Unworthy

(Luke 71-10)

Jesus has entered Capernaum. The crowds continue to follow him. Sadly, they are following for their own needs to be met, as well as just seeing Him as a prophet.

The crowd seems to be a mixed group of people. There are always those who have sincere faith who really desire to know this Jesus.

²Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him.³When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant.

Notice the religious leaders request of Jesus.

⁴And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, "He is worthy to have you do this for him, ⁵for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue."

Notice the centurion's response.

⁶And 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. ⁷Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed.⁸For 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." ⁹When 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." ¹⁰And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well.

There was an extreme change in response. I suspect the first request was from hearts of the religious leaders. They were always concerned for the outward; wanting to "look good"; making note of what people did instead of their motives.

Jesus is always concerned with the heart. So many times he reprimanded the religious leaders for this.

My heart? I know the truth of Jeremiah 17:9. My heart is deceitful and desperately wicked...I don't even know the measure of this. But my Jesus knows. I pray for his mercies every day.

Jesus saw the Centurion's true faith, and rewarded it.

Are you worthy or unworthy?