The Centurion

Question: What really happened in the

Episode of the Centurion and Jesus?

Here are the scriptures that deals with this event: Matt 8:5-13 Luke 7:1-10

To Set up the event, the Lord was on his way back to Capernum. A servant of the Centurion who lived in Capernum took sick and near death. The Centurion heard that Jesus was on the way back to Capernum so he sent the Elders of the Synagogue to Jesus …

The Scripture … Luke 7:1-6 7 When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people who were listening, he entered Capernaum. 2 There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. 3 The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. 4 When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, 5 because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” 6 So Jesus went with them.”

So, Now Jesus is on the way to heal the Centurion's Servant, but …..

Luke 7:7-10

He was not far from the house (The Centurion's 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. 7 That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. (Hence why he sent his friends to deliver the message- The Centurion wasnt there!) But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8 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.”

9 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.” 10 Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.”

Ok, question, How could the Lord say “ I have not found such great faith in all of Israel”? I don't know about you, but to deliver such an important message to Jesus, I would have had a difficult time repeating what the Centurion had to say, besides it would have come from my mouth (The Friend) and not the Centurion's. The Centurion must have sent a note with what he wanted to say to Jesus for the words of the Centurion is in the 1^st tense. And yet the Centurion says, “I am not worthy to come to you! now the statement that Jesus says has truth to it, for it is the Centurion speaking through his own words through a note to Jesus. Now let's take a look at Matt 8:5-13

Matt 8:5-13 …. it may sound like a contradiction at first, and to me I felt there was a contradiction, until I realized something. That was, the difference between Matthew's writing and Luke's. Matthew's objective was to get the word out and describe to the best of his ability what happened during an event. But how the event developed he seems not to dwell on it, just the fact that the Centurion needed Jesus' help in healing his servant and that he did “say” almost word for word what was said in Luke. On the other hand, Luke was a stickler for ensuring he had it all down, the full story - How it came to be, why did it happen, and what was the outcome. Although Luke was not present himself, he did do interviews on everybody that he could. (REf 1st Chapter in Luke) Both say the same thing, but Matthew just says the important points while Luke shows how it developed. So here is Matthew 8:5-13

5 When Jesus had entered Capernaum, (Jesus was bound for home) a centurion came to him (How did he come to him? Through the Elders of the Synagogue who the Centurion helped in building the Synagogue), asking for help. 6 “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.”(Matthew describes why the Centurion is requesting Jesus help)through the Elders of the Synagogue.as per Luke)

7 Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?” (Now you would think that Matthew is referring to the Centurion that was being asked, but that doesnt make sense does it? You see, if the Centurion was there asking the Lord to come and heal his servant, why would the Lord ask the Centurion again if he wanted Jesus to heal him? No, Jesus was asking the lead Elder, "Should I go and heal him?"... yes, I think it was the senior elder of the Synagogue who was speaking for the Centurion and the Synagogue)

8 Now here is where it seems to get out of whack .. for it seems that the Centurion replied to Jesus in Capernum which he did, but not at that time. For Jesus was not in Capernum but just outside of the city! So this statement made by “The Centurion” happened when the Lord was in Capernum and another instance in “listening”to The Centurion. Now, when the Lord was approaching the house where the Centurion lived he was greeted again, by the friends of the Centurion who read the note) The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 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.”

10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. 11 I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that moment. (Jesus said it to the Friends of the Centurion, probably the one the read the note)

Jesus and the Centurion were never face to face, for the Centurion felt that he was unworthy to do so. The Centurion established that fact by sending the Elders of the Synagogue to Jesus first to request that the Lord would heal his servant. And by the Lord beginning to walk to the Centurion's house, he was going to heal the servant. But, The Roman Centurion felt unworthy to have Jesus set foot in his house and again felt unworthy to come to Jesus, which means he didn't come to Jesus physically, so how did he “speak" to Jesus? If you were an Officer in the Army, how would you communicate to Jesus, your heart and concerns? He was a Centurion and used to communicating by handwritten commands, would it not be expected that he would do so in this case? .. So When Jesus says “He Heard the Centurion's words, He Did! Through the note that the friends had brought to Jesus to read to him, which was from the Centurion.

