Luke 7:1-10 (NRSV)
Read Luke 7:1-10 on biblegateway.com
Chapter 7After Jesus had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. Verse 2A centurion there had a slave whom he valued highly, and who was ill and close to death. Verse 3When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him, asking him to come and heal his slave. Verse 4When they came to Jesus, they appealed to him earnestly, saying, "He is worthy of having you do this for him, Verse 5for he loves our people, and it is he who built our synagogue for us." Verse 6And Jesus went with them, but when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to say to him, "Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; Verse 7therefore I did not presume to come to you. But only speak the word, and let my servant be healed. Verse 8For I also am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes, and to another, 'Come,' and he comes, and to my slave, 'Do this,' and the slave does it." Verse 9When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, he said, "I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith." Verse 10When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.
Devotion
Wouldn't it have been nice to read about an interview with the Roman centurion after his slave was healed? To hear what he might have said about Jesus? There are so many things about "the rest of the story" that it would be nice to hear. We look again at the centurion, who sends not his own soldiers, but elders of the Jews to find Jesus and ask him to come and heal his slave. His Jewish friends do as he requested and tell Jesus that this centurion is worthy of having Jesus, a Jew, help him. It is nice to have friends that speak well of us. But before Jesus gets to the home of the centurion, word comes to Jesus that the centurion does not consider himself worthy to have Jesus come to his home. Instead, he recognizes Jesus' authority, and simply asks, "Say the word and my slave will be healed." He believed the power of the Word of Jesus. We, too, can know the healing power in that Word.
Prayer
God of power and might, thank you for your powerful words in creation when you said, "Let there be...and it was so." Thank you for the Word made flesh in the person of Jesus. We thank and praise you for the gift and power of your Word. Amen.