For the past couple of months, we have been in the Gospel of Luke, looking at the life of the Lord Jesus – a REAL human
life. We are seeing that His life is the kind of life God desires for ALL human beings. Sometimes we have a hard time
reconciling the things Jesus did with things that human beings can do. Healing people with sicknesses, proclaiming
forgiveness of sin – even big hauls of fish – these are things we don’t see much in our part of the world today.
Consequently we have a hard time believing that God still does these things. And we have an especially hard time believing
that He would do those things using people like us.
Today we will be challenged a little more in our thinking. I hope and I pray often that we will all consider what God is
telling us in the Gospel of Luke – consider the truth that this is what He desires for US to bring Him glory. As we prepare
to open the Word of God, let’s ask the Spirit of God to lead us and teach us. PRAY
In Luke 6 we got an abbreviated version of the Sermon on the Mount. I encourage all of us to revisit that chapter and it’s
companion in Matthew 5, 6 and 7. Jesus lays out great insights for us human beings and how we should approach life. If
you missed any of the messages on Luke 6, please go to the website and you can listen. Today we are in Luke 7.
Luke 7:1-3. READ. MAPSISRAEL Jesus was up in northern Israel in Galilee. When He finished teaching the things we
heard in chapter 6, He went from the spot in the surrounding mountains down into Capernaum, on the coast of the Sea of
Galilee. Luke tells us about a man in that community – a Roman soldier, a centurion, the commander of a contingent of 100
men – who was dealing with the sickness of one of his valuable servants. We’re going to talk a little bit later about how
nothing that happens in Jesus’ life is an accident or coincidence. Just remember for now that Jesus didn’t just go down into
Capernaum for the heck of it.
This centurion cared about his servant. He also had a good and kind reputation among the Jewish people in Capernaum,
as we will see. This man was also, unlike many Romans, a man of true faith. He heard that Jesus was in his town, so he
asked some of the Jewish leaders to take a request to Jesus. He asked them to plead with Jesus to “come and heal his
servant.” Now the centurion already had a plan in place – he wanted Jesus to come to a point where he could see Him,
but he never actually intended to have Jesus come into His house. Let’s read on in the story.
Luke 7:4-8. READ. I think it is interesting how these Jewish leaders of Capernaum present the request from this
centurion. This guy really deserves You to heal his servant – he loves our nation AND we want to keep him happy
because he built our synagogue for us. Jesus doesn’t address the self-centeredness of the Jewish leaders. He came for a
different reason. So He starts off to the centurion’s house. But the centurion must have been watching for Him.
When Jesus came into view of the house, the centurion sent some friends out to speak to Jesus with a message. The
message from this man is amazing. His humility and understanding of God’s work are deep. Lord, You don’t need to
come IN to my house – I am not worthy that You should do that. Remember that this man is a commander of a large
group of soldiers. I’m not worthy that You should come in to my house. That’s why I didn’t even come and talk to You
myself. I understand my place in eternity.
But, Lord, just say the word and I know my servant will be healed. Look at the next statement – “For I also am a man
placed under authority…” He did NOT say “I am a man IN authority.” He recognized that he was UNDER authority of a
higher power. And he equated his position with Jesus’ position. Like You, Jesus, I am under the authority of another more
powerful entity. And in that position, I have authority over people under me. So, I know that at Your word, action is
taken. So, please, just say the word and my servant will be healed.
Notice the only response from Jesus. Luke 7:9. READ. What was it that caused the Son of God in human form to
MARVEL – the Maker of the universe to MARVEL at His creation? It was FAITH. The faith of this man caused Jesus
to marvel – to wonder – to say, if this word had been in usage – WOW! There is something that motivates me. Could I
ever cause my Maker to say WOW!? Could you?
What would it take for that to happen? The only thing Jesus points out here – the thing that made Him marvel – was this
man’s FAITH. This centurion demonstrated that he understood how authority works – Like You, Jesus, I am under
authority – I understand how You are doing these amazing things and why. You are able to use that authority to help my
servant – please help him. This man’s faith was demonstrated by his clear understanding of who Jesus was and where His
power came from – from God Himself. And Jesus points out this centurion’s “great” faith to the crowd around Him. That’
s what I’m talking about!
