The Local Christendom Podcast with Aaron Ventura

The Builder of All Things is GodSunday, August 30th, 2026Fourteenth Sunday After PentecostChrist Covenant Church – Centralia, WAHebrews 3:1–6
Prayer
O Father for too long we have gone our own way, we have wandered from You like lost sheep. We have done our own will, rather than submitting to Your will. Please forgive all our evil choices, our foolish timing, our impatience and ingratitude with Your Kind and Wise Providence. As we hear Your word preached now, we ask that you would give us ears to hear, and a heart to love You as You deserve to be loved. We ask for Your Holy Spirit now, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Introduction
This morning we are pressing pause on our series in the Gospel of Luke. And for the next three months or so, I am going to be preaching on the theme of God Building His People. The title of this series is also the title of this morning’s sermon and that is: The Builder of All Things is God.
As most of you know, on Novembers 1st, Lord willing, we will be moving from this building to a new building, or rather a very old building.
On Novembers 1st, we will say goodbye to this wonderful location here on Seward Avenue, and we will relocate to the building presently known as RE Bennett.
And so while there is a ton of good work being done there throughout the week, and even more work still to be done to prepare that building for us and Christ the King Academy, it would be the easiest thing in the world, to become a kind of Martha in this season, when Jesus wants us to be Mary.
What do I mean by that?
Well recall that Martha and Mary are both disciples of Jesus and close friends with him. Jesus famously raised their brother Lazarus from the dead.
And in Luke 10:38-42 we read this, Now it came to pass, as they went, that [Jesus] entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word. But Martha was distracted about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art worried and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
Do you know the one thing needful for you? Do you know what is most important in life right now, and in every season? Because according to Jesus, the one thing needful that Mary has chosen, is to sit as Jesus’ feet, and hear His word.
What is the point of having a bigger building? Is it to give us more work and bills to be worried about? Is it just to keep us busy? Or is it so that we can have more room for more people to come in and sit at Jesus feet and hear His Word preached? Isn’t that what the church is for? Worshipping the Triune God, proclaiming the gospel, teaching Divine Truth. This is the one thing that Jesus says is most needful for us, because by it we obtain the salvation of our souls.
What does Jesus say to Peter three times in a row in John 21? If you love Me, feed My sheep.
What does the Apostle Paul say to Timothy in his final letter to him? I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
And so if my whole life as your pastor is to be taken up with this ministry of preaching the Word to you, well then your whole life is to be taken up with hearing, obeying, and applying this Word to your life and duties.
The dishes need to be done. Laundry needs to be folded. Bills need to be paid. But what good is any of that work if it is done from a grumbling heart, or a discontented spirit?
Everything we do is worthless if the grace of God is not animating us.This is the difference between Martha and Mary.
So long before any of us forms an opinion about the color of the carpet in REB, or the paint on the walls, or the missing ceiling tiles, or the holes where the birds have made their nests, we must resolve to be a church that is hungry for God, hoping in His promises, zealous to see ourselves and our neighbors converted to the adoration of Jesus Christ, regardless of where we are.
So how zealous are you for the salvation of your own soul? How much attention are you giving to knowing your own sins and growing in God? Martha was a true disciple; she really did love Jesus. But O how easy it was for her to complain to Jesus about her sister. Martha is busy. And busy-ness is good, but not when it is the busy-ness of an anxious and worried spirit.
Mary is busy too. But she is busy with the contemplation of Divine things. She is busy with trying to obtain at all costs the peace that Christ alone can give. Mary is busy learning and worshipping at Jesus’ footstool.
And Jesus says to Martha, Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
So it is this good part, the good portion, the good gospel and Word of Jesus, that I want to keep before your eyes amidst all the busy-ness and labor ahead. There is much good work to be done. There are many good works that God has prepared in advance for us to do (Eph. 2:10). But none of them will actually be good works, if we are not good, if we are not sanctified and walking in love together.
And so here in our text, of Hebrews 3:1-6, we have a fresh opportunity to hear about the greatness of Christ. For here the Apostle Paul extols the supremacy of Christ above Moses. Moses was a great man, even the meekest man on earth in his day. And yet Jesus far surpasses Moses in many ways. And so as we unfold this theme, that The Builder of All Things is God, let us first consider that Builder Himself, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Outline of the Text
Our text divides into two basic sections.
In verses 1-5 we are told Why Jesus is So Great.
And then in verse 6, we are told How We Can Become and Remain a House for Jesus.
Why is Jesus so great? How can we become and remain Jesus’ house.
Verse 1 – Why is Jesus so great?
1Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;
First note the audience Paul is addressing. He is writing specifically to Hebrew Christians. These are people who were familiar with the Old Testament law, but who do not yet understand how Jesus fulfills and surpasses all the types and shadows in the law.
And so Paul writes them this 13-chapter meditation on how and why Jesus is greater than everyone else, and especially why His priesthood, His Apostleship, and His person, is better than every priest, king, and prophet in the Old Testament.
And so he opens this chapter by calling them,holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling.
This is another way of calling them saints and family members in the kingdom of God.
When Jesus saves a person, He saves them into a new family, a new body, a new community and household of faith. And that is what the church is here on earth.
Once you are baptized, you are now related to every other person that is also in Christ. And it does not matter if you like those people or not. You are now family, Jesus says you must now learn to live at peace with them.
Moreover, this relationship goes both ways. You have to love and tolerate them and their quirks and their sins, and they have to deal with you. And so much of the New Testament is taken up with Jesus teaching us how to live as members of one another.
God does not save individuals to leave them on their own. God saves us into a community of faith.
And so here Paul reminds the Hebrew Christians of their new identity. Who are we? Who is Christ Covenant Church? We are holy brethren, and partakers of the heavenly calling.
And that is a very high calling to live up to. How do we do this?
Well, the next thing Paul tells us to do is consider something, that is think, ponder, observe, contemplate, go on a walk and consider this: consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;
This is where all wisdom and godliness finds its source, thinking about Jesus.
Who is Jesus? First, He is the capital A, Apostle, The Messenger of God. Jesus is the Eternal Word in whom all truth is found. Whereas Moses was a human messenger, delivering the law from Sinai, Jesus is the Author of all Scripture according to his divine nature, and then according to his earthly ministry, He is the Apostle of Grace and Forgiveness.
It says in John 1:17-18, For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
So Jesus has more than propositional truth to reveal (He has that), but He also has a new law of love to inscribe upon the heart.
Whereas Moses could only teach the law outwardly to stony and rebellious hearts, Jesus has the power to go inside a person, cut out their heart of stone, give them a new heart, and make them want to keep the law. This is the New Covenant of which Ezekiel prophesied.
Jesus is the Apostle who is sent from the Father to indwell the saints by His Spirit. Moses could never do that. No mere human being could ever do that. But Jesus the Divine Apostle has done that for all the saints.
As Paul says in Ephesians 3:17, May God grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith.
And in Hebrews 13:5 it says, Let your life be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
This is the Apostolic mission of Jesus, He is sent from the Father to be the very life of our souls.
Second, Jesus is also our High Priest. That is, Jesus is our mediator, our go-between. Jesus represents us before God, and Jesus is God for us.
