McDowell County

A Turning Point in Jesus’ Ministry

Reference: Luke 7:1-10

“…I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel” (Luke 7:9).

This passage of Scripture marks a turning point in the ministry of Jesus. Jesus begins to include the Gentiles—people with vastly different racial and religious backgrounds and different social standings. Jesus broke through all those barriers, all the way to a sick man’s need.

The gospel travels well across ethnic, racial, national, and religious barriers.

A certain centurion, a captain in the Roman army, had heard about Jesus’ power. And the centurion’s servant, who was dear unto him, was sick and close to death. He sent a request through some of the Jewish elders on behalf of his servant. He knew Jesus had the power to heal his servant.

Luke highlights the good relationship between the Jewish elders and the Roman centurion. This army captain delegated work daily and sent groups on missions, so this was how he chose to get his message to Jesus.

And here is the point: the Roman centurion did not come to Jesus, and he did not expect Jesus to come to him. Just as he did not need to be present to have his orders conducted, so Jesus did not need to be present to heal. The centurion captain’s faith was especially amazing because he was a Gentile who had not been brought up to know a loving God.

Centurions were Roman army officers who had tremendous authority and control, except in the areas of life that only God can control. Many things happen in life without our permission. Life is messy, and we all find ourselves struggling under the weight of uncertainty in life.

Jesus, in His sovereign knowledge, knew that the punishment He would face for our sins would be harsh and carried out to the fullest by the same system that employed the centurion. But with this knowledge, Jesus moved toward mercy and away from judgment. He acted under the same principle of grace.

Faith in Jesus cannot be based on our worthiness, efforts, or achievements. No matter what our position or past may be, we can approach Jesus, and He is enough to carry us through. Jesus is open to the voices of desperation, and He rejoices in the opportunities to see anyone redeemed. Read Ephesians 2:8-9.

The access we get through Jesus is that we are His. He has all authority. All He has to say is, “This one’s with Me.”

How many times do we ignore God’s invitation to a life of spiritual amazement and joy? We get access to God’s divine favor. We do not deserve it. We did not earn it. He just chose to give it to us.

He taught us the accent of grace. He establishes clear relationships of superiority, subordination, and structure of this world and sets a new standard for belonging and hope. This is what yielding in faith means.

When we come to Him, life becomes transcendent and unlimited in its scope. We must come to Him with our minds open to His grace to experience His power.

It is fascinating to hear the faith of the centurion. Somehow, he knew that Jesus did not need to be present to be powerful and sufficient. He could just say the word.

Somehow, the centurion knew that God could speak healing a few hundred yards away from a dying servant. The centurion reframed the situation by trusting in the power and sovereignty of Jesus.

In faith, we too should accept Jesus’ authority as a given.

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).

Faith acknowledges the authority of Jesus.

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Glenda Ward is a member of Grand View Baptist Church in McDowell County and is a Christian writer/author of “Something to Think About” – weekly Christian Articles. She finds purpose and joy in writing Church Programs & Bulletins, VBS Material, Christmas and Easter Programs, Memorials, and now expanding to include weekly articles to other churches, as well as writings to include Christian-based articles on Relationships in Marriage; all material based on the KJV of the Bible. From personal experience, I hope to set an example of how to serve a risen Savior and live by the Holy Spirit with joy. My goal is to help people partake of the better option in life to experience the transforming power that is available in Christ Jesus today. You can read more, good, Christian news from Glenda HERE.

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