When I was missionary in Prague (1995–2003), I discovered an unusual passage in Luke that impacted my concept of a missionary. The story about a centurion who had “such faith” that Jesus “marveled” (7:1–10) provoked much reflection about missions. It continues to do so now as I serve in Argentina. Let us read the text:

¹After he had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. ² Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him. ³ When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. ⁴ And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy to have you do this for him, ⁵ for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue.” ⁶ And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. ⁷ Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. ⁸ For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” ⁹ When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” ¹⁰ And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well.

Below I describe the social context, offer an overview of the passage, suggest some implications, and provide an application.

The Context
Israel suffered under foreign domination for more than 600 hundred years. They experienced the rigors of pagan empire and colonization. First, were the Assyrians, then the Babylonians, Greeks, and finally the Romans. One author wrote, “Gentiles were godless, idolatrous, unclean, and rejected by God. Dealings with them made Jews unclean.” Within Luke’s corpus, the Gentiles are portrayed in a very negative manner (Luke 21:24), with reference to their historic separation (Acts 10:28 and 11:3), but finally their inclusion in the global mission of God (22:21–22). Within Luke’s writings, the story of the pious centurion in Luke 7 prefigures outreach to the pagan world. (The following two paragraphs are adapted from my blog, “The Dark Side of Christmas.”)

Closer to the time and place of Jesus’s ministry, Jewish protests of pagan domination were put down by the Romans with sporadic violence. The second major Roman conquest, for instance, came in response to widespread popular insurrections in every major section of Palestine at the death of Herod the Great in 4 A.D. This was right around the time Jesus was born. Also at that time, 6,000 Pharisees refused to take the oath of allegiance to Caesar. That number no doubt grew in the thirty years until Jesus’ ministry.

Shortly before Jesus was born, an incident occurred only four miles from his hometown, Nazareth, in the regional city, Sepphoris. Several movements of peasants led by “messiahs” asserted their local independence in Israel. As a result, the Romans brought ruin and servitude in places connected with Jesus and his followers. For example, an author noted that the Romans “captured and burned the city of Sepphoris and reduced its inhabitants to slavery . . . The whole district became a scene of fire and blood . . . [They] rounded up rebels from around the countryside and crucified about 2,000.”

For these reasons, the profile of a centurion, who represented the Roman empire, was quite negative. Centurions were often violent and corrupt. They represented Caesar and the imperial cult and served as priests. They oversaw the collection of taxes from the Jews and supervised Jewish collaborators.

One wonders, therefore, how this centurion in Luke’s account overcame his negative, cultural heritage and the animosity of the Jews. One commentator observed, “One could claim that this centurion is acting as a shrewd military leader by using civic [benefaction or patronage] to generate reciprocity and facilitate good relations with local Jewish leadership for utilitarian reasons.” But is this how Luke describes the interaction? No.

The Passage
Luke 7:1–10 is a highly unusual story. Unlike the rest of Luke’s gospel, Jesus is cast in an almost a passive role, left to observe and respond. The centurion assumes the initiative and functions as the central character. He starts a process causing Jesus to come to him―two times he sent messages to Jesus (vs. 3 and 6). In contrast to other incidents in the gospel, it was Jesus who was amazed. And most astounding, his assessment of the centurion was extremely positive, even paradigmatic (prefiguring Gentile faith). Jesus discerned the foreigner’s integrity, understanding, and belief. Amazingly, he declared to the watching Jews, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith (v. 9).” Jesus blessed a normally feared and hated pagan, a representative of Roman ideology producing oppression and injustice in Israel.

The centurion’s positive character also played a prominent role in this story. He manifested compassion and affection for someone subservient to himself, his servant who was “highly valued” (v. 2). He was generous with his wealth (v. 5). He demonstrated respect and

“love” for the Hebrew people, a nation demonized by Roman imperialism (v. 5). He was also humble and open, not ashamed to seek help from a foreign miracle worker (v. 3).

Perhaps most importantly, the centurion perceived in Jesus something special. Presumably, based on what he heard and observed in Jesus’s ministry, he was able to “connect the dots” and correctly intuit Jesus’s significance. Because he understood how true authority operates, he inferred that Jesus also possessed power and agency. Perhaps he recognized that Jesus was not an autonomous agent. He, too, operated under authority.

Another lesson derived from the centurion’s example―and supremely ironic as well―was that he embodied Israel’s ancient creed, the Shema (Deut 6:4–5). He demonstrably loved God with his understanding (“heart” or mind), his deepest desires and motivations (“soul”), and with his resources (“strength” or wealth). In this sense, the foreigner was a paradigmatic Jew.

Implications
This individual managed to overcome a very negative bias as a representative of Rome. He acquired respect, trust, and affection from leaders of a conquered nation. How?

I suggest two ways. First, he embodied a holistic spirituality based upon the Shema, which Jesus himself affirmed (Matt 22:36–38; Mark 12:28–33; Luke 10:25–28). In this manner, the centurion embraced the commandment “most important of all” (Mark 12:28) and learned “how to inherit eternal life” (Luke 10:25). Second, this spiritual posture predisposed him to “love” the Jewish people and construct their synagogue (v. 5). He was the antitype of the typical imperial attitude and behavior. Instead of tearing down, terrorizing, and exploiting, he exhibited respect and support. He built their infrastructure and invested in their deepest needs, for he understood their essential identity.

In all these ways, the centurion of Luke 7 serves as an exemplar of missionary spirituality, motivation, and behavior.

Personal Application
Back in 2002, I wrote about my experience as a missionary from North America in Prague (“A Testimony for Missions”). I close with two paragraphs adapted from that article.

The reality of anti-North American and anti-Western sentiment forces us to consider the perceptions and expectations we have of one another. What biases must be overcome? How can we love nations and peoples? How can we glorify Christ through missions in this age of civilizational conflict, when words and ideas are deconstructed as power plays and imperialistic agendas?

For this reason, western missionaries ought to exegete their cultures. What ‘baggage’ do we carry? How do we view the strengths and weaknesses of our nations? Does our patriotism or our political views or our attitudes towards money affect our values about theology, the Bible, or missions? How do western cultural myths and symbols affect our thinking and behavior? How does the Bible critique our cultures?”

 

For further thought, read my blog, “The Dark Side of Christmas” and my article “A Testimony for Missions: Respect or Rejection.” For an orientation to the Central and South American mindset regarding North America and Europe, read Silver, Sword and Stone: The Story of Latin America in Three Extraordinary Lives.