St. Augustine says of Christ’s high priesthood, “Four things are to be observed in every sacrifice—to whom it is offered, by whom it is offered, what is offered, and for whom it is offered. The same one true Mediator reconciling us to God by the sacrifice of peace, was one with Him to Whom it was offered, united in Himself those for whom He offered it, at the same time offered it Himself, and was Himself that which He offered.”
In other words, Jesus is the God to whom all sacrifice is offered, He is the priest who offers it, He is the offering, and He it offers Himself up for us.
Later in Hebrews Paul will explain some of the benefits of having Jesus as our High Priest. Amongst such benefits is the assurance that no matter how much you have sinned, no matter how much evil you have done, no matter how foolishly you have acted, God is willing to forgive you, if you repent and confess your sins to Him.
It says in Hebrews 4:13-16, And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Jesus is the Apostle and High Priest of Grace and Truth. And so whenever you fall short of the glory of God, whenever you fall short of the high and heavenly calling by which you are called, come to Jesus and come boldly to Jesus, because He already knows your sins. You cannot surprise Him with the contents of your confession. He is in heaven, just waiting for you to confess what He already knows you did. And He wants to forgive you. He wants to give you His mercy and grace to help you in time of need.
Now so often God’s mercy comes to us in the form of painful discipline. But the pain of God’s discipline is infinitely less than the pains of eternal punishment, and that’s why we call it mercy. For indeed it is to save us from eternal punishment that God treats as His sons and makes us to suffer some temporal losses and pains.
It says in Hebrews 12:6-11, For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.” If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
So as you consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of your profession, consider also all the good that He is working for you and in you. Not only by the many blessings He gives in hearing and answering your prayers, but also in disciplining you, so that you may share in His holiness.
Now in verses 2-5, we see that Jesus is the one who builds us up as His House. Paul says…
Verses 1b-5 – Jesus is the God Who Builds
consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;
2Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.
3For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house.
4For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.
5And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;
So here we see that Jesus is the Divine builder of everything that is. If the world is a neighborhood, Jesus is the one who built that neighborhood. And if Jesus is the one who built the world, how much honor and glory does Jesus deserve?
Well Paul goes a step further here and identifies the people of God, the saints, the church, as the particular house in which Moses was a faithful servant, but in which and over which Jesus is Son and Builder.
Jesus is a Son over His own house.
All human beings are made in the image and likeness of God, all human beings have sinned and defaced that image of God in themselves, and so the church is God’s remodel project. The church is God’s special house, who Jesus is rebuilding, renovating, expanding, and recreating by His sanctifying grace. And because of this twofold creation, the church owes to Jesus a two-fold honor.
We honor Jesus as our Creator, and we honor Jesus is our Redeemer/Savior.
Now there is great comfort in knowing that Jesus is the owner and builder of the church. Because what do you take better care of? The rental car, or the car you own? What you do invest your time, energy, and resources in, your neighbor’s house, or your own?
Well, when it comes to the church, Jesus is both owner and inhabitant. He is both landlord, and resident. Jesus lives in the house, in the people He has built, and therefore He is jealous and attentive to take care of it.
We are told in Ephesians 5 that Jesus cares for the church as man cares for his own body.
It says in Ephesians 5:25-30, Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.
So Christ’s love for the church is manifest in how He seeks your purity, your holiness, your cleansing and glorification.
Where there are blemishes and sins, Jesus wants them removed.
Where there are spots and wrinkles, Jesus wants a white robe of justice and truth.
Where there is the ugliness of pride and perversity, Jesus wants the beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit.
This is what it means to be the House God built, and the House in which the Holy God desires to dwell.
It says in 1 Peter 1:15-16, But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”
Notice it does not say be holy some of the time, in some of your conduct, when you’re in a good mood. No, be holy in all your conduct. Sunday to Sunday, Sunrise to Sunrise. Live like God in all your living.
So what is your vocation, what is your work, and have you sanctified your labor and your leisure to the Lord?
If your work is lawful, then it can become holy. Paul says in 1 Timothy 4:4-5, For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
So if you are a farmer, God says be a holy farmer. If you are a student, God says be a holy student. If you are a mother a homemaker, God says be a holy homemaker. Whatever your trade, whatever you stage in life, if you are a Christian, you are the one who has the Holy God within you, and by offering all your conduct in thanksgiving to God, that work becomes holy work. The perpetual refrain of a holy soul is thanks be to God.
Finally, in verse 6, Paul exhorts to us persevere in the faith. Life is hard, life is painful, and so perseverance is most necessary for you to remain as God’s House, to remain within the Church. He says…
Verse 6 – How do we become and remain a house for Jesus?
6But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
Notice that the church here is called a house, and not a tent. Tents are temporary dwelling places, they might be fun for a weekend, but a house is meant to be a permanent living space.
Well, when Christ founded the church upon His own sacrificial blood, He made us into His spiritual house. And that means, He wants to live permanently inside of us, and therefore we need to be permanent in our faith.
And so against the many fears and sorrows of this life, we must hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
This means trusting less and less in yourself, and more and more in the power of God. This means hoping less and less for mere temporal goods, and more and more for eternal goods. This means self-denial, mortification, taking up the cross and doing what is honorable even when it hurts.
We are God’s House, but we are not the foundation of the House, thanks be to God. We would have cracked and broken a long time ago. Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. Jesus is the foundation upon which all our faith and hope and rejoicing rests. Jesus rose triumphant over the grace, and He is the living stone upon which we as living stones are built.
Conclusion
It says in 1 Peter 2:4-5, Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
And so I charge you Christ Covenant Church, consider Jesus. When you are shaken, He is firm. When you are uncertain, He is confident. When you are fearful, He is joyful. For He is the one who has suffered everything for the sake of love. Jesus is the one who died to the world to save the world. Jesus knows what death tastes like, and he swallowed it up by His glorious resurrection. Jesus knows you and loves you, and calls you to trust Him, because the builder of all things is God.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Love & ForgivenessSunday, August 23rd, 2026Thirteenth Sunday After PentecostChrist Covenant Church – Centralia, WALuke 7:36–50
Prayer
O Father, we thank You for the gift of faith that works by love. We ask that you would teach us to adore Your Son more fervently, with all the affection, sacrifice, and honor that is due to Him. For we believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that He has authority to forgive our sins, and that upon the cross He died to cancel our debts, and reconcile us to You and to one another. Make this work of reconciliation more abundant in our midst, for we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Introduction
Last week we heard how Jesus divided the crowds by extolling the greatness of John the Baptist. It says in Luke 3:3 that John came preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, and in Luke 7:29-30 it says, And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.
So there is a growing divide in Israel between these two classes of people: 1) there are sinners who justify God, and 2) there are sinners who justify themselves. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), but not all are convinced of this. All are sinners, but not all agree with Jesus about the extent and degree to which they have sinned.
And so here in our text, Luke narrates a story that further illustrates this great difference among sinners. For here we have a woman, whose reputation is such that she is simply called a sinner, and then we have Simon the Pharisee. And the question that hangs over this whole narrative is: Which kind of sinner are you? What kind of debtor are you in relation to God? How great is your debt to Divine Justice, and do you have sufficient funds to pay God back?
This is what Jesus wants you to consider this morning, and so let us pay heed to His Word.
Outline of the Text
Our text divides into two basic sections.
