And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom he should do this:
This is part of the story of the centurion in Luke 7:1-17, parallel to Matthew 8:5-13. When the Jewish elders came to Jesus they urgently pleaded with Him to heal the centurion's servant, who was dying, because they considered the centurion worthy. They called him worthy because he loved their nation and had built them a synagogue. He had shown respect for their worship and kindness and favor across the divide between Roman conquerors and the Jewish people.
Their appeal rested on his good deeds and support for Jewish worship. That kind of worthiness based on good works done for others was not needed to persuade Jesus, who is always willing to relieve suffering. The centurion himself felt unworthy to approach Jesus and so sent the elders to make his request. His faith caused Jesus to marvel, in contrast with those who will not believe except they see signs and wonders. For he did not question Jesus' power and did not ask Him to come in person but trusted that His word alone would heal his servant.
Against the elders' plea of worthiness stands the centurion's own confession that he was not worthy. He did not trust in his own goodness but trusted in Jesus' power and mercy, pleading only his servant's great need. Help from Jesus is therefore not to be sought by trusting in personal goodness but by trusting in His mercy, with great need as the only argument, and without fear to ask.
The account, set at Capernaum where Christ rewarded the centurion's faith and which records his conversion, shows Christ working directly among people outside Israel as an instance of the gospel reaching the Gentiles. It reveals in part the breaking down of the middle wall of partition between Israel and the other nations, that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs with the Jews and partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel, preaching salvation to all mankind. It taught the disciples that among those many regarded as unworthy of salvation there were souls hungering for the light of truth. For in God's kingdom there are no territorial lines, no caste, and no aristocracy, so they must go to all nations bearing the message of a Saviour's love.
This is part of the story of the centurion in Luke 7:1-17, parallel to Matthew 8:5-13. When the Jewish elders came to Jesus they urgently pleaded with Him to heal the centurion's servant, who was dying, because they considered the centurion worthy. They called him worthy because he loved their nation and had built them a synagogue. He had shown respect for their worship and kindness and favor across the divide between Roman conquerors and the Jewish people.
Their appeal rested on his good deeds and support for Jewish worship. That kind of worthiness based on good works done for others was not needed to persuade Jesus, who is always willing to relieve suffering. The centurion himself felt unworthy to approach Jesus and so sent the elders to make his request. His faith caused Jesus to marvel, in contrast with those who will not believe except they see signs and wonders. For he did not question Jesus' power and did not ask Him to come in person but trusted that His word alone would heal his servant.
Against the elders' plea of worthiness stands the centurion's own confession that he was not worthy. He did not trust in his own goodness but trusted in Jesus' power and mercy, pleading only his servant's great need. Help from Jesus is therefore not to be sought by trusting in personal goodness but by trusting in His mercy, with great need as the only argument, and without fear to ask.
The account, set at Capernaum where Christ rewarded the centurion's faith and which records his conversion, shows Christ working directly among people outside Israel as an instance of the gospel reaching the Gentiles. It reveals in part the breaking down of the middle wall of partition between Israel and the other nations, that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs with the Jews and partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel, preaching salvation to all mankind. It taught the disciples that among those many regarded as unworthy of salvation there were souls hungering for the light of truth. For in God's kingdom there are no territorial lines, no caste, and no aristocracy, so they must go to all nations bearing the message of a Saviour's love.