The Centurion’s Faith and the Ultimate Authority of Jesus

The story of how the centurion’s servant is healed is fascinating. When Jesus arrives in Capernaum, he is met with a commander in the Roman army, a centurion, who honors the Jewish people, loves them, and even builds their synagogue. He comes to Jesus, or as Luke writes, sends the elders of the Jews on his behalf, to plead for healing for his highly valued, yet seriously ill servant. Without reluctance, Jesus says that He will come and heal him. The centurion answers, “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof” (Luke 7:6). He requests that the servant will be healed if Jesus simply say the word. He then explains the power of the spoken word by one in authority, by saying, “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” (Luke 7:8). Jesus is amazed at the centurion and turns to the people following Him to say that He has not found such great faith even in Israel. Although Jesus does not go into the house of the centurion, the servant is healed that same hour.

​We see in the Bible, that Jesus has the ultimate authority over heaven and earth, over all spirits and all flesh. “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth,” Jesus said (Matt 28:18). We see such authority in His ability to calm a storm, multiply the fish, and make wine out of water. His authority over spirits is evident in His ability to cast out unclean spirits. At the last supper, Jesus mentions his power to give eternal life as He prayed, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him” (John 17:1-2). The scriptures reveal the ultimate authority of Jesus and God Himself. The way Jesus uses His authority compared to how most people in a position of power do is contrasted by His humble and servant-like attitude. Bill Robinson, in his book Incarnate Leadership, talks about having authority over employees and how it affects our feeling of superiority. He writes, “Somehow we feel the need to maintain distance. Our people elevate us. We let them do it” (Robinson, 24). Our pride grows, and we step up on a proverbial pedestal. But God, being the ultimate authority, humbled Himself and closed the gap between us and Himself. Paul writes to the Philippians that Jesus, “being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Phil 2:8). Jesus was able to humble Himself while maintaining the highest authority. He taught His disciples that the one in authority must serve others. He told them, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant” (Matt 20:25-26). Jesus is the ultimate example of how one should be in a position of authority. God, in His ultimate authority, does not use His position to control us, but rather, gives us free will. C.S. Lewis in Mere Christianity asks, “How can anything happen contrary to the will of a being with absolute power?” (Lewis, 47). I would add absolute power and authority. Lewis explains that, “anyone who has been in authority knows how a thing can be in accordance with your will in one way and not in another” (Lewis, 47). He explains that a mother who wills that her child’s room be clean allows her child to leave his room untidy, but she would rather that the child have a will of his own. Her position of authority allow the child to be untidy. In the same way, God in His authority gives us free will, rather than taking control of our actions. ​ The knowledge that Jesus has ultimate authority changes my actions and removes fear. In Jesus, “all things work together for good for those who love God” (Romans 8:28) because He is ultimately in charge. Knowing that all things work together for good, gives me the confidence to live life fully, even when the road gets rough. When fear overtakes me, I remember the verse in Bible, “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe” (Prov. 18:10). I pray in the name of Jesus and peace fills my heart. If I would have any doubt that Jesus has power over both the spiritual and physical world, I would live in constant anxiety. However, because Jesus is Lord, my daily life is a walk of faith and hope. Although, I have days of weakness, I wish to have faith of the believing centurion.

Works Cited

Holy Bible: New King James Version. Thomas Nelson Inc., 1994.

Lewis, Clive Staples. Mere Christianity. HarperCollins, 1980.

Robinson, Bill. Incarnate Leadership: 5 Leadership Lessons from the Life of Jesus. Zondervan, 2009.