In verses 36-39, we have a contrast between Love and Contempt, The Woman and the Pharisee.
And then in verses 40-50, Jesus gives The Parable of Two Debtors, and he does this to explain the spiritual status of each of these two people.
So first a contrast between Love and Contempt, and then an explanation from Christ for why one person loves, and another does not.
Verse 36
36And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to meat.
First recall the context. Jesus has just criticized the Pharisees for criticizing him. He says in the verses immediately prior, verses 33-35, For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil. The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners! But wisdom is justified of all her children.
So lest anyone thinks that Jesus is unwilling to dine with the Pharisees, here he accepts an invitation to do so, and this is the first of three scenes in Luke where Jesus dines with a Pharisee. So Jesus goes to the Pharisee’s house, and he reclines at table to eat.
Now in the ancient world, the line between public life and private life was quite a bit different than how we live today. And we see that here in verses 37-38, where it is known in the city where Jesus is eating. And by the fact that a woman was able to just show up, come in, and then do what she does.
Verses 37-38
37And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,
38And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
Now however different our social customs might be from the 1st century,this is still an awkward moment for any dinner party. Just imagine if you are the host. You have invited this man Jesus to your house along with other guests, you have all sat down to eat, and then this woman comes in, crying, weeping, so much so that she can wash Jesus’ feet with her tears. That’s a lot of tears.
And then in case you were not uncomfortable already, she lets down her hair, and starts wiping his feet it, and then she starts kissing his feet. She takes her alabaster box of ointment and pours it on his feet.
If you were the host, what would you do? What would you say? What would you think?
Well in verse 39 we are told what Simon the Pharisee thinks.
Verse 39
39Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.
Now it is this internal dialogue, that reveals the condition of Simon’s heart.
Jesus says in Mark 7:21-23, For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
So as pure as Simon the Pharisee thinks he is, as a religious man, the thoughts of his heart expose that he is actually defiled with sin, with evil, with pride.
Notice the two judgments Simon makes in his heart, and also notice how both of them are false.
The first judgment is about Jesus. This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.
Simon presumes to judge Jesus, as if Jesus were less than a prophet, because Simon thinks that Jesus does not know who this woman is. And that’s false assumption number 1. The truth is, Jesus is God. Jesus knows all things. Jesus knows who this woman is. Jesus even knows what Simon is presently thinking.
The second false judgement Simon makes is about the woman. Simon judges her are as a sinner, but as we will see later on, this woman is a forgiven sinner, a former sinner, a sinner whose debt has been canceled, and whose life has been transferred to a state of grace. This woman is actually in the eyes of God no longer a sinner but a saint.
We could also tack on a third false judgment, and that is that Simon assumes Jesus would not touch a sinner. When in reality, this is exactly what Jesus came to do. Jesus came to touch sinners so that his purity could be transferred to them. Jesus came to touch the untouchable, so he could make them lovable. Whereas man only loves what he esteems as good, God’s love is what actually make things good. And Jesus is that good God who has done this for this woman.
So Simon is only judging by outward appearances, or by the rumors he has heard. And all those false assumptions come together and blind him to the truth. Simon cannot see that God-in-the-flesh is sitting at his dining table. The one who created the stars and the galaxies, the forests and the seas, is eating in front of him.
Simon is also blind to the spiritual condition of this woman, and that if he were to see into her heart, and could behold the purity and beauty of Jesus within it, that it would put his own heart to shame.
Or as C.S. Lewis says in the Weight of Glory: “It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree helping each other to one or the other of these destinations.”
Simon has judged this woman a horror, when in fact, God has made her into an everlasting splendor.
Of course, all of these false judgments proceed from a false heart. Simon is self-deceived. Simon is dead in his sins. And worst of all, Simon has yet to admit it.
How does Jesus evangelize Simon here? How does he preach the gospel to him? Well, he does this by a parable, a question, and a loving rebuke.
First the parable.
Verses 40-43 – The Parable of Two Debtors
40And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.
41There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.
42And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly (graciously) forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?
43Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.
So notice that for all of those false judgments hidden in Simon’s heart, Jesus now gives him an opportunity to make a right judgment, and that publicly. Jesus is drawing Simon out. He describes a scenario where there is a creditor and two debtors. And in this parable the creditor represents God, and the debtors represent two sinners.
One debtor owes 500 pence/denarii, which is about 500 days’ worth of wages. Or, about a year and half salary.
And the other debtor owes 50 pence/denarii, so about 50 days’ worth of wages.
And while the difference between the two debts is significant, it hardly matters to the debtors since Jesus says, neither of them can pay. And so the creditor graciously chooses to forgive both the debts.
Both sinners could not pay the Creditor back, both sinners are forgiven, now which one do you think will love the Creditor more?
Simon knows the math, and as a Pharisee he would have known the Old Testament law fairly well, which has plenty to say about debts and slavery, lending and forgiveness. And yet the answer to the question seems so simple, so obvious, it’s as if he wonders that Jesus should even ask him. What is he getting at? With some hesitancy Simon answers, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And [Jesus] said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.
So notice the wisdom of Jesus in evangelism. He starts with the knowledge that Simon presently has, and he gives him a story to help him get a little distance from his own self-deceit. And then once Simon affirms a true principle, he acknowledges the proportional relationship between love and forgiveness, then Jesus cuts to the heart. And here he does that with a searching question:
Verse 44a – The Question
44And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman?
Think about this question. Has Simon seen this woman? In one sense, yes, and in another sense no.
Simon has seen her and judged her a sinner, when in reality what is happening before his eyes, is the parable of the two debtors. Here is a woman who loves much because she has been forgiven much. Does Simon see that?
At present he does not, and this is why Jesus then gives him a loving rebuke.
Verses 44b-47 – The Loving Rebuke
I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.
45Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.
46My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.
47Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
So notice the comparison here. It is between the woman who has been forgiven for many sins, and Simon.
And so when we map them onto the parable, Jesus is saying, this woman is the one who owed 500 pence, and was forgiven, and now look at how much she loves me. But where are you in the parable Simon?
The person who was forgiven 50 pence should still show some amount of love towards the Creditor. But you have shown me no love, no water, no kiss, no oil. Even those common courtesies of hospitality have not been shown to Jesus. And so what does that say about you?
The are really only two answers a person can give to this question:
Either Simon thinks he has no debts to pay to God.
Or, that he has the means to pay those debts off.
In either case, Simon is sorely mistaken both about Divine Justice, and about Divine Mercy.
For as it says in Romans 6:23, For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
There is no way for anyone to pay back to God the debt of sin. It is far too much, and we less than nothing to pay with. Forgiveness must be asked for, and it must be received as gift. As Paul says in Ephesians 2:9, [Salvation is] Not of works, lest any man should boast.
And then once that grace of forgiveness has been received, we become a new kind of debtor to God, we now owe Him the happy debt of infinite love, of infinite gratitude, of everlasting praise, and worship. These are all due to God according to His very nature as Goodness, and they are doubly due for Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.
And so the point of Jesus teaching here is that: where there is no love, there has not been forgiveness. And to the degree to which you know the debt of sin that has been canceled, in that proportion your love for God shall be.
So dear brothers, dear sisters, do you know your debts to God? Have you forgotten all the sins that Jesus died to cancel and forgive? And are you loving God and loving one another in a manner that is commensurate with that great debt you were forgiven?