You see, now it all makes sense! So where is the lesson in this? If Jesus never went into the house, and only said the “Word” from a distance, what was the lesson for us in today's world?

Jesus sees the heart of the one who is asking. He is only looking at the fact that the one asking, Believes and has the Faith in The Lord to do what he asks. And the Lord is Faithful and True, is he not?

You Can Ask the Lord from anywhere, for anyone, and he is faithful to hear you and if in His Will, grant it.

Now basically I'm done with this little Blog, but I want to tell a true story, one that will show you, that indeed Jesus is right there and that you can depend on him.

The Cab Driver and the Possessed Demonized Man

It was 1993 and I had become fairly devoted to the Lord and read my scriptures faithfully, prayed up daily and put the “Armor of God” on everyday. A lot of events happened during my time driving that cab in LA, like over 40 people came to the Lord while in the cab. Awesome, one on one, each one different.

This one fare I had to pick up in FountainValley in a Cul De Sac. When I got there he brought out a TV set and wanted to go to a pawn shop in North Anaheim. I told him that he needed to show me a $20 dollar bill before I could take him, for I wanted to make sure he had the fare.

He got beligerant and said, “What's a matter don't you trust me?” I could see he was already working himself up into a boil. But, he got out of the cab and said, let me go back and get it, and he came back in about 2 minutes and says, “ok I got it” So I asked him if he would kindly lay it down on the passenger seat up front. “WHATS A MATTA! DONT YA TRUST ME?! !” I replied, No sir, I dont, so if you would just lay it down on the seat, we can get going.. then ... he changed his mind and wanted to go to another pawn shop in Orange, I told him, “I'm sorry sir, but I am unable to take you anywhere, could you please remove your TV set from my trunk?” … and he stormed out of the cab, took out the TV and then came around the car to me, I had the mic in my hand and told the dispatcher to send a cop to this address, because there might be trouble brewing. There was. The possessed man, said to me, I am going to smash your brains out! And drew back his right fist. Here I was leaning on the roof of the Cab, with my left foot crossed over my right with my left toe on the ground and this guy is getting ready to haul off and give me a pop! .. Weird, I was calm.. as he drew back his fist, I said ... “In the Name of Jesus, You Be Still” and I stayed right there leaning on the roof of the cab. I saw his fist come at my left jaw. Inexplicably it stopped about 6” from my jaw, he never touched me. His eyes had that look of fear in them. He tried again to hit me, I saw the fist come at me a little harder, still 6” from my jaw it stopped, but this time he winced a little like he hit something. Then, with his neck veins popping out, eyes bugging wide open, he reached back as far as he could reach to let go.. “YOUR ... JESUS ... CAN'T ...  HELP YOU NOW!” Here it comes! I saw the fist come at my jaw with all the strength he could muster, I didn't even blink, at 6” from my left Jaw, it slammed into what seemed like a brick wall! I literally heard "CRACK" and He yelled and grabbed his wrist, it was limp as if it was broken. And he began to back up with that fear in his eyes. Just then, the police drove up, one went behind the man and the other over to me. And says, “Is this the guy who attacked you?” and I said, “Yes Sir” and he looked at me with a look of shock. “How come you still standing? We get a call at least once a month on this guy because some cabbie is laying on the ground beat to a pulp and we gotta call an ambulance for him ... so how come you are still standing?” Just then the possessed man started loudly saying to the arresting officer, “But officer, I never touched him, I never touched him!” while he was holding his broken wrist.   I said to the officer who was with me, The reason I am still standing is because I had a little help” and pointed up to the sky and the Lord, and with a smile I said, “Have a good day in the Lord”. I got in the cab and said, “Thank You Lord” and drove off.

I have many Testimonies like this of the things that the Lord has done to save me from a myriad of disasters. So I can say without doubt, He knows your heart and Faith … He will be with you no matter what.   Oh, He is in the business of Prayer and Healing and looking out for His Children.   Amen

James Banfield