The Life-Giving Word.—Luke 7:1-17

Notes

1. Let no one be disturbed over the difference in the accounts that Matthew and Luke give of the requests that Jesus should heal the centurion's servant. While there is a difference in the two accounts, there is no disagreement. Luke does not mention the centurion's meeting with Jesus, but his silence does not contradict Matthew's statement that the centurion did meet Jesus. Both accounts must be joined, in order to get all the particulars. But do not let anxiety to "harmonize" the two records draw the mind away from the important lessons to be learned from the story.

2. The Jews said to Jesus, concerning the centurion, "He is worthy that thou shouldest do this for him; for he loveth our nation, and himself built us our synagogue" (Revised Version). They thought that this would make Jesus more ready to grant the request. The idea that God thinks more of men who are able to do much for the church than He does for others is not yet extinct. It is this that leads ministers sometimes to think more of the conversion of a rich man than of a poor man. It is this wrong idea of God's estimate of worthiness, that keeps many people from receiving the help that God wants to give. They say, "I am so unworthy," meaning that they are not good enough to receive anything. "I can see how God can save such an one, but I can't have any hope for myself." Their only thought is that God expects men to do something for Him before He will do anything for them. When people come to think that they are accepted by the Lord on that basis, they form the criticising portion of the church. They are always looking at other professed Christians, to see if the others have really come up to the standard of goodness that God can accept, namely, the standard to which they themselves have arrived. The centurion himself did not consider that his liberality gave him any special claim on the attention of the Lord. Said he, "I am not worthy that Thou shouldest come under my roof." But he was not like so many in these days who confess their own unworthiness, and who, therefore, will not claim anything from the Lord. He said, "Say in a word, and my servant shall be healed." He expected blessings in spite of his unworthiness, and such are the ones who receive mercies from God. Jesus Himself was not influenced by the representations of the Jews; but when the centurion, while pleading his own unworthiness, showed how easily Christ could grant his request, the Lord said, "I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel." "And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee." Matt. 8:13. It was his simple faith, and not his rich gifts, that recommended the centurion to Jesus.

3. "But say in a word, and my servant shall be healed. For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it." Jesus regarded this as the most marvelous manifestation of faith that He had ever seen. Wherein lay the greatness of the faith?—In the simple fact of grasping the power of Christ's word. Just as the centurion's word could set men in motion, and thus accomplish results, so Christ's word could command the disease to depart. The Psalmist, speaking of God's dealing with ancient Israel, said, "He sent His word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions." Ps. 107:20. This was fulfilled in the case of the centurion's servant. Jesus sent His word, and the life that was in it made the sick man well. It is such faith as the centurion manifested, and only such,—faith that lays hold of and rests upon the power of the living word,—that will give us the kingdom. See Matt. 8:10-12.

4. "Now when He came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and much people of the city was with her. And when the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not." "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him." Ps. 103:13. "In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the angel of His presence saved them." Isa. 63:9. "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities." Heb. 4:15. In the compassion of Jesus for the bereaved and sorrowing mother, we see the tender pity of God for suffering and sinful men; for "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself." 2 Cor. 5:19. Satan has led men to think that God is stern, exacting, and tyrannical. Christ "emptied Himself" (Phil. 2:7, Revised Version), that He might represent only the Father, and so disprove Satan's slander. "God is love." Who can hesitate to come to Him, when we know that it was His love and compassion that was manifested in the gentle Saviour?

5. "And He said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak." What was it that put life into the young man?—Just the word of Christ, which is spirit and life. John 6:63. It was the same word that will raise the dead at the last day. It was the same word that gives life to the sinner. "And you hath He quickened [made alive], who were dead in trespasses and sins." Eph. 2:1. Conversion is resurrection. See Rom. 6:1-6; Col. 2:12, 13; 3:1. The same word produces it that will raise the dead at last. Therefore the apostle longed only to know Christ and the power of His resurrection (Phil. 3:10), and he prayed that God would give to us who believe, to know the exceeding greatness of God's power, even the working of His mighty power which He wrought in Christ when He raised Him from the dead. Eph. 1:19, 20. This miracle of raising the widow's son was wrought that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ, and that, believing, we might have life through His name. John 20:31. Our belief in the Lord Jesus, and in the miracles which the Bible says that He did, is measured by our acceptance of the life which He came to give, and which is in His word.