Jesus says, you love in proportion to the debt forgiven. And so how much love for Jesus do you have?
Finally, Jesus vindicates the woman, and her lavish expression of love. And he does this by giving her the words of absolution, or what we call in our liturgy, the Assurance of Pardon.
Verses 48-50 – Absolution
48And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.
49And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?
50And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.
So to you who are burdened and weighed down with the debt of your sins. Put your faith in Jesus today, ask him to forgive you for everything (sins known and unknown), and to help you see everything that needs forgiving.
It says in 1 John 1:8-9, If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Today can be the day that Jesus says to you these most precious words, Thy sins are forgiven. Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.
This is the whole purpose for which the Son of God became incarnate. To save us from our sins.
And to you have been forgiven, that is most of you here, Don’t you feel the poverty of your love in comparison with this woman? Are you not ashamed of how little your love for Jesus is, compared with the debt He has remitted?
If so, take this woman’s example with you this week. All of us should blush at how ungrateful, blind, and unloving we have been, given the debt that God has cancelled. And so lest become like Simon the Pharisee, go home and do what this woman does.
Wash your eyes with the tears of repentance, thanksgiving, and devotion.
Wash the feet of Jesus, and kiss them, for they are the beautiful feet of which the Isaiah 52:7 speaks, How beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”
These are the beautiful feet, that were nailed to the cross, so that your debt might be erased. And so do what it says in Psalm 99:5, Exalt ye the Lord our God, And worship at his footstool; For he is holy.
Let down your hair, that is your crown of glory (whatever you most esteem about yourself), and cast it before the King of Kings.
Take what is precious to you, the alabaster box of ointment, the oil of your affections, and pour them out upon Jesus.
At it says in Psalm 62:8, Trust in him at all times; ye people, Pour out your heart before him.
And when you have given to Jesus your everything, truly, heart, soul, mind, and strength. Then the words of Song of Solomon 4:10 come to pass, where the Bridegroom says to his Bride (the forgiven church), How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! How much better is thy love than wine! And the smell of thine ointments than all spices!
May God grant you to know and experience the love of Christ, which surpasses knowledge, and bring you safely into his heavenly kingdom. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Love & Forgiveness
Sunday, August 23rd, 2026
Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost
Christ Covenant Church – Centralia, WA
 
Luke 7:36–50
36And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to meat.
37And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,
38And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
39Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.
40And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.
41There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.
42And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?
43Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.
44And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.
45Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.
46My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.
47Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
48And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.
49And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?
50And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.
 
Prayer
O Father, we thank You for the gift of faith that works by love. We ask that you would teach us to adore Your Son more fervently, with all the affection, sacrifice, and honor that is due to Him. For we believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that He has authority to forgive our sins, and that upon the cross He died to cancel our debts, and reconcile us to You and to one another. Make this work of reconciliation more abundant in our midst, for we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
 
Introduction
Last week we heard how Jesus divided the crowds by extolling the greatness of John the Baptist. It says in Luke 3:3 that John came preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, and in Luke 7:29-30 it says, And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.
So there is a growing divide in Israel between these two classes of people: 1) there are sinners who justify God, and 2) there are sinners who justify themselves. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), but not all are convinced of this. All are sinners, but not all agree with Jesus about the extent and degree to which they have sinned.
And so here in our text, Luke narrates a story that further illustrates this great difference among sinners. For here we have a woman, whose reputation is such that she is simply called a sinner, and then we have Simon the Pharisee. And the question that hangs over this whole narrative is: Which kind of sinner are you? What kind of debtor are you in relation to God? How great is your debt to Divine Justice, and do you have sufficient funds to pay God back?
This is what Jesus wants you to consider this morning, and so let us pay heed to His Word.
 
Outline of the Text
Our text divides into two basic sections.
In verses 36-39, we have a contrast between Love and Contempt, The Woman and the Pharisee.
And then in verses 40-50, Jesus gives The Parable of Two Debtors, and he does this to explain the spiritual status of each of these two people.
So first a contrast between Love and Contempt, and then an explanation from Christ for why one person loves, and another does not.
 
Verse 36
36And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to meat.
First recall the context. Jesus has just criticized the Pharisees for criticizing him. He says in the verses immediately prior, verses 33-35, For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil. The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners! But wisdom is justified of all her children.
So lest anyone thinks that Jesus is unwilling to dine with the Pharisees, here he accepts an invitation to do so, and this is the first of three scenes in Luke where Jesus dines with a Pharisee. So Jesus goes to the Pharisee’s house, and he reclines at table to eat.
Now in the ancient world, the line between public life and private life was quite a bit different than how we live today. And we see that here in verses 37-38, where it is known in the city where Jesus is eating. And by the fact that a woman was able to just show up, come in, and then do what she does.
 
Verses 37-38
37And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,
38And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
Now however different our social customs might be from the 1st century, this is still an awkward moment for any dinner party. Just imagine if you are the host. You have invited this man Jesus to your house along with other guests, you have all sat down to eat, and then this woman comes in, crying, weeping, so much so that she can wash Jesus’ feet with her tears. That’s a lot of tears.
And then in case you were not uncomfortable already, she lets down her hair, and starts wiping his feet it, and then she starts kissing his feet. She takes her alabaster box of ointment and pours it on his feet.
If you were the host, what would you do? What would you say? What would you think?
Well in verse 39 we are told what Simon the Pharisee thinks.
 
Verse 39
39Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.
Now it is this internal dialogue, that reveals the condition of Simon’s heart.
Jesus says in Mark 7:21-23, For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
So as pure as Simon the Pharisee thinks he is, as a religious man, the thoughts of his heart expose that he is actually defiled with sin, with evil, with pride.
Notice the two judgments Simon makes in his heart, and also notice how both of them are false.
The first judgment is about Jesus. This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.
Simon presumes to judge Jesus, as if Jesus were less than a prophet, because Simon thinks that Jesus does not know who this woman is. And that’s false assumption number 1. The truth is, Jesus is God. Jesus knows all things. Jesus knows who this woman is. Jesus even knows what Simon is presently thinking.
The second false judgement Simon makes is about the woman. Simon judges her are as a sinner, but as we will see later on, this woman is a forgiven sinner, a former sinner, a sinner whose debt has been canceled, and whose life has been transferred to a state of grace. This woman is actually in the eyes of God no longer a sinner but a saint.
We could also tack on a third false judgment, and that is that Simon assumes Jesus would not touch a sinner. When in reality, this is exactly what Jesus came to do. Jesus came to touch sinners so that his purity could be transferred to them. Jesus came to touch the untouchable, so he could make them lovable. Whereas man only loves what he esteems as good, God’s love is what actually make things good. And Jesus is that good God who has done this for this woman.
So Simon is only judging by outward appearances, or by the rumors he has heard. And all those false assumptions come together and blind him to the truth. Simon cannot see that God-in-the-flesh is sitting at his dining table. The one who created the stars and the galaxies, the forests and the seas, is eating in front of him.
Simon is also blind to the spiritual condition of this woman, and that if he were to see into her heart, and could behold the purity and beauty of Jesus within it, that it would put his own heart to shame.
Or as C.S. Lewis says in the Weight of Glory: “It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree helping each other to one or the other of these destinations.”
