Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying unto Him, Lord, trouble not Thyself: for I am not worthy that Thou shouldest enter under my roof: Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto Thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed. Luke 7:6,7
Oh, how it galls us when we see someone who is given a little bit of authority who needs to let everybody know how important they have become! It should also delight us when we find someone who has some authority who refuses to allow that position and power to lift themselves above the crowd. The centurion in today’s text is an admirable example of the latter. He was obviously rich, because the Jewish leaders reported that he had built a synagogue for them. He was a man who had great compassion for his servants, and was highly respected by the soldiers who answered to him. In a land where Romans were generally detested, he had earned the respect of the people, so much so that the people spoke up for him in his time of crisis. If he were among us today, he would have many friends because of his friendly approach to those around him. Best of all, he was not stuck up, and was willing to take a low place before the Lord Jesus. We could learn from such a man.
The centurion could see clearly two important things: firstly his own unworthiness to presume on the Lord Jesus, and secondly the ability of the Lord Jesus to supply his urgent need. How clearly do we see these things today? How truly do we confess that the presence of the Lord Jesus in our gatherings is not something that we deserve or have earned in any way. We do have the authority of Scripture to claim His presence. But that is based on His promise and not on our qualification. Is it possible that we can feel just a little bit proud that His presence is with us and not with some other folks? The attitude of the centurion was that he was not worthy for the Lord Jesus to enter His presence. In fact, he felt unworthy to even approach the Lord Jesus. Such humility is deeply touching, but it should be the same with us. If we were to grasp just how unworthy we are to have Him in our presence, and to grasp the greatness of the One Who desires to meet with us, the level of reverence in our meetings would rise significantly. Even our daily approach to our Lord would be with a deeper sense of awe and reverence that would be evident in our lives.
The centurion was not only filled with humility, he was also filled with confidence in the ability and the willingness of the Lord Jesus to fill his need. He acknowledged that all that was required was the word of the Lord. There was no hint of doubt or any question of failure. His need was great, but he was confident that the need would be met. He expected no less than a full healing of his servant because he appreciated the power of the Healer. Such an uncluttered trust in the Lord is what we need to cultivate.
Just like the centurion, we do not see the Lord Jesus with our eyes. But we can receive the blessing of His presence and power by humbly bowing before Him and trusting in His power and grace. – Jim MacIntosh