Luke 7:1-10 The Faith of the Centurion
REFLECTION
Charles Dickens character Uriah Heep, displayed a cloying humility, full of insincerity, making frequent references to his own “‘umbleness”. His humility was totally false and quite cringeworthy to watch. I’m sure we can all think of someone who displays false modesty, pretending to be something they are not. Sometimes it takes a while to recognise such falsehood and it is not until we interact with the person more frequently do we realise they are not all that they seem.
A right sense of humility recognises who we are, what our strengths are and where our behaviour falls short. The Centurion was one such person. He believed he was not worthy to meet Jesus because he acknowledged his own short comings. The authority of Jesus had not been recognised by the people in his hometown or by the Pharisees yet the Centurion had recognised Jesus for who he was. The blind, the Gentiles and the outcast all recognised the authority of Jesus.
The Jewish elders of the town recognised the faith of the Centurion and were happy to commend him to Jesus. Upon that recommendation Jesus set out to meet him. Still the Centurion sent out his friends to speak on his behalf. This persistent humility and belief in Jesus impressed Jesus prompting him to recognise the depth of the Centurions faith. You can hear in Jesus’ reply the longing for such faith amongst his own people.
Jesus recognised the worth of each person and treated them with respect. He lived his faith, practising what he preached, and others responded to it. We too are called to live out our faith, and in doing so recognising our own worth, the worth of others and endeavouring to encourage others to do so.
QUESTIONS
- Do you have a realistic understanding of who you are?
- How would you describe yourself? What are your qualities?
- Do others recognise your faith, or would they be surprised to learn that you are a Christian?
- Which people of faith are your role models besides Jesus?
- Who do you admire? What qualities do they have?
