Luke 7:3
And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant. And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant.
This verse belongs to the account of the centurion told in Matthew 8:5-13 and Luke 7:1-17. After hearing reports about Jesus, the Roman centurion at Capernaum sent the Jewish elders to plead with Jesus to come and heal his servant. He had never seen Jesus but believed from what he heard that Jesus could heal him, and in Christ's teaching as reported he found what met the need of the soul. The servant was dear to him, gravely ill with palsy and lying at the point of death, and the elders met Jesus as He entered Capernaum to tell Him the centurion's desire.
Among Romans servants were slaves bought and sold and treated with abuse and cruelty, but although this servant was a slave the centurion was tenderly attached to him and greatly desired his recovery. Though a Roman, he was convinced the Jews' religion was superior to his own, had broken through national prejudice and hatred between conquerors and conquered, and had shown respect for the worship of God and kindness to the Jews as His worshipers. He loved the Jewish people and built their synagogue. Feeling unworthy to come into the presence of Jesus himself, he made his request through the Jewish elders because they were acquainted with the great Teacher and would know how to approach Him to win His favor.
The elders said he deserved help because he loves the Jewish people and built their synagogue, but the centurion did not rely on those deeds or claim worthiness for himself; his plea rested on his great need and the Saviour's mercy. His faith did not depend on seeing Jesus perform a miracle or having Him come in person; he trusted Jesus' authority and power to heal by speaking a word of command. Jesus was willing to bring relief, and the servant was healed. The appeal by a Gentile centurion through Jewish elders is an instance of Jesus' work beyond Israel, by which He began to break down the partition wall between Jew and Gentile and preach salvation to all mankind, leading the Jews away from treating God's favor as exclusive to them.
The rewarding of the centurion's faith at Capernaum revealed in part the truth that the middle wall of partition is broken down and that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs with the Jews and partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel. It teaches that in God's kingdom there are no territorial lines, no caste, and no aristocracy, and that the message of a Saviour's love must go to all nations. It shows that among those many regarded as unworthy of salvation there are souls hungering for the light of truth.