There are some remarkable insights I received while I was trying to profile the Centurion in the gospel account (Luke 7:1-10). As I wrote them down, I understood the statement of Jesus, “For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light”.
There are rare occasions mentioned in the New Testament when Jesus ministers to non-Jews. He had his task clearly cut out and in fact also declared that he had come for the lost sheep of Israel! However, we see him rushing to the house of this gentile centurion without any questions! Was it because of what he heard and came to know about that man!?
There are several things we come to know about this Roman citizen! He was someone who was genuinely concerned about his slave! He had friends in some of the elders of the Jews! He also had influence on them and so when his slave was ill, he convinces them to approach Jesus on his behalf! When the Jews introduce him to Jesus, he is also introduced as someone who loved the Jewish nation! We also come to know of him having built a Jewish synagogue! So there is quite an influence and name that this man created for himself!
The centurion had no business in doing all that he did! His business was to ensure “law and order” in the location he was stationed and for that he didn’t have to choose an approach as he did! However, we can guess that he chose to have that approach because he was someone who valued human relationships and was shrewd enough to know how to deal with his own kind.
He surely knew how to deal with his subordinates, his subjects, or the important people around him! The question is – Do I? Do you? Do we? Should we all not?
In Luke 16, Jesus makes an observation that should make us all squirm in our places. The ‘children of the light’ somehow develop an attitude whereby they ignore or perhaps even ‘lose the art’ of dealing with the people around them. We become so “ecclesiastically” oriented and so “heaven focused” that we start severing connections with the world around! We become so “heavenly oriented” that we become of no “earthly use”! We forget that, we are only supposed to get the ‘world out of our hearts’ and not ‘get ourselves out of this world’! Are we not the salt of the earth? Are we not the light of this world! Can we severe our connections with the world and make an impact! We need to do our bit to bring flavor and bring light! We have to be creative! We have to build bridges. We need to care!
This centurion cared even for his slave! Forget about servants, do we even care for our colleagues and peers! Will we go out of the way to help them! I am not talking about situational ‘fire fighting’. That is something everyone can do. Do we form relationships with people working with us! Do we really care for them on normal days! Do we put our hands around them to share their pains or concerns? Are we concerned about their souls?
The centurion formed relationship with the Jews around him, and not just ordinary Jews at that, but elders among them! Do we make efforts to establish contact with the ‘Who’s who’ in our community! We may perhaps do that for our own benefits and needs, but out of genuine concern and sincerity! Do we pray for at least some of them!
The centurion gauged that the biggest priority for a Jew was his synagogue and spent his resources to get the Jews into a position of obligation! What shrewdness (So smart!)! He was not such a high ranking official that he could perhaps afford to build a synagogue which perhaps many Jews together were struggling to build! But he did facilitate for the building! It is really commendable! How many of us will go out of our way and spend some huge sum to strike a chord with the community around us! I told you - we are so ‘heavenly focused’ that we care not about what happens to people around us, what their greatest joy is!
The centurion is also claimed to be someone who loved the nation of Israel! Now he was on deputation and had no reason to love the nation of Israel. I mean, his job didn’t demand that! However, he did! Do we love the colleges we study in, companies we work in, institutions that we are a part of, sincerely? The Jews didn’t come to know about his love for Israel because of what he said, but by what he would continually have done before their own eyes!
Jesus wasted no time in rushing towards this centurion’s house because he knew that the centurion was someone who knew how to live his life, and how to get his work done! There was a lesson to give to the ‘children of the light’ with regards to the response of heaven to people who value their work and the people around them and genuinely show love and concern, irrespective of what their background was! Will we change ourselves!?
There are rare occasions mentioned in the New Testament when Jesus ministers to non-Jews. He had his task clearly cut out and in fact also declared that he had come for the lost sheep of Israel! However, we see him rushing to the house of this gentile centurion without any questions! Was it because of what he heard and came to know about that man!?
There are several things we come to know about this Roman citizen! He was someone who was genuinely concerned about his slave! He had friends in some of the elders of the Jews! He also had influence on them and so when his slave was ill, he convinces them to approach Jesus on his behalf! When the Jews introduce him to Jesus, he is also introduced as someone who loved the Jewish nation! We also come to know of him having built a Jewish synagogue! So there is quite an influence and name that this man created for himself!
The centurion had no business in doing all that he did! His business was to ensure “law and order” in the location he was stationed and for that he didn’t have to choose an approach as he did! However, we can guess that he chose to have that approach because he was someone who valued human relationships and was shrewd enough to know how to deal with his own kind.
He surely knew how to deal with his subordinates, his subjects, or the important people around him! The question is – Do I? Do you? Do we? Should we all not?
In Luke 16, Jesus makes an observation that should make us all squirm in our places. The ‘children of the light’ somehow develop an attitude whereby they ignore or perhaps even ‘lose the art’ of dealing with the people around them. We become so “ecclesiastically” oriented and so “heaven focused” that we start severing connections with the world around! We become so “heavenly oriented” that we become of no “earthly use”! We forget that, we are only supposed to get the ‘world out of our hearts’ and not ‘get ourselves out of this world’! Are we not the salt of the earth? Are we not the light of this world! Can we severe our connections with the world and make an impact! We need to do our bit to bring flavor and bring light! We have to be creative! We have to build bridges. We need to care!
This centurion cared even for his slave! Forget about servants, do we even care for our colleagues and peers! Will we go out of the way to help them! I am not talking about situational ‘fire fighting’. That is something everyone can do. Do we form relationships with people working with us! Do we really care for them on normal days! Do we put our hands around them to share their pains or concerns? Are we concerned about their souls?
The centurion formed relationship with the Jews around him, and not just ordinary Jews at that, but elders among them! Do we make efforts to establish contact with the ‘Who’s who’ in our community! We may perhaps do that for our own benefits and needs, but out of genuine concern and sincerity! Do we pray for at least some of them!
The centurion gauged that the biggest priority for a Jew was his synagogue and spent his resources to get the Jews into a position of obligation! What shrewdness (So smart!)! He was not such a high ranking official that he could perhaps afford to build a synagogue which perhaps many Jews together were struggling to build! But he did facilitate for the building! It is really commendable! How many of us will go out of our way and spend some huge sum to strike a chord with the community around us! I told you - we are so ‘heavenly focused’ that we care not about what happens to people around us, what their greatest joy is!
The centurion is also claimed to be someone who loved the nation of Israel! Now he was on deputation and had no reason to love the nation of Israel. I mean, his job didn’t demand that! However, he did! Do we love the colleges we study in, companies we work in, institutions that we are a part of, sincerely? The Jews didn’t come to know about his love for Israel because of what he said, but by what he would continually have done before their own eyes!
Jesus wasted no time in rushing towards this centurion’s house because he knew that the centurion was someone who knew how to live his life, and how to get his work done! There was a lesson to give to the ‘children of the light’ with regards to the response of heaven to people who value their work and the people around them and genuinely show love and concern, irrespective of what their background was! Will we change ourselves!?
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