Faith and Compassion
Jason Martin
Jesus in the Gospels / Matthew 8:5–13; Matthew 11:2–19; Luke 7:1–50
The Centurion's Servant
Read Luke 7:1-10
• Luke 7:1-2 - The Centurion’s Problem
• A Roman soldier with the rank of Centurion has a servant who is on their deathbed
• Luke 7:3 - The Centurion’s Faith
• He HEARD ABOUT JESUS
• Romans 10:17 “17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”
• The Roman sends some of the Jewish elders to Jesus on his behalf, to heal his servant
• Luke 7:4-5 - The Centurion’s Fruit
• This Roman is friendly with the Jews of the city which is incredibly rare
• Luke 7:6 a - The Centurion’s Answer
• The blessing was on the way before the Centurion knew it
• Jesus agrees to return to the Roman Centurions house
• Luke 7:6-8 - The Centurion’s Continued Faith, Humility, and Confession
• I’m not worthy, just say the words because I know how powerful You are!
• Luke 7:9 - Jesus only ‘marvels’ twice in Scripture
1. The first time, He marveled at the Jews’ unbelief (Read Mark 6:1-6)
a. a problem - where did this Man get His Authority?
b. faith - isn’t this the carpenter’s Son?
c. confession - they took offense at Him
d. result - not much healing, and He left
2. Here, He marvels at the Gentile Centurion’s belief. He had;
a. a problem - sick servant
b. faith - Jesus can heal him
c. fruit - does this leaders tree bear good fruit or bad? What say the brethren about him?
d. confession - I’m not worthy, You have Authority
• Luke 7:10 - The Centurion’s Result
• Warning for a lack of faith. Many Gentiles will enter and many Jews will not.
• Matthew 8:11–12 “11 I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, 12 while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.””
Why would a Gentile Roman Centurion have this faith but not the Jews?
Pride / humility
The Widow’s Son
Read Luke 7:11-17
Contrast the Centurion’s servant and widow’s son
• Gentile / Jew
• Servant / son
• at a distance / hands on
• for a master / for a mother
• by request / without request
• from death / from the dead
• Luke 7:11 - the crowds are growing as they hear these teachings and see the healings
• Luke 7:12 - the problem - a woman who lost the only provider she had
• Jehovah Jireh
• Genesis 22:14 “14 So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.””
• Philippians 4:19 “19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
• Luke 7:13-14 - the solution - a compassionate God that provides
• Matthew 6:25–34 “25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
• Luke 7:15-17 - unlike all of the times we see in Scripture of people taking - Jesus gave.
The result;
• dead raised
• Jesus raised at least 3 people from the dead (Jairus’ daughter, Lazarus)
• fear seized them all
• God glorified
• Jesus confessed x2
• the word spread throughout the country
Why did Jesus go to Nain?
1. Compassion for the widow (she was broken, and He was there)
a. this is very similar to 1 Kings 17 with Elijah and the widow of Zarephath
2. and the witnesses (2 great crowds there to spread the word)
I heard a guy named John Miller say; “Pity weeps and walks away, compassion is your pain in my heart”
John’s Expectations
• Read Luke 7:18-23
Why is John in prison?
• The region is at a boiling point politically. The 2 sides hate each other.
1. Even though most of the Jewish leaders also didn’t approve of Herod’s sin of taking his brother’s wife, they didn’t want to speak against their leader.
2. John addressed King Herod’s sin
• We are to follow Christ. If we happen to follow others, it’s only because they are also following Christ. The second somebody isn’t following Christ, we’re not following them.
• There’s one Road that leads to life and few are those that find it (Matthew 7:14)
• Every single other possible path leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13)
• problem - Even John thought Jesus was coming to take over
• solution - Jesus proved who He is and told them to report that back to John
• things didn’t look good for John, but this would strengthen him
• result - many miracles and witnesses go out
• Read Luke 7:24-27
• “What did you go out (in the wilderness) to see?” x3 + answer x3
1. reed shaken by the wind?
a. No - a person of conviction. right is right. wrong is wrong. God decides.
i. James 1:6 “6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.”
ii. James 1:8 “8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
iii. Ephesians 4:14 “14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.”
b. love God. hate sin. submit to Scripture
2. a rich person in fancy clothes?
a. No - John lived a life of non-indulgence as we’ll see (Luke 7:33)
3. a prophet?
a. yes - even more
• Read Luke 7:28
What made John the greatest?
1. John was a prophet that was himself prophesied
a. Malachi 3:1 “1 “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts.”
b. Isaiah 40:3 “3 A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”
2. John preached repentance
a. Luke 3:3 “3 And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”
i. this was symbolized by water
3. John was the last Old Testament prophet & first New Testament preacher
a. John came preaching repentance to prepare the people for Jesus
b. Matthew 4:17 “17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.””
Who are in the Kingdom that are greater than John?
1. John was God’s messenger, we are God’s children
2. John lived and died before the cross, we live in the resurrection
• Read Luke 7:29-30
• Same message - 2 choices
1. They rejected God’s purpose for their lives
2. They are unrepentant because they are self-righteous and don’t need to
3. They were too familiar with God
4. They didn’t see sin for the big deal that it is
5. They are the “if being in a church = christian / garage = car” people
is the problem with the Pharisees and lawyers that they weren’t baptized by John or that they didn’t repent and believe in Jesus? Who’s children did Jesus say they were?
• Read Luke 7:31-32
The unrepentant people;
• Happy music couldn’t make them dance
• Sad music couldn’t make them cry
• Read Luke 7:33-34
They refused to participate in the Kingdom of God that brings both celebration and judgment
• They hated John for being too strict
• They hated Jesus for not being strict enough
• Read Luke 7:35
• They both preached the same message (repentance) - use wisdom
Foot-washing Faith
Read Luke 7:36-39
• The problem - this woman is a sinner
• Jesus is only ever kissed on two occasions in Scripture
• fruit - she never says a word, but we see her actions. she knows she’s a broken sinner
• the woman and the pharisee can be found in;
• James 2:14–18 “14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”
Read Luke 7:40-43
• Simon ‘judged rightly’ that the one with more debt, loves more
• Once we recognize our own depravity we understand how in debt we are
• Simon and the woman owed different amounts but were both in debt
• the difference is she recognized her debt
• her sin was external and his was internal
• prodigal son / older brother
Read Luke 7:44-47
• Simon
• no water for feet
• no kiss
• no anointing oil
• Sinful woman
• washed feet with tears
• kissed feet
• anointed feet with oil
Her gratitude for being forgiven leads to worship
Read Luke 7:48-50
• Only God can forgive sins
• Saved by faith, proven out by love
Why did Jesus eat at the pharisee’s house?
• GOD SEES AND ACTS EVEN WHEN WE CAN’T SEE IT OR UNERSTAND HOW
Stand firm in faith.