Luke 7:6, commentary and pictures

Jesus was going with them toward the house for the healing of the servant, and when He was now not far from the house the centurion sent friends to Him with his own message. Through them he said Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for he was not worthy that Jesus should enter under his roof or into his home. The words showed humility, a sense of unworthiness, and self-distrust about approaching and coming before Jesus.

His confession that he was not worthy stood opposite to the claim of the Jewish elders that he was worthy because he loved their nation and had built them a synagogue. He did not trust in his own goodness, merits, or standing, but trusted in the Saviour's mercy and authority as the friend and Saviour of humanity. Though he felt unworthy, he was not afraid to still ask Jesus for help for the recovery of a servant to whom he was tenderly attached, making his great need and helplessness his only argument and plea.

He did not ask Jesus to enter the house or to perform the healing in person, but trusted Jesus' power to heal the servant without coming inside, simply by speaking the word, and his faith trusted that Jesus' command was enough, and this confidence was part of the great faith Jesus praised. Though the centurion asked Him not to trouble Himself, Jesus was willing to bring relief and continued toward the house, and at Capernaum rewarded the centurion's faith.

The verse shows Christ's direct work among people outside Israel, and the centurion's conversion helped mark the opening of the gospel to the Gentiles and the beginning of breaking down the partition wall between Jew and Gentile to preach salvation to all mankind. The rewarding of his faith revealed in part 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 taught that among those many regarded as unworthy of salvation there were souls hungering for the light of truth, 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. In this way the verse illustrates that a sinner may come to Christ without anything to recommend them to God, relying instead on helplessness and on Christ's mercy and redeeming power.