Simon has judged this woman a horror, when in fact, God has made her into an everlasting splendor.
Of course, all of these false judgments proceed from a false heart. Simon is self-deceived. Simon is dead in his sins. And worst of all, Simon has yet to admit it.
How does Jesus evangelize Simon here? How does he preach the gospel to him? Well, he does this by a parable, a question, and a loving rebuke.
First the parable.
 
Verses 40-43 – The Parable of Two Debtors
40And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.
41There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.
42And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly (graciously) forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?
43Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.
So notice that for all of those false judgments hidden in Simon’s heart, Jesus now gives him an opportunity to make a right judgment, and that publicly. Jesus is drawing Simon out. He describes a scenario where there is a creditor and two debtors. And in this parable the creditor represents God, and the debtors represent two sinners.
One debtor owes 500 pence/denarii, which is about 500 days’ worth of wages. Or, about a year and half salary.
And the other debtor owes 50 pence/denarii, so about 50 days’ worth of wages.
And while the difference between the two debts is significant, it hardly matters to the debtors since Jesus says, neither of them can pay. And so the creditor graciously chooses to forgive both the debts.
Both sinners could not pay the Creditor back, both sinners are forgiven, now which one do you think will love the Creditor more?
Simon knows the math, and as a Pharisee he would have known the Old Testament law fairly well, which has plenty to say about debts and slavery, lending and forgiveness. And yet the answer to the question seems so simple, so obvious, it’s as if he wonders that Jesus should even ask him. What is he getting at? With some hesitancy Simon answers, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And [Jesus] said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.
So notice the wisdom of Jesus in evangelism. He starts with the knowledge that Simon presently has, and he gives him a story to help him get a little distance from his own self-deceit. And then once Simon affirms a true principle, he acknowledges the proportional relationship between love and forgiveness, then Jesus cuts to the heart. And here he does that with a searching question:
 
Verse 44a – The Question
44And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman?
Think about this question. Has Simon seen this woman? In one sense, yes, and in another sense no.
Simon has seen her and judged her a sinner, when in reality what is happening before his eyes, is the parable of the two debtors. Here is a woman who loves much because she has been forgiven much. Does Simon see that?
At present he does not, and this is why Jesus then gives him a loving rebuke.
 
Verses 44b-47 – The Loving Rebuke
I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.
45Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.
46My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.
47Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
So notice the comparison here. It is between the woman who has been forgiven for many sins, and Simon.
And so when we map them onto the parable, Jesus is saying, this woman is the one who owed 500 pence, and was forgiven, and now look at how much she loves me. But where are you in the parable Simon?
The person who was forgiven 50 pence should still show some amount of love towards the Creditor. But you have shown me no love, no water, no kiss, no oil. Even those common courtesies of hospitality have not been shown to Jesus. And so what does that say about you?
The are really only two answers a person can give to this question:
Either Simon thinks he has no debts to pay to God.
Or, that he has the means to pay those debts off.
In either case, Simon is sorely mistaken both about Divine Justice, and about Divine Mercy.
For as it says in Romans 6:23, For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
There is no way for anyone to pay back to God the debt of sin. It is far too much, and we less than nothing to pay with. Forgiveness must be asked for, and it must be received as gift. As Paul says in Ephesians 2:9, [Salvation is] Not of works, lest any man should boast.
And then once that grace of forgiveness has been received, we become a new kind of debtor to God, we now owe Him the happy debt of infinite love, of infinite gratitude, of everlasting praise, and worship. These are all due to God according to His very nature as Goodness, and they are doubly due for Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.
And so the point of Jesus teaching here is that: where there is no love, there has not been forgiveness. And to the degree to which you know the debt of sin that has been canceled, in that proportion your love for God shall be.
So dear brothers, dear sisters, do you know your debts to God? Have you forgotten all the sins that Jesus died to cancel and forgive? And are you loving God and loving one another in a manner that is commensurate with that great debt you were forgiven?
Jesus says, you love in proportion to the debt forgiven. And so how much love for Jesus do you have?
Finally, Jesus vindicates the woman, and her lavish expression of love. And he does this by giving her the words of absolution, or what we call in our liturgy, the Assurance of Pardon.
 
Verses 48-50 – Absolution
48And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.
49And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?
50And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.
So to you who are burdened and weighed down with the debt of your sins. Put your faith in Jesus today, ask him to forgive you for everything (sins known and unknown), and to help you see everything that needs forgiving.
It says in 1 John 1:8-9, If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Today can be the day that Jesus says to you these most precious words, Thy sins are forgiven. Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.
This is the whole purpose for which the Son of God became incarnate. To save us from our sins.
And to you have been forgiven, that is most of you here, Don’t you feel the poverty of your love in comparison with this woman? Are you not ashamed of how little your love for Jesus is, compared with the debt He has remitted?
If so, take this woman’s example with you this week. All of us should blush at how ungrateful, blind, and unloving we have been, given the debt that God has cancelled. And so lest become like Simon the Pharisee, go home and do what this woman does.
Wash your eyes with the tears of repentance, thanksgiving, and devotion.
Wash the feet of Jesus, and kiss them, for they are the beautiful feet of which the Isaiah 52:7 speaks, How beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”
These are the beautiful feet, that were nailed to the cross, so that your debt might be erased. And so do what it says in Psalm 99:5, Exalt ye the Lord our God, And worship at his footstool; For he is holy.
Let down your hair, that is your crown of glory (whatever you most esteem about yourself), and cast it before the King of Kings.
Take what is precious to you, the alabaster box of ointment, the oil of your affections, and pour them out upon Jesus.
At it says in Psalm 62:8, Trust in him at all times; ye people, Pour out your heart before him.
And when you have given to Jesus your everything, truly, heart, soul, mind, and strength. Then the words of Song of Solomon 4:10 come to pass, where the Bridegroom says to his Bride (the forgiven church), How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! How much better is thy love than wine! And the smell of thine ointments than all spices!
May God grant you to know and experience the love of Christ, which surpasses knowledge, and bring you safely into his heavenly kingdom. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.
 

When God VisitsSunday, August 9th, 2026Eleventh Sunday After PentecostChrist Covenant Church – Centralia, WALuke 7:11–23
Prayer
O Father, we thank You for the compassion of Christ, who sees us in our suffering, who visits us in our death, and who takes us by the hand to lead us to eternal life. Grant us to know Him more truly, to love Him more fervently, and to not be offended by Him in the midst of our doubts, we ask for Your Holy Spirit in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Introduction
Last Sunday we considered the great faith of the Centurion. We marveled with Jesus at the humility of the Centurion, and also how bold his request was. Recall, the Centurion sent for Jesus to come to his house and heal his dying servant, but then on second thought the Centurion sent friends to Jesus saying, I did not think myself worthy to come to You. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed (Luke 7:7). This act of faith makes Jesus marvel, and he turns and says to those following him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel (Luke 7:9).
So Jesus exalts the Centurion as a model of faith for you to imitate. You should aspire to know more intimately your own unworthiness. You should aspire to believe more firmly and confidently that Christ has power to forgive your sins, to heal you from every uncleanness (1 John 1:9), and to make you walk worthy of the calling by which you were called (Eph. 4:1). Jesus wants your faith to grow, and so he gives us many examples and opportunities to help us grow.
