Jun 6 2013
Cornelius’ House
Acts 10:1-11:18
As Peter entered the house he was shocked to see that it was crowded with Romans. These were Cornelius’ friends and family; a mixture of military personnel and civilians with their wives and a few others. Never before had Peter preached to Gentiles, and certainly not this type. Romans! But this was Caesarea, the military headquarters of Judea, and this was Cornelius the Centurion’s house, a man who was in command of a hundred soldiers. God had told Peter to respond to Cornelius’ request to come, but he did not expect such an audience.
Now these Romans had served long enough in Judea to know that a Jew wasn’t supposed to enter a Gentile’s home, so Peter quickly explained that had God had spoken to him and had shown him that he was not to consider a Gentile impure or unclean. Just the day before God had given Peter a vision More
Aug 15 2013
Just say the word!
The Centurion of great faith (Matthew 8:5-13) – an imaginary rendering and important point
With armour glistening in the Galilean sun, a Roman Centurion strode boldly towards Jesus. He removed his helmet and said, “Lord, my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering.” Peter and Andrew flashed their eyes at each other. They knew this soldier; he worshipped the God of Israel and had built a synagogue for the Jews in Capernaum (Lk 7:5). But Jesus didn’t need to know; he could see the Roman’s heart. “I will go and heal him,” he said. The Centurion’s eyes dropped to the ground for a moment as he scanned his mind for a solution. They both knew that a Jew entering a Gentile’s home would create unnecessary problems. The Centurion cleared his throat and said, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof.” Then putting his helmet back on, he looked directly into Jesus’ eyes as only a military man would and said, “Just say the word, and my servant will be healed.” He paused to see if Jesus was understanding. Then said, “I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one ‘Go’, and he goes.” Jesus raised his eyebrows. He was astonished! He turned to his Jewish followers, and said, “I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith!” Then confronting the Centurion, he said, “Go! It will be done just as you believed.” The Centurion gave a small bow, turned on his heels and went. His servant was healed that very moment. More