Last time, we finished our complete study of the Sermon on the Mount, (see Part one; Part two; Part three; and Part four).
Next, Jesus and His apostles journey back to the city of Capernaum, where His powers are on display in their full glory.
There, Jesus is approached by a Roman Centurion – an officer in charge of 100 men; (note that the apostle Luke’s account states that it was agents of the Centurion that approached Him, but the verbal exchange was the same, as they spoke for him, so there is really no contradiction).
We are told that the Centurion loved Israel and built them a synagogue (Lk. 7:5). The Centurion speaks:
“Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.” Jesus said, “I will come and heal him.” But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed.” Mt. 8:5-8. NLT
The humility of the powerful Centurion in the presence of Jesus is remarkable. He obviously knew what most of Israel refused to believe, about this ‘Savior’ – his faith so strong, that he knew Christ possessed the power of God, with such strength, that His physical presence was unnecessary.
The Son of God acknowledges the Centurion’s conviction:
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, “I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel! And I tell you this, that many Gentiles will come from all over the world – from the east and west – and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven. But many Israelites – those for whom the Kingdom was prepared – will be thrown into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Mt. 8:10 – 12. NLT
Jesus is saying that many non-Jews (Gentiles) with faith in Christ, will be given entrance into God’s eternity – even interacting with the patriarchal saints; whereas those faithless Jews will not. Christ responds to the Centurion:
“Go. As you have believed, let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that very moment. Mt. 8:13 CSB
One of the BIG takeaways is that the Son of God’s divine healing was dependent upon the Centurion’s faith. Indeed, any movement of God on His Children’s behalf, requires faith.
Jesus and His entourage travel to a nearby town, and as they approach the city gates, Jesus takes note of a funeral procession for an only son of a widowed woman. He reacts:
When the Lord saw her, his heart overflowed with compassion. “Don’t cry!” he said. Then he walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped. “Young man, he said, “I tell you, get up.” Then the dead boy sat up and began to talk! And Jesus gave him back to his mother. Lk. 7:13 – 15. NLT
See what happened here? Christ brushed aside the Pharisaic version of the Jewish law that forbade one from touching a coffin – choosing instead to restore life where there was none. The news of this healing spread like wildfire.
Meanwhile, John the Baptist is still sitting in King Herod’s prison, depressed, and wondering if Jesus is really the Messiah. So, he sends some of his disciples to ask Him that very thing. Jesus always has His own way of responding:
“Go back to John and tell him what you have seen and heard – the blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor…God blesses those who do not fall away because of me.” Lk. 7:22, 23. NLT
Notice that Jesus does not directly claim to be the Messiah. He wants John the Baptist to come to that conclusion himself, after considering the fruit of His ministry, which are those that the prophets foretold the Messiah would have. The last part, the warning about falling away, is to encourage John and his disciples to hang onto their faith in Him.
John’s disciples leave, and Jesus turns to a crowd that was watching that exchange, to speak of John the Baptist:
“What did you go out to the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing [entirely unsuited for the harsh wilderness]? Those who wear splendid clothing and live in luxury are in royal palaces! But what did you [really] go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and one far more [eminent and remarkable] than a prophet [who foretells the future]. This is the one of whom it is written [by the prophet Malachi],
‘Behold, I send my messenger ahead of you,
Who will prepare your way before you.’
I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater [in privilege] than he.” Lk. 7:24 – 28. AMP
Jesus is defending the reputation of John the Baptist lest they slight him for his (unjust) imprisonment. He bolstered his persona by telling them he was himself the center of a prophecy as the one who prepared the people for Christ’s coming. The ‘lesser privileges’ only refer to John’s inability to watch the enter gospel play out.
Then, Christ convicts those who rejected the call of John and Himself, and who slandered both:
“For John the Baptist didn’t spend his time eating bread or drinking wine, and you say, ‘He’s possessed by a demon.’ The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say,
‘He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners! But wisdom is shown to be right by the lives of those who follow it.” Lk. 7:33 – 35. NLT
Jesus says that the Jews tried to disparage He and John but says that the proof of who they are and what they say, will be in the fruit of the saints that they are preparing for heaven.
Christ continues by also convicting those who have rejected Him in the cities He had already visited – even after He performed His miracles:
“But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgement than for you.” Mt. 11:24 CSB
(You might recall, the punishment of the unrepentant city of Sodom was exceeding harsh.)
Jesus is beginning to display some righteous anger, but it is born out of His love for God’s creations and from His compassionate pain that He must endure, over those who don’t become children of God. Why? Because their choice brings eternal divine rejection.
The Son of God changes His tactics by revealing His true nature and the gravity that surrounds His first Advent:
“My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” Mt. 11:27 NLT
We have seen thus far that Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath and that He can heal the sick and raise the dead. Now, He is revealing that all authority, (especially regarding God’s salvation), has been given to Him.
In addition, we see that we cannot even connect with Jehovah without the grace of Christ. Jesus’ intent here is not to boast about His divine status, but only to show them the magnitude of the authority with which He speaks.
Jesus is so greatly committed to showing the people the love of God, and that He can empathize with their lot in life, He immediately changes His tone, humbles Himself, and invites them into His arms:
“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Mt. 11:28 – 30. NLT
Jesus knows that we carry the troubles of the world and the pain of our past mistakes upon our backs. He loves us so much, that He willingly asks us to unload our heaviness and lay all our worries at His feet. All it takes is faith. Then, we can all walk together buoyantly within the light of our God…
Next time, we’ll take a look at our role at the time of Christmas.
Goodnight and God bless.