Now if we are honest with ourselves, most of us must admit that we are not people of great faith. If we were living in the 1st century, we would probably not be the Centurion Jesus commended.
Instead, so many of us are more like the disciples in Luke 24. Remember that scene, at the end of the book? Jesus has just risen from the dead, but he has yet to appear to everyone. Two of his disciples are walking on the road to Emmaus, and Jesus starts walking beside them, but they don’t realize it.
And after asking about their conversation, and hearing their doubts, Jesus says to them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken…And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
These two disciples receive the most epic Bible study ever given. Jesus Himself expounds the Scriptures starting in Genesis and going through all the prophets. And yet still, they do not recognize him.
It is not until later, when they eventually sit down to eat together, Luke tells us, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight. And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?”
How often is that our state as believers? Jesus is right beside us. Jesus is walking with us. Jesus is teaching us His Word. And yet we do not recognize Him. We are foolish and slow to believe what God Himself is saying to us, and we forget that God is ever present with us to help. He is the one who said, I will never leave you or forsake you, I will give you of my very Holy Spirit (Heb. 13:5, John 14:18).
Or perhaps you are on the fence, you’re not even sure if you are a believer. You are like the father with the sick child in Mark 9:24 who cries out to Jesus, Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!
You have a measure of faith, but even that is mingled with doubts and fears and unbelief. What does Jesus do for us then?
Outline of the Text
Well here in our text this morning, we see how God visits three kinds of people who do not yet have great faith.
In verses 11-13, Jesus visits a grieving widow.
In verses 14-15, Jesus visits a dead young man, the widow’s son.
And then in verses 16-23, Jesus is visited by two disciples of John the Baptist, and they are in doubt as to whether Jesus is who John says he is.
And so here we have three kinds of people, with whom you may relate to more or less: 1) A Widow in her Grief, 2) A Young Man in his deadness, and 3) Two Doubting Disciples. So let us see how God visits them to strengthen their faith.
Verses 11-13 – Jesus Visits A Grieving Widow
11And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people.
12Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her.
13And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.
So first notice the meeting of two large crowds. There is Jesus, his disciples, and many others with him. And then there is a crowd of mourners, a funeral procession, carrying a dead man outside the city. And it is there at the gate of the city of Nain, that these two crowds converge.
The crowd with Jesus is probably joyful, expectant, and still talking about how Jesus healed the Centurion’s servant.
Whereas the other crowd is in the depths of sorrow, they are walking through the valley of the shadow of death. They are sowing the ground with their tears.
For what is the saddest kind of funeral to attend, but one where a parent must bury their own child. Where a young man or young woman in the flower of youth, about to enter adulthood, has their life suddenly cut short.
All the labors of this mother to raise her son, and all her hopes that one day he may care for her in old age, all those hopes are suddenly dashed by death.
Luke tells us this woman is a widow. So she has already suffered the loss of her husband. And so now for her only son to die, a young man now, is to compound grief upon grief. At the funeral of her husband the people could say “at least she has her son.” But what is there left to say now that her only son has died?
We are reminded here of the story of Ruth, and how Naomi says, Do not call me Naomi [which means pleasant]; call me Mara [bitterness], for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.
This widow is in an even worse state that Naomi was. For Naomi at least had Ruth to help her. But this widow has no one. At least, not until Jesus comes to meet her.
We read in verse 13, three actions of Jesus towards this widow.
First, it says the Lord saw her. Here, Luke for the very first time in his gospel, explicitly identifies Jesus as the Lord. So whatever Jesus does it is the Lord’s doing, and what does the Lord do?
In the midst of the crowds, amidst the flood of grief, with all the disorientation that severe loss inflicts upon us, Jesus sees us in our pain.The Lord looks upon this widow, singles her out, and gives her His special and divine attention.
Of this special regard that God has for us in our afflictions it says in Psalm 138:6, Though the Lord is on high, Yet He regards the lowly; But the proud He knows from afar.
And in Psalm 34:18 it says likewise, The Lord is near unto them that are of a broken heart; And saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
The God who is everywhere at all times, who knows all things and upholds all things in their being, is said to pay special attention to those are humble and hurting. Because they are the ones who most feel and know their need for God. Whereas the proud do not.
This was true of Hagar in the wilderness. Remember how she was proud against Sarai, and treated her with contempt, and then Sarai treated her harshly in return, so Hagar runs away. But God meets Hagar and tells her to return to submit to Sarai, and promises the blessing of a son. And it is after Hagar has humbled herself that it says in Genesis 16:13, Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, “Have I also here seen Him who sees me?”
Pride, contempt for others, blinds us from seeing God. But humility opens our eyes and opens our soul to receive His blessing.
So the same God who saw Hagar in the wilderness, now sees this widow in her desolation. And Jesus is that God who sees.
The next thing Luke tells us it that when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her.
When you are in pain, what do you desire but the removal of pain, which the Bible calls mercy, or compassion. And here it says that the Lord co-miserates with this woman. He sees her suffering and makes her suffering his own. This is what Jesus does for us pre-eminently on the cross. This the Divine Compassion.
Yes, it is a comfort to have the sympathies of our friends and community, the flowers and the cards and the kind words, but only God can visit us in the depths of our broken heart. Only God can touch those invisible and spiritual places within us.
This is one of the reasons why the very name for the Holy Spirit is Comforter/Consoler/Advocate, because the Spirit is the healing balm, the oil of mercy, sent from the Father and the Son to comfort us in our affliction. It is the Spirit who lifts us up when we are weak. It is the Spirit who indwells us, and makes us to know that God sees us, God pities us, and God has the power to work great good from these present evils. Isn’t this what He has promised us in His Word?
Well, what does God to say to us when He comes to console us? Well here Jesus says to this woman, weep not.
Do not cry. God is here. Notice how shocking and heartless this might have appeared to those standing around this woman, or even to the woman herself. How can you tell her to stop crying? Don’t you see the body? Don’t you see what has happened? Have you no compassion?
When these words, weep not, come from The Lord, they are an invitation to hope in Him.
It is true that in the moment when Jesus says weep not, nothing has changed. Her son is still dead. Her house is still desolate. Everything feels hopeless. And yet, Jesus comes to her and says weep not as an invitation to hope in Him.
We are never told what this woman thought, or said, or did. She has no words of dialog like the Centurion had, there is no response from this widow recorded by Luke. And I think that is because God wants you to ponder what you would do in this situation.
What do you do, when it feels hopeless, do you believe that God sees you, that God has compassion on you, and that God is inviting you to dry your eyes, to hear his voice, and to put your hope in Him.
We are taught to pray in Psalm 33:18-19, Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, Upon them that hope in his mercy; To deliver their soul from death.
And in Lamentations 3 we are taught to pray likewise, It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
Well in verses 14-15, we see that hoping in Jesus is a blessed hope. For here now he raises the dead son to life.
Verses 14-15 – Jesus Visits A Dead Man
14And he came and touched the bier [that is, the open coffin or stretcher they were carrying]: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.
15And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.
Now what Jesus does physically for this young man, is what he does spiritually for every elect soul. And indeed, if you look at how The Apostle Paul describes salvation in Ephesians 2 (and elsewhere), you will see that it mirrors what Jesus does literally here.
So how does someone go from dead in trespasses and sins to alive in Christ? Well what does Jesus do here?
