PRAYER: Heavenly Father,we commend to your gracious care and keeping all the men and women in our Armed Forces at home and abroad. Be with all who defend your truth and your peace, that they may vanquish injustice and wrong. Give wisdom to leaders and commanders, that they may be a force for good on the earth. In Jesus name and His sake, we pray. Amen.
CAPERNAUM: The synagogue at Capernaum is a fantastic structure of white stone and ornate columns, probably built in the late third or fourth century AD. Below its foundation, archaeologists have discovered basalt walls of a previous synagogue dating to the first century AD. Many scholars attribute this synagogue to the original structure built by the Roman centurion stationed there.
The Synagogue at Capernaum - Photo: Wikimedia Commons
When we look at the background we find Jesus just completed his teaching, ‘The sermon on the mount.’ He entered Capernaum. There was a Roman centurion in Capernaum.
A centurion is a Roman official who is in charge of 50-100 soldiers. He has the rank of a present army captain. He was an employee of the Roman government. He was the person responsible to maintain law and order. The Bible says he had a servant who was ill, he was about to die. The centurion sent his representatives to Jesus asking him to come and heal his servant.
Observe this, the centurion was a very busy man. He had many servants to replace the sick servant but he took his time out to care for a servant. A servant always has low status, less money, and less value in society. People always like to associate with the other people of the same status or of a superior status. This centurion took time to care for a servant.
Secondly, the centurion asks a Jew, Jesus for help. Remember at this time the Romans were ruling the Jews. They never ask for help, it is below their dignity. The centurion crossed all social, racial, and ethnic barriers to appeal for help. In other words the centurion was not self-centered. He cared about his servant and he is taking a risk of doing a service to a servant. Jesus was amazed with this centurion’s selfless act in asking for help.
Our faith must be like the centurion’s faith, it must cross all barriers. When we are in Christ we are a new creation. Then there is no separation for language, religion, caste, culture, or status. We are all one and God wants us to see everyone equal like the centurion.
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