This is exactly what Jesus wants people to see – give control of your life to God, like I am – give control of your life to
Jesus – and allow Him to accomplish His work in you and through you by FAITH. This Roman soldier clearly sees that it
is the power of God working through Jesus the human being. Remember that Jesus is still and always will be God. But He
emptied Himself of His God abilities when He came to live on earth as a human being (Philippians 2). That does not
change who He is – He’s God. But He did not pull out those God powers to make it through human life.
Some may have a problem with that contention. After all, as Jesus sees this centurion’s faith, the servant IS healed (verse
10). That sure seems like something only GOD could do. And that’s where I think God is challenging us. We THINK
only God could do things like that – and in reality, it IS God who does it – but Jesus, a real human being, did it without
pulling out His God powers. He calls us to do the same. The reason we don’t see it may have to do with our lack of
understanding of how Jesus lived – our lack of yieldedness – our lack of belief.
Now, listen – when I say that, it may be very discouraging for many of us. “I try to give myself fully to God, but I always
mess up.” That is true of all of us. And God KNOWS that is true of all of us. God doesn’t expect perfection FROM us –
He Himself builds perfection IN us. It is by HIS power that you and I could ever live this way. And, by the way, it was by
HIS power that JESUS lived that way. He tells us that (right here in Luke 7 and in John 5:19; 12:49,50; 17:20-23). Jesus
did NOT live the way He lived by His own power – His power came from God in Him. That’s His call to US.
This shouldn’t DIScourage us, it should ENcourage us. Jesus is letting us know that living His way is POSSIBLE. So,
how do we deal with our failures, when we really try to live His way and we fall short? Two things: quit trying and give
yourself to Him as much as you know how. We cannot live the life of Jesus in our own power – by trying to live it. It is
His life, He has to live it. So, as much as we know how, as much as we see and understand and get, we believe in Him and
receive Him. Invite Him in to live His life in us.
Will we still fail? Probably. We’ll take it back periodically. But I think the more we see Jesus in action in us, the more we
will get it and the more we will want it and the more we will give ourselves to Him to prove Himself. What if the thing that
keeps us from seeing these miraculous things like we see from Jesus is merely our lack of belief? We even pray that way –
“I pray for healing of this person, BUT if You don’t want to, we’re OK with that.” Do I believe God or don’t I? God is
not obliged to do our will, but if our requests are according to His will, He PROMISES to do them. Why would we NOT
believe Him?
Let’s go on in Luke 7:11. READ. Most of your versions say, “Soon after…” The NKJV says, “Now it happened , the
day after…” The Greek words say “it happened next.” That is all kind of interesting, but the part I want to focus on is
“now it happened.” What happened next was according to God’s plan and design – and this is the same as when He went
to Capernaum – God had plans and a design for these trips. MAPSISRAEL Jesus didn’t just go to Nain and, lo and
behold, His timing couldn’t have been better – there was a funeral going on. Jesus, as we have already mentioned, was
listening to His Father, being fully devoted as much as He knew how to His Father, yielded and taking direction from His
Father – and He WENT to Nain to accomplish what the Father had designed. And it happened.
When you and I sense the leading of God to go somewhere or to do something, we ought to go and we ought to do it. No
matter what our feelings are about it, no matter what we THINK will happen. God ALREADY sees what will happen and
He knows what He wants to accomplish. God’s plans are always perfect and He works with His eternal power to make
them happen.
What a shame on us and for His plans if we ignore Him or reject Him. He will work to accomplish His plans through
someone else or in some other way, but if we ignore Him or reject Him, WE miss out on the joy and excitement of seeing
God at work in US. If Jesus is really showing us how real human life ought to be lived, we will need an adjustment of our
understanding and practice of life. It is OBVIOUSLY not the way we think it is. Jesus proves it.
Look what happens in Nain. Luke 7:12,13. READ. As Jesus arrives in Nain, the very reason He came met Him at the
gate. The adult son, the only child of a widow had died and the funeral procession was heading out, apparently, to the
graveyard. Jesus’ attention is not on the dead man, but on the widow, the mother. When He saw her, He had compassion
on her.
