Pentecost Week Seven - Luke 7:1-10 - Jesus is Amazed

Introduction: Faith That Amazes Jesus
By the time we get to Luke 7, Jesus is returning to Capernaum, a town that had already become a significant location for His ministry. Capernaum served as something of a "home base" during Jesus' time in Galilee. It’s where He performed several miracles, called disciples, and taught large crowds.

Capernaum is central to Jesus’ early ministry, and by Luke 7, He is well-known in the town.
The characters in this chapter likely would have heard of Jesus’ previous miracles and teaching, which explains why he trusted Jesus’ authority so completely.

The story this week should make us stop in our tracks. Why? Because it made Jesus stop in His.
Yes, you read that right.

Jesus, the One who knows all things, is amazed. And what amazes Him isn’t a miracle or an act of devotion from one of His disciples. It’s the faith of a Roman centurion—a Gentile, a soldier, a man who wasn’t supposed to “get it.”

Let me warn you: this passage isn’t just about a healing. It’s about humility, authority, and a faith so bold it crosses every cultural and religious boundary. And it may challenge us.
This week we are stepping into a story that will push us to ask hard questions about our own faith and what it means to truly trust Jesus.

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Read the scripture first in the CMC App. To get there, click the Bible icon at the bottom, then click Plan.

After reading the NT and OT verses for the day, come back here for discussion.

Old Here? (hey!). You will notice I changed the format a bit.  I include the scripture and show you why I picked the OT parallel. Technically, you don't need to use the reading plan but I know there are metrics recorded. I am trying to learn how to access them.  And you know you want your Check Mark!  lol

Monday: The Setting of Faith

New Testament Reading: Luke 7:1–2
When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people who were listening, He entered Capernaum. There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die.

Old Testament: Psalm 103:2–4
Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all His benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion.

Connection: Both passages set the stage for God’s compassion and healing power. The centurion’s concern for his servant mirrors the Lord’s care for His people.

Historical Context:
Earlier in Luke’s gospel (Luke 4:31–41), Jesus taught in the synagogue in Capernaum, where He amazed the crowds by casting out a demon. Afterward, He healed Simon Peter’s mother-in-law and many others who were brought to Him. Later, in Luke 5,
He healed a paralyzed man whose friends famously lowered him through a roof to reach Jesus. In other words, Jesus’ reputation in Capernaum was firmly established by the events of Luke 7.
This context helps us understand why the centurion sought out Jesus. As a Roman officer stationed in the area, he likely would have heard stories of Jesus’ miracles and teaching. Maybe he even witnessed some of them firsthand. Either way, he knew enough about Jesus to believe that He had the power to heal his servant.

So, what exactly was a centurion? These men were the backbone of the Roman military and wielded significant authority. A centurion commanded about 80–100 soldiers, but their impact went far beyond the battlefield. They enforced Roman law, supervised tax collection, and maintained order in occupied territories like Judea and Galilee.

To most Jews, centurions were the face of Roman oppression. They symbolized everything the Jewish people resented about living under Roman rule. Taxes? The centurion made sure you paid them. Resistance? The centurion crushed it. These men were tough, disciplined, and brutal when they needed to be.

Yet, centurions also had a surprising amount of discretion in how they carried out their duties. They could be ruthless tyrants or fair-minded leaders, depending on their character. And this centurion? He was different.

This centurion’s servant—more accurately, his slave—was gravely ill.
Let’s pause here. In Roman culture, slaves were not viewed as people but as property. They were tools to be used, and if one died, you simply replaced them. Mourning a slave was as absurd as grieving over a broken plow.

But not this centurion. He cares deeply about his servant. He’s not running a cost-benefit analysis or thinking about how inconvenient it would be to replace him. He’s desperate to save someone he values—not just as a worker, but as a person.

This centurion’s compassion makes him stand out. He’s a man of power and privilege, yet he sees the humanity in someone society deemed disposable. In an empire built on hierarchy, this is remarkable.

Modern Parallel:
Let’s bring this into today. How often do we overlook the humanity of the people around us? The cashier ringing up your groceries, the delivery driver dropping off your package—do we see them as individuals with stories, struggles, and value? Or do we reduce them to their role in our lives?

Yesterday evening I encountered an unusual person in Coldspring – it was a large African American man working at the Dollar General and he had a long yellow dread lock wig on.  It was hilarious.  I asked him if it was his natural color and he said “of course, but I can’t do a thing with it!”

It was a fun interaction.  (It was instantly apparent he was new to the job, but I think he will work out just fine!)

Back to our blog - It’s easy to get so caught up in our own schedules and responsibilities that we miss the people standing right in front of us. But this week the centurion’s actions challenge us to slow down, notice others, and treat everyone with dignity and compassion.
Shouldn’t we make it a point to acknowledge someone you might normally overlook. Whether it’s with a kind word, a smile, or a genuine “thank you,” let them know they’re seen and valued.

Small acts of compassion ripple farther than we realize!

Our First Prayer this week:
Lord, help us to see others as You see them. Teach us to value people, not for what they do, but for who they are. Give us the courage to show compassion in small, everyday ways.
Amen.

Tuesday: Humility in Action

New Testament Reading: Luke 7:3–4
The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to Him, asking Him to come and heal his servant. When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with Him, “This man deserves to have you do this.”

Old Testament : Micah 6:8
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Connection: The centurion’s humility and reliance on others to approach Jesus echoes the humility God desires from His people.

Wednesday: Worthiness and Faith
New Testament Reading: Luke 7:5–6
“...because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” So Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to Him: “Lord, don’t trouble Yourself, for I do not deserve to have You come under my roof.”

Old Testament : Isaiah 66:1–2
This is what the Lord says: “Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool. Where is the house you will build for Me? Where will My resting place be? Has not My hand made all these things, and so they came into being?” declares the Lord. “These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at My word.”

Connection: The centurion recognizes his unworthiness before Jesus, reflecting the humility and faith that God honors.

Thursday: Faith Beyond Proximity
New Testament Reading: Luke 7:7
“That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to You. But say the word, and my servant will be healed.”

Old Testament : Psalm 107:19–20
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress. He sent out His word and healed them; He rescued them from the grave.

Connection: The centurion’s faith in the power of Jesus’ word parallels the psalmist’s declaration of God’s ability to heal simply through His spoken command.

Friday: Faith That Amazes Jesus
New Testament Reading: Luke 7:8–9
“For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard this, He was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following Him, He said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.”

Old Testament : 2 Chronicles 20:20
Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in His prophets and you will be successful.”

Connection: The centurion’s faith in Jesus’ authority amazes Him, much like the faith of leaders like Jehoshaphat who trusted God’s power and word above all.

Saturday: The Power of Faith

New Testament Reading: Luke 7:10
Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.

Old Testament : Exodus 15:25–26
Then Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became fit to drink. There the Lord issued a ruling and instruction for them and put them to the test. He said, “If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in His eyes, if you pay attention to His commands and keep all His decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.”

Connection: Just as God demonstrated His power to heal and restore in Moses’ time, Jesus demonstrates His authority to heal the centurion’s servant as a sign of His divine authority.