“He marveled at him, and … said, ‘I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.’” (Luke 7:9)
Roman soldiers occupying Israel at the time of Christ were not typically sympathetic to Jews, any more than the Jews were fond of them. But one Roman centurion who remains unnamed in Scripture captured both the respect of a group of Jewish elders and the attention of Christ Himself.
Luke 7:2-10 recounts the historical narrative:
A centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him. When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue.” And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. Therefore, I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. For I too 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 servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well.
Being Gentile by birth meant that this centurion likely had a pagan upbringing. His service to the Roman empire included the occupation of Palestine for the purpose of subjecting the Jews to the emperor’s rule. In addition, he was a ranked commander over a hundred men, which meant he possessed a level of expertise in Rome’s version of the martial arts.
But unlike most of his fellow comrades, this Roman soldier was a friend of Israel. He loved the Jewish people and supported their practices of worship. He was a good master, devoted to the well-being of his servants. And he possessed a level of faith in Christ’s power and authority over death that amazed even the Lord Himself and moved Him to respond (Luke 7:9, Matt. 8:10).
Is your faith in Christ of such a degree that it marvels the Master? Like this centurion, are you persuaded that all power and authority is given to the Son by God the Father, and that He can do whatever He pleases as God’s covenant Mediator?
Peter declares in Matthew 16:16, “You are Christ, the Son of the living God.” And with Peter all the rest of the disciples join in this confession of faith in John 6:69, “and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” This is the faith the apostles preached (Acts 13:23) and the faith required of all those converted to Christianity (Acts 8:37).
The Apostle John wrote, “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him,” (1 John 5:1). There is no better way to adore God than by demonstrating amazing faith in the power and authority of Jesus Christ as this centurion did (Heb. 11:6).
