Welcome to Hank’s Place –
Jesus is AMAZING. Did you know someone amazed Jesus? There are 7 Greek words that can be translated amazed or astonished, and Luke uses every one of them. The shepherds were amazed, Joseph and Mary were amazed, the people in Jesus’ hometown and many others.
But in Luke 7 Jesus Himself is amazed. In Capernaum a nameless Roman soldier is a preliminary convert to Judaism, kindly and generous toward the Jews. The elders tell Jesus he is worthy for Him to grant his request for the healing of his servant, for he has done all the right things – he is worthy and deserves any favor. The Centurion has a right to expect something.
It is not arrogance, it is simply the way the system works. Jesus goes with the elders, but it appears the centurion has had second thoughts and decides Jesus didn’t need to come to the house after all. “Just say the word and my slave will be healed,” he says in vs 7. Then the Roman soldier speaks on the theme of authority, how he has it and recognizes that Jesus does too.
But wait! There is something incredible stated in verse 6: “I do not deserve to have you come under my roof” the soldier says. But in vs 4 the elders had said the man deserves this. But the Roman simply says I do NOT deserve this. And Jesus is amazed. Lu 7:9.
What kind of faith is this that so amazes Jesus? The Jewish community did not have it. I believe it was the soldier’s readiness to ask for what he acknowledges that he does not deserve. The soldier understands that God is more loving than he has a right to expect. So amazing — although he is doing all the right things according to the elders, the soldier acknowledges he is still undeserving —confessing he was not worthy, yet still having the confidence and boldness to ask Jesus to do it anyway.
The way we respond then to the God of lovingkindness is to boldly ask Him for what we do not deserve, and then to standby and confidently wait for Him to be amazed.
Put another way, as we come to understand God’s lovingkindness we will have a growing confidence that He is delighted to GIVE us His blessings. Like the centurion, our attitude will become, “just say the word…”
God is more loving than you or I have a right to expect. TODAY – ask Jesus, the God of lovingkindness, for something you do not deserve – for yourself, for someone else, and stand by in confidence for Jesus to be amazed – in the experience, you – COME ALIVE!
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