Faith of a Centurion

April 14, 2024 Background Scripture: Luke 7: 1 -10 Lesson Passage: Luke 7:1 -10 "Say the word, and my servant will be healed." That was a centurion's request of Jesus. A centurion was a military leader for the Roman Empire. The title, or position, suggests he was a leader over a squadron of one hundred soldiers. A centurion is the focus of our lesson scripture. His reputation, as described in the Lesson Passage, suggests that he was what we today would refer to as a "people person". Although he had a large squadron and was the top security officer in the area, he had won the respect of the local Jewish community for his humanitarian work. It was reported to Jesus that this centurion had built a synagogue for the Jews. Respecting a person's religious beliefs and practices by providing a meeting place for them is a notable act of charity. But we also see his compassion for a servant of his who has fallen ill. Jesus' reputation as a healer had spread such that even Gentiles were aware of it. Upon hearing that a Jewish prophet named Jesus was healing the sick, the centurion sent a delegation of Jewish elders to find Jesus and beg Him to come and heal his servant. When the elders came to Jesus, their respect for the centurion showed in that they begged Jesus to come and heal the servant. They told Jesus that the centurion was worthy of the request because of the kindness he had shown to the local Jewish community. In the words of the elders, the centurion "loves our nation". Jesus agreed to follow them to the centurion's house. As they approached, the centurion sent some friends to ask Jesus not to come under his roof because he did not see himself as worthy of such a visit. Perhaps the Jews taught him that it was not lawful for a Jew to enter a Gentile's house. So, he sent this request to Jesus, "Say the word, and my servant will be healed." He explained his request as a person with authority over others. As a person of authority, he could give orders to others to go or to come, and they would comply because of his position of authority. The centurion expected Jesus' words to be obedient to Him. Jesus did not have to go or to come because His words would do that for Him. Jesus was amazed at the centurion's analysis of His divine power over words. That centurion believed Jesus could do whatever He wanted to do simply by speaking it into existence. I don't know if it was divine revelation or he had been taught this by the Jews, but his statements were theologically sound! God said, "I watch over My word to perform it." God also said, "I will send My word and it will accomplish what I sent it to do. It will not return to Me void." The centurion did not feel worthy of Jesus' presence in his house. He just wanted Jesus to demonstrate the power of healing by speaking the word from a distance. Jesus said He had not seen this type of faith among the Jews—yet they were the recipients of the word of God that declared God's power over His words. Jesus responded to the centurion's faith by healing his servant without entering the house. Today, we have the entire Bible. It is filled with God's words and His promises. We have it because God has sent His word into this world for us. The word of God is not to replace God's presence but rather to draw us nearer to Him. Spiritual growth begins when we understand that God's word is filled with promise and power. We embrace it by heeding it and living according to the precepts and promises of it. If God said it, we embrace it because His word will not return to Him without accomplishing what He sent it to do. Robert C. Hudson 4, 2024

The Resurrection: Key to Faith

March 31, 2024 Background Scripture: Mark 16 Lesson Passage: Mark 16:1 - 8 In my opinion, there is nothing that sets Judaism and Christianity apart from other religions that compares to bodily resurrection. Believing in being raised to life with a physical body absolutely depends on faith in the word of God. This is a long-held belief in Judaism as can be attested by the statement made by Job during the time of the patriarchs. Job said, "For I know my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, Whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another." After Jesus' resurrection, Paul stated it differently, "For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life." We yearn for life that does not fade away. Doctors, specialists, and medications are indications of a physical life that is fading. Part of God's promise is an eternal body that is made to last without fading. There are other religious faiths that believe that people will live eternally as disembodied spirits. Resurrection is not needed for a disembodied spirit. I believe the spirit in people is an eternal spirit; otherwise, there would be no eternal punishment in the Lake of Fire for an unrepentant person. If that is not the case, then the old saying is true, "When you're dead you're gone!" However, Jesus demonstrated in two situations the absurdity of that thought. First, Jesus demonstrated resurrection power when He called Lazarus from the grave. Note, this was not like the other cases where Jesus raised the dead back to life. The widow's son in Nain and Jairus' daughter are two such cases. Both had apparently died just prior to Jesus raising them. Lazarus ' situation was totally different. Jesus waited until four days after Lazarus' death to raise him. In the ninety-six hours that transpired, Lazarus' body would have begun the process of decomposition. That's why those standing outside the tomb complained when Jesus said remove the stone. They said his body would be stinking by that time that's one of the signs of decomposition! The process of decomposition had to be reversed in Lazarus' body for life to be viable in it. This was one of the reasons the people celebrated Jesus on Palm Sunday. Because of that miracle, many of the people had confidence in Jesus' power as a prophet of God, But what happens when the prophet dies? Who will raise him back to life? Jesus declared that He had the power to lay His life down and the power to pick it up again. This was based on His declaration that He is the Son of the living God. If eyewitnesses in Bethany could believe in Jesus as a prophet of God because of Lazarus' resurrection, then I absolutely confess my faith in Him because He raised Himself from the dead. The resurrection is a key to my Christian faith. I expect to live in a glorified body in the presence of God throughout eternity. Christianity is not about living a "good life" in this world which is itself fading away. The gospel message declares the fact of Jesus' bodily resurrection and His promise to likewise raise those who believe in Him. A person must open their heart and believe the report of the eyewitnesses who saw the risen Jesus to be saved. After that, being saved becomes a reality and the recognition of God's presence is sometimes overwhelming. If one is saved, it is because you believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus from the tomb on the third day after He died for your sins. Robert C. Hudson March 23, 2024