Following the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, 6 and 7, there are two events that deserve attention. The first is the healing of the Roman centurion’s servant in Matthew 8:5-13. The same event is recorded in Luke 7:1-10. Now, when you read these two passages, you will notice some differences in them. I have always been amazed at how critics use examples such as this to question the accuracy and inerrancy of the scriptures.
So, before we examine the true relevance of this event, let me dispel the seeming contradiction found in the two passages. In Matthew it is the centurion who comes to Jesus to ask for the healing of his servant. In Luke there is a contingent of Jewish elders who come to Jesus on behalf of the centurion, explaining why he deserves the Lord’s help.
Luke’s description is probably the most accurate and complete, but emphasizes the perceived worthiness of the centurion (though the centurion claimed for himself complete unworthiness). Matthew’s account emphasizes Jesus’ reaction to the centurion’s trust and the application He makes regarding the kingdom, which I will explain later. Matthew’s description (saying the centurion himself came to Jesus) is simply the common form used when others act on behalf of or by the authority of another. It is the one in authority who is identified, not those who act in his place. The only difference in these two passages is the way the writer chose to describe the event. Both are acceptable and accurate.
The important lesson to be taken from this is found only in Matthew’s account. And it is Jesus’ reaction to the complete trust demonstrated by the centurion and the application He makes regarding the kingdom (remember, this is the Kingdom of Heaven or this current age). Let me run it down for you. In verse 7 Jesus agrees to come and heal the servant. But in verse 8 the centurion essentially says, “I’m not worthy that You should come, just say the word and my servant will be healed.” He then explains in verse 9 that he understands authority, being a man in authority himself. By this he implies that he trusts the fact that Jesus has complete authority and can heal his servant without actually going to the trouble of coming to his house.
It is the reality of this man’s simple, yet complete, trust that Jesus reacts to. “And when Jesus heard this, He was astonished and told those who followed Him, I’m telling you the truth, I’ve not found anyone in Israel with this much trust”. (Verse 10) This is gentle sarcasm on Jesus’ part. If anyone should understand God and how He works and what He responds to, it should be the nation He embraced and to which He revealed Himself and His word. Yet it was this Gentile centurion who really understood. Remember, Jesus had just condemned those who relied on religious activity for entrance into the kingdom (Matthew 7:21-23).
Now comes the application. This is verse 11 and 12, “There will be many (like him) who will come from all directions and will sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom will be thrown out, away from God’s presence, where there is only suffering and despair.”
Of course, the “children of the kingdom” being thrown out is a troubling thought and needs clarification. The word translated “children” is huios, here used to describe the unrepentant and faithless Jews in verse 10 who thought their ancestry automatically entitled them to entrance into the kingdom (compare this to Jesus’ statement in John 8:31-59). Jesus is making it clear, as He does over and over again; the issue is trust, not ignorance, arrogance or religious activity. There will be “many” who will come from the Gentile nations relying on a personal trust for entrance into the kingdom.
The conclusion to this event is verse 13, “Then Jesus told the centurion, Go, it will be done just as you have believed. And his servant was healed at that very moment.”
The next notable event in the chronology of Jesus’ public ministry is the raising from death of the widow’s son at Nain found in Luke 7:11-17. I say it is notable, not because of what Jesus says, but what He does and why He does it. That Jesus had authority over death is obvious.
There is something in this passage that I must mention, aside from the issue of Jesus having authority over death. Luke 7:13 tells us when Jesus saw the widow coming out of the city with her dead son, He had compassion on her. “Compassion” is from splanchnizomai, to be moved in one’s inward parts (splanchna), an obvious characteristic of both the Son (see Mark 1:41, 6:34, 8:2 for examples) and the Father (the OT racham is translated “compassion”, compare Deuteronomy 13:17, Lamentations 3:22 and Psalms 116:5).
I mention this simply because when I recognize the character of the Son, I’m reminded that I am to emulate that particular trait, if I am to be conformed to His image. So, at that point in time I try to muster the courage to ask the Lord to work in my life to give me the opportunity to see that in obvious ways.
Now, let’s get back to Jesus’ authority over death. It is interesting that He demonstrated that authority in this passage with a man who was being carried to his burial. He also raised the young daughter of Jairus in Luke 8:42-56 shortly after she died and later raised Lazarus from the dead after he had been buried for several days in John 20:1-17. And you might well say, what’s the difference, dead is dead. But Jesus demonstrated His authority over death and His ability to bring life back to a body, regardless of how long it had been dead – an important distinction to those of us who are trusting in a future resurrection.
As we continue in this passage, Jesus raises the young man from death and restores him back to his mother. Then, in verse 16 and 17 we see the important result of this incident. “Then a profound fear seized all who saw this, and they praised God and said, A great prophet has appeared among us! God has come to help His people! And this news concerning Jesus spread throughout all Judea and the surrounding country.”
This is a turning point in Jesus’ public ministry that cannot be taken lightly. When Jesus demonstrated authority over death it enflamed His enemies and made them more determined to destroy Him (John 7:19; 8:37, 40). This was entirely calculated by the Father and the Son. The time would come when it would be necessary for them to kill “the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world” (John 1:29; I Peter 1:19-21; Revelation 5:6, 8, 12 and 13). But Jesus was always in total control of His life and circumstances. There are several incidents where the Jews moved to kill Him and were unable to do it (see Luke 4:28-30; John 8:59, 10:31, 39).
The timing of Jesus’ death could only be in accordance with what had been predicted. And by His testimony no man could take His life, He had the authority to give His life and take it back again (John 10:17-18). This is what He demonstrated beyond contradiction when He died on the cross. In Matthew 27:50 the text says Jesus, “yielded up the ghost”. This is aphiemi, to send away or dismiss, with pneuma, breath and should be properly translated, “sent away His breath”. In other words, when He was ready, He exhaled His last breath and was dead. We’ll talk about this in detail when we get to the crucifixion.
Then, there’s one last thing to mention regarding Jesus’ authority over death. And that is the fact that He will destroy death once and for all time during His earthly reign (the Millennium), and when the Father comes to the eternal earth, there will be no death for all eternity (I Corinthians 15:24-26; Revelation 21:4).