First, Jesus comes and visits you in your deadness. Before ever you could get up and call out to Him, God comes and says to your soul, Arise.
And by that creative word of omnipotent power, God justifies you, God sanctifies you, God makes your soul upright, so that you like this young man may sit up and begin to speak.
It says in Psalm 116:10, I believed, therefore I spoke. God speaks faith into our hearts, and then from the faith that He has given we make confession to Him. And thus, the words of Romans 10:10 comes to pass, For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
And then once God has made you alive in His Beloved Son, and washed you clean in the laver of regeneration (Titus 3:5), He delivers you to your mother The Church, who nourishes you, giving you the pure milk of the Word, so that raised in the Church Militant you may one day join the Church Triumphant.
As it says in Galatians 4:26, But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
And as Paul says in Ephesians 2:5-6, Even when we were dead in sins, God hath made us alive together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
God in salvation raises us from the dead, He makes us to sit up and speak, and gives us to our mother. All this Jesus does here, miraculously, unbidden, from the compassion of His heart.
And so by this one miracle, two are made whole. The widow receives her son back, her desolation is undone. And the son receives his life back, as a testimony to God’s resurrecting grace.
Now remember that every miracle that Jesus works upon the body, is infinitely less valuable than what He works upon your eternal soul. And so as marvelous as the raising of this son is, you should marvel far more that God raised you from your deadness, and all as free gift of His mercy.
So we have seen how God visits us in our grief. We see how God visits us in our spiritual deadness. And now finally we see how God visits us in our doubts.
In verses 16-23, rumor spreads about Jesus, and word reaches John the Baptist, who is currently sitting in prison awaiting execution. And so for John’s disciples, this is a real crisis of faith. Their leader has been imprisoned, and so they are starting to have some doubts. And so what does Jesus do to strengthen their faith?
Verses 16-23 – Jesus Is Visited by John’s Disciples
16And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people.
17And this rumour of him went forth throughout all Judaea, and throughout all the region round about.
18And the disciples of John shewed him of all these things.
19And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?
20When the men were come unto him, they said, John Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?
21And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight.
22Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.
23And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.
Now some people have thought that John is the one who is having some doubts about Jesus. He is in prison after all,and Jesus has yet to rise from the dead and ascend to heaven. And while that might be possible, I do not hold that view, since it seems to contradict what Jesus says about John in the very next section, that he is not a reed shaken with the wind. He is not a soft man, living delicately in king’s courts. Jesus says, John is a prophet, and much more than a prophet, and, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist.
So I don’t think John is doubting here, I think he knows he must decrease so that Jesus must increase, and so he is sending his two disciples to Jesus, not for his sake, but for their sake. John wants his disciples to believe in Jesus and to become followers of Jesus. And of course, Jesus knows this and wants this as well.
So what does Jesus do for them when they arrive?
They ask him, Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?
So think about how Jesus could have answered this question. He could have just said, Yes, I am he. I’m God. Believe. But he does not do that.
Instead, Jesus chooses to give them reasons to believe. He gives them motives to find His word credible. And he does this in two ways.
First, he heals a ton of people. It says in verse 21, And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight.
They want to know if Jesus is the one the prophets spoke of. And Jesus shows them that He is by many miracles of healing and exorcism.
But he does not stop there. The second thing he does is point them back to the Scriptures the he has just fulfilled. He says in verses 22-23, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.
These are all quotations and references to the Old Testament Scriptures, especially Isaiah and the Psalms.
To give you just a sample, listen to Isaiah 35:3-6, Strengthen the weak hands, And make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are fearful-hearted, “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, With the recompense of God; He will come and save you.” Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, And the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, And streams in the desert.
This is Jesus, the fountain in the wilderness, the one who make streams of grace to flow in the desert.
Or listen to Isaiah 61:1-3,“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, [as he just did for the widow] To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound [as he just raised the young man from bonds of death]; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”
Wherever Jesus goes, God is visiting His people. And because the mystery of the incarnation is so marvelous and incomprehensible, for who could ever imagine that the Infinite Creator and Unchangeable God would take to himself our mortal flesh, Jesus condescends to our doubts, and gives us many reasons to believe that He is God. Most of all he will give us his death and resurrection as the ultimate sign of his divinity.
Conclusion
In closing, you see how few have great faith like the Centurion. The Centurion believed without ever seeing Jesus. He believed on account of what he had heard. That is great faith and with it comes great blessing. As Jesus says to Thomas in John 20:29, Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.
But behold the compassion of God. God knows you have doubts, and so he constantly points you to the Scriptures. He points you to His many mighty miracles, signs, wonders, and all those prophecies that He fulfilled.
As Jesus says to the Jews in John 10:37-38, If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.
So do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God? Or are you offended by Him?Stumbled by his humanity that conceals his divinity?
It says in Psalm 118,The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing; It is marvelous in our eyes.
May God grant you to find this stone precious, that you may be built up upon him and founded upon him, in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

What Is Great Faith?Sunday, August 2nd, 2026Tenth Sunday After PentecostChrist Covenant Church – Centralia, WALuke 6:46-7:10
Prayer
O God, we thank You for the healing power of Your Word, the Word who is eternally begotten from the Father, the Word from which proceeds the Love that is the Holy Spirit, and this same Word who was in the beginning with You, who was made flesh and dwelt among us, who lived and died and lives forevermore. Open our eyes we ask, that we may behold the beauty of Your Son, the Word Incarnate, for we ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Introduction
Last week we heard from Jesus, The Parable of Two Houses, or The Parable of Two Builders. And as we heard that parable again this morning, we are reminded that everyone is building something, but not everyone builds in faith. Everyone in this room is hearing the Word of God preached, but not everyone of you will obey what is preached. This is the difference, Jesus says, between a wise builder and a foolish builder, between a man whose house can withstand the storm to come, and the man whose life is suddenly destroyed. So how you are building your house?
Well here as begin Luke chapter 7, Jesus encounters a living example of a man who built a house. In this instance, the house is a house of worship, a house for God, called a synagogue. Moreover, this house of worship is built from love, the Jewish elders say of him, he loveth our nation and he hath built us a synagogue. Further, this man is a most humble man (he has dug deep), he considers himself unworthy of having Jesus enter under his own personal roof, and yet because he understands how authority works, he believes that Jesus has the power to heal his servant with just a word, but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed, he says.
Jesus marvels at this man and says, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
So if you want to grow in your faith, if you want to build a life that is honest, and firm, and worthy of God, Jesus wants you to consider now the greatness of faith in this Centurion. So that is what will occupy us this morning, answering the question: What is great faith?
Outline of the Text
We’ll divide our text into three sections according to what they emphasize and reveal about the faith of this Centurion.
In verses 1-5, we have The Works of Faith
In verses 6-8 we have The Humility of Faith
In verses 9-10 we have The Reward of Faith.
The works, the humility, and the reward of great faith.
So starting in verse 1, Luke tells us….
Verses 1-2 – The Works of Faith
1Now when he had ended all his sayings in the audience of the people, he entered into Capernaum.
2And a certain centurion’s servant, who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die.
First recall that Capernaum is a city on the coast of the Sea of Galilee (about 100 miles north of Jerusalem). And ever since Jesus was rejected by his hometown of Nazareth (back in Luke 4, they tried to kill him), Capernaum has become the home base for his ministry.
So already Jesus has performed (and we have read about) his many miracles of healing, of exorcism, and his powerful preaching in Capernaum (rf Luke 4:31-33). And so it should not surprise us when we read in verse 3 that this Centurion has heard of Jesus. And based on what he has heard, whether firsthand or second hand, he believes that Jesus is divine, and therefore has the power to heal his sick servant.
We read in verses 3-5…
Verses 3-5
3And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant.
4And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom he should do this:
5For he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue.
Now what exactly is a Centurion, and why does he go about summoning Jesus in this way?
This title of Centurion (ἑκατοντάρχης), literally means Captain/Ruler of one hundred.
In the Roman military, there were varying degrees and levels of authority, above the Centurions were Tribunes and Legates, and below Centurions were other officers, soldiers, and servants.
Back in Exodus 18, recall that Moses father-in-law Jethro, advised this kind of hierarchy of authority to assist Moses in governing the people.
It says in Exodus 18:25, And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
And so this is just common sense for good government (it’s part of the natural law), and it is how a large number of people can all be united and governed under one head.
So this Centurion is mid-level officer in the Roman government. He has a Tribune and the Emperor above him, and he has around 100 soldiers and servants below him.
And it is this grasp of authority, of obedience and submission to authority, that will later ground this Centurion’s appeal to Jesus. Already her believes that Jesus has divine power, more power than Ceasar himself.
Now just as this Centurion is both under authority, and in authority over others, so also are you. This is true for some of you externally (as fathers and mothers, or bosses in the workplace). But it is true for every single person individually and internally. Your mind, your spirit is to meant to be both ruled and ruler. Every individual member and faculty and power of your body and soul, is mean to work together in submission to your head (to reason enlightened by faith).
In the garden, God created man in His own image, and thus Adam and Eve were subordinate to God (submitting their mind and wills to Him), and then as God’s representatives, they were to exercise dominion/rule/stewardship over the earth (Psalm 8).
So before the Fall, mankind had a spirit/mind that was subject to God, and beneath that a body that was subject to the spirit, and beneath that a world of animals and plants that was subject to their rule. That was the original creational hierarchy of power: God over man, man’s spirit over his body, man’s body over the animals and the material world.
However, at the Fall, that divine order of authority was turned upside down. What did Adam and Even do in Genesis 3?
Rather than subjecting their spirit to God, Adam and Eve chose to obey the Serpent.
Rather than subjecting their body to their spirit, they took into their body and ate what God had forbidden.
Rather than Adam following God and Eve following Adam, Adam followed his wife into sin, and thus the whole order of creation was inverted, and ever since that time we have been experiencing the consequences of sin and death.
Our fall into sin destroyed the integrity of our nature. We became alienated from God, alienated from one another, alienated from our own selves. Because we rebelled against God, now our own members are in rebellion against us.
So this unnamed Centurion (real soldier as he was), is also an analogy for every person in this room. And just as this Centurion is great in his faith, so also he represents what God wants you to become.
Because God intends for you to be the commander/ruler of your own thoughts, passions, intentions, and actions. Your mind is like a Centurion, who is to be ruled by God, believing whatever God says, and then justly ruling over everything within your sphere. The Bible calls this fruit of the Spirit, self-control. Can you govern yourself? Can you command your interior soldiers, your passions, your bodily appetites, to obey God? This is part of the lesson Jesus is trying to teach us here.
Listen to how Scripture elsewhere describes your soul in these military terms.
James 4:1-4 says, Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
So notice your life is like a battlefield, and unless you rule those 100 soldiers within you (with their conflicting and competing thoughts, desires, and passions) there will be war, and there will not be peace. You will be a divided person if you do not command your passions to obey Christ.
Listen to how Paul describes this in 2 Corinthians 10:4-6, For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.
He says likewise to young Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:11-12, But you, O man of God, flee these things [referring to the love of money] and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life.
And in 2 Timothy 2:3 he says, endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
So Paul wants every Christian to have the mind of Christ, the mind of a soldier in the Lord’s army, fighting in faith, armed with humility, and then as Centurions under Christ, to bring into captivity every thought.
So do you see how Jesus is meant to come and rule your heart by faith, and that that is where the kingdom of God begins?
Jesus says later in Luke 17:21, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
So outside in the world is the Roman Empire, with its legions and tribunes and centurions and armies. But Jesus Christ is king over all, and his kingdom begins by subduing our minds, and our hearts, and our wills to His power.
This is the more perfect, invisible, and spiritual kingdom of God, which this Gentile Centurion recognizes. He knows by his own vocation as an officer how authority works. And therefore, he believes, even before Jesus has died and rose from the dead, that Jesus has power to heal with a word.
O that we might have great faith like this.
Now we know from Ephesians 2:8 and elsewhere, that faith is always a gift of God’s grace. God’s action always precedes man’s action, and so this Centurion has already been touched by the grace of God.
It is not on the basis of the Centurion’s good works that he receives saving faith, rather it is from saving faith that he does good works. And so here in verses 1-5 we see some of those works of faith manifest. What are they?
First, observe from verse 2, that this Centurion has a genuine concern for his servant’s welfare. It says he was dear unto him. The Centurion valued this servant, who was inferior in rank, but he acknowledging and valued him, even as he would want to be valued if the roles were reversed.
This is a living out of the golden rule. Jesus just preached in Luke 6:31, And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise. And here the Centurion is doing for his sick servant, what he would want to be done for him. Go and get Jesus!
So that’s the first work of faith we notice, kindness, compassion, concern for the life and health of a lowly servant. Loving those subordinate to you as yourself.
Second, observe that his internal faith in God, has built something external, namely a synagogue, a place for the Jews (and others) to hear God’s Word, and to worship the God of Israel.
Recall that Jesus had been preaching regularly in the synagogue(s) of Capernaum, and so it is extremely likely, that this Centurion had funded and built the very place where Jesus has been ministering.
To build a synagogue would have come at significant financial expense. And possibly also at great social expense, since the Jews were not always the best subjects of Rome.
And so this was costly capital, financial and perhaps relational. But the Centurion subordinated his earthly goods to the greater good of worshipping God.
The Jewish presbyters/elders say of him, he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue.
Of course the Centurion did not know that one day he would need to call in a favor from the Jews to go to Jesus on his behalf in hopes that he would heal his servant.
Notice also that the Centurion does not appeal to his past good works, as a patron of the Jews, when he sends for Christ.
No, the Centurion feels himself so unworthy of Jesus, that he sends the Jewish elders on his behalf. Here is a man who has military authority over the Jews, and yet humbles himself to ask them a favor for his dear servant.
All this is just the first motions of humility. For we learn in the next section,verses 6-8, that on second thought, the Centurion thinks he has been too bold, he asked too much. He does not want to presume upon Jesus coming all that way, and so he sends another delegation, this time of his friends, so that Jesus does not trouble himself for the Centurion’s sake. Behold the great humility of faith.
Verses 6-8 – The Humility of Faith
6Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof:
7Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed.
8For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.
This is the appeal of humble faith. And by it we learn that faith is great to the degree that we are humble.
Whereas pride is presumptuous, entitled, expecting favors from God as if we rightly deserve them, the Centