-8).

Now, this to me is an amazing response to Jesus’ willingness to come personally, physically, to heal the servant boy.

The centurion does not think Jesus needs to come personally; a word from Jesus will suffice.

Isn’t this strange, indeed very strange?

The gospels relate so many stories of people absolutely wanting to see Jesus in order to receive a special blessing from him.

Zaccheus climbed a sycamore tree to have a better view of Jesus passing by.

The woman with the issue of blood only needed to barely touch the hem of his garment to be healed.

And Jairus, the synagogue leader, when his daughter died, he didn’t mind Jesus entering his house to resurrect his daughter.

Bartimeaus asked to be brought to Jesus so Jesus could make him see again.

The mothers brought their children to Jesus so he could bless them.

The friends of the paralyzed man brought him on a stretcher, opened up a roof and lowered the man right in front of Jesus so Jesus could heal him.

The Pharisees asked to see a live miracle from Jesus so they could believe in him.

But this Centurion, this nameless foreigner from a despised ethnic group, thought it best to not trouble Jesus with his request.  Jesus did not have to come into his house.

Clearly, this centurion had not heard of the message to Laodicea and Jesus’ recommendation to these lukewarm people.  “Behold, I stand at the door and knock,” says Jesus, “if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with me” (Rev 3:20).

The Centurion is no Laodicean.

You see, the Centurion understood something about Jesus that others had not yet understood.

While many other people wanted Jesus to heal them and came to see him; this centurion had grasped that it is not Jesus’ presence but Jesus’ word that matters most.  So strong was the faith of this centurion that it saw no need for the presence of the miracle worker.

While all the people in Capernaum thought Jesus had a lot of authority since he taught so well the ways of God and performed so many great and wonderful miracles, only the Centurion understood what that truly meant.  One with authority does not need to oversee himself the execution of his wishes.  His word and command are sufficient.  “Go!” and the servant goes.  “Come!” and the servant comes.  “Do this” and he does it.  That’s all that’s needed from someone who has great authority.

The Centurion understood that Jesus was different from any other man, that he was even superior to him in authority.

If he as a Roman military officer could get soldiers and slaves to do his wishes and knew that his wishes would be well executed, well, Jesus who has a superior authority did not even need to ask someone to do something for him, he could simply say the word and it would be done.  Just like that!  And one did not need a lot of imagination to understand this.

You see what people within Jesus’ own community of faith had not seen or figured out, the Roman Centurion had.  He understood where Jesus’ authority and power came from.  And it came from a place far superior to his own.

Jesus was startled by such a response.

“Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled at [the Centurion], and turned and said to the crowd that was following Him, ‘I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith’” (Luke 7:9).

3. The challenge of a “great faith”

I am challenged by this story.  You see Jesus states that the Centurion’s faith in him is a “great faith.”  Not just an ordinary faith, but a “great faith.”

Sometimes, in my moments of weakness, I wonder if I have a simple faith at all.  And now, in this story, I’m challenged to have a “great faith.”  Would it be alright for me to simply have an ordinary faith?  Do I need to have a “great faith”?

In our Adventist religious life and experience, we often turn to Jesus’ message to Laodicea as an exhortation to greater faith and a more committed relationship with Jesus.  We are exhorted to let Jesus come into our lives, to open the door of our hearts and minds, to let him come and abide in us.  We imagine our lives in constant contact with Jesus.  We imagine what it would be like to live with Jesus and to follow him on the dusty trails of Galilee.  To take a walk with him like the disciples of Emmaus did.  Oh, to be with Jesus!  And that’s all very good, I hope!

But comes along this Roman Centurion, this foreigner, who, according to Jesus, understands better than anyone else before him what it really means to have faith in God and he is said to have a great faith because he asked Jesus not to come in.

And according to this story, to have faith, GREAT faith, in God is to believe that God can do something without any evidence for it.  Great faith does not need to have Jesus come into his house in order to perform a miracle.  The miracle can happen without Jesus being present.

According to the Centurion Jesus does not need to be seen, felt, or even heard, in order to believe in his power and authority to change lives.

The Centurion believed that Jesus had power to heal; he recognized the Lord’s independence of any outward means as the channels of his saving power.  There was no need, he felt, of the outstretched hand, the healing touch; no need of the Lord’s physical presence; the word of power, spoken at a distance, could heal his servant.  The disease would go away at the Lord’s word; demons would flee at his command; angels would do his bidding; his simple word was all that was needed.

In fact, the Centurion believes that all Jesus needs to do is simply say a word, from far away, and the life of his servant boy will be transformed.  The Centurion does not need to personally hear this word.  But he knows that if the servant boy gets well it is because Jesus has spoken the word.

Now this is amazing.  This foreigner, this Roman Centurion teaches us that faith is displayed when one asks Jesus not to come into our house.  And I wonder why?  I’d like Jesus to come for a visit.  Wouldn’t you?

This Centurion challenges us modern people who need evidences in the power of God before we fully believe in him.  “Prove to me that the Bible is true” some will say.  “Show me that your faith is relevant” says another.  Modern people need evidences before believing.  They want to see and touch.  And comes along this Centurion and he says “I don’t need this.  All that’s needed is for Jesus to say a word and I don’t even need to hear it.  As long as he says it that’s fine with me.”

So for those of us who need everything well ordered and neat, who need to know the destination before the journey begins, who need a measure of success before starting a new enterprise, the Centurion says it is enough to rely on Jesus’ word.  That’s all that’s really needed.

This story also challenges the postmoderns among us who accept a measure of relativism and think that one’s faith is no better or worse, or different, or whatever from someone else’s.  Postmoderns who think everything is the same in the spiritual realm.  You see in Jesus’ estimation of spiritual and religious matters, there is some categorization of faith.  Not all faith is the same according to Jesus.  To some he said, “Oh, ye of little faith.”  To others he said “Go in peace, thy faith has been thee whole.”  To some he talked about faith the size of a mustard seed.  To others he said “I have never seen such great faith in Israel.”

Not every expression of religious devotion is the same according to Jesus.  Some are better than others.  Some are weak, some are great.  And this Centurion had a great faith.

And Luke concludes the story:  “When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health” (Luke 8:10).

From my visit to Israel eight years ago, I remember two noteworthy historical sites in Capernaum: the beautiful synagogue and what is traditionally thought to have been Peter’s house.  And all the tourists visit these two sites; take zillion photos, and then go home.

But I’m thinking about another house in Capernaum.  Think about it for a moment.  The Centurion’s house could have become a place of pilgrimage and devotion, a tourist attraction, if he had let Jesus come to his house.  But his great faith did not need a visit from Jesus.

His sense of unworthiness was a sign to Jesus that he was a true believer.

A sense of unworthiness is a sign of worth.  “He that is furthest from self is nearest to the Lord” someone said.  This Centurion, according to Augustine, while thinking himself unworthy that the Lord should enter his house, was accounted worthy that the Lord should enter his heart.

Luke’s account places this story of the Centurion’s faith and trust in Jesus’ word immediately after the end of the Sermon on the Mount and Jesus’ exhortation about building one’s life on the words of Jesus.

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?  Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built” (Luke 6:46-48).

Luke’s point is that this Centurion exhibits what Jesus was talking about.  The Centurion had already built his house on the rock.  He already believed in Jesus with all his heart.

In that house, in the Centurion’s house, Jesus did not need to come in because he was already there in the foundation.

That’s what amazed Jesus.

The Centurion’s great faith and unwavering trust in Jesus’ word challenges me to hear the word of Jesus and to let it become the foundation of my house, of my faith, of my life.

The Centurion had got it right.  And I wonder when Laodiceans will get the point.