We have seen that word “compassion” before – several years ago. It is the Greek word “splangchnizomai.” No – I didn’t
sneeze – that’s the word. Jesus had guts for this woman – His gut churched for her pain. The Greek word is the word for
“spleen.” His heart went out to her, His guts were wrenched for her. He knew the utter and total pain of her loss in His
stomach. And then Jesus, the Creator of the Universe, the Living Word of God, spoke to her.
“Do not weep.” This is a deep sobbing of pain, not merely a stifled whimpering. His compassion – the human emotion of
deep understanding of the pain – moved Him to do what God brought Him there to do. He reached out and touched the
coffin – it was likely more an open bed – less expensive. The term “bier” is used in many versions – the contraption used
to carry the deceased. He touches this and the pallbearers stop.
Jesus had spoken to this distraught mother from compassion. He acts now from compassion. Jesus speaks to the dead
man from compassion for the man’s mother (honoring this mother who would be left completely without care). “Young
man, I say to you, arise.” What kind of faith does that take? Total – so much, in fact, that we truly don’t believe it could
happen. But it DID and it DOES. Jesus, the real human being, taking His leading as a human being from His Father,
trusted God to do what God had lead Him to do. And it happened. The young man sat up and spoke – maybe finished
the sentence he had started at the moment of his death – we don’t know. And Jesus gave the man back to his mother.
God – moving and working through the Lord Jesus has compassion on us poor human beings. Jesus spoke to this dead
man and the dead man came to life. Did Jesus pull out His God powers to do this? Go to Philippians 2:5-7 again. READ
AMPLIFIED. Let this attitude and purpose and humble mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus – let Him be your
example in humility – Who although being in essence one with God and in the form of God (possessing the fullness of the
attributes which make God God), did not think this equality with God was a thing to be eagerly grasped or retained, but
stripped Himself (of all privileges and rightful dignity), so as to assume the guise of a servant (slave), in that He became like
men and was born a human being.
Jesus stripped Himself of His use of these God abilities in order to live a true human life. He did this to fully identify with us
(study Hebrews 2:10-18).
I don’t see in the life of Jesus the necessity to pull out His God powers to raise this young man from the dead. If a human
being lives the way God intends us to live, the power comes from God Himself. He uses real human beings to accomplish
His work, giving that human being and those around him/her the opportunity to believe or not believe. God always hopes
that we will trust Him and do what He says.
Jesus COULD have come and lived the perfect, sinless, miraculous life without being human. He could have kept His God
abilities and rights. But He wanted more for US – He wanted and wants us to know and experience the reality of His life
personally – Christ in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27). What He had, He wants for us. Trusting Him as much as
we know how is how we get that kind of life.
The full devotion of Jesus to the Father, His oneness with the Father, His yieldedness to the Father, His guidance from the
Father, His FAITH in the Father is how He wants us to respond to HIM. Study John 17:20-23.
What do we think Jesus means when He says, “If anyone wants to be My disciple (follower) he must DENY himself, take
up his cross daily and follow Me.”? At the men’s Bible study on Wednesday, we are taking an in-depth look at what Jesus
says to expect if a person wants to be His disciple. And it is becoming pretty clear that it may not be as bland and cushy as
we were led to believe (“God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life…” That’s true, but that’s not the end of the
story).
The yoke of Jesus is easy and His burden is light COMPARED to living without Him. To go through life without a
relationship with Jesus the Savior is ultimately rotten and worthless and difficult and burdensome compared to the easy
yoke and the light burden of living for what you were created for.
Jesus lived out the kind of life He is calling His followers to live. He experienced difficulty – no doubt. But His life counted
for everything God intended. “This is My beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased.” Our desire as followers of Jesus is to
stand before Him and hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” But we also desire to experience His life in
us day by day – seeing His powerful work in us.
Will we heal people or raise them from the dead by our faith and our compassion? I don’t know – God knows. That’s
God’s business. We don’t go seeking to do things like that for our own reputation. But if God leads me – if God leads
you – to a circumstance where He has the opportunity to demonstrate His wonder at someone’s faith and His compassion
for the hurting, don’t you and I want to be part of that for HIS glory? May it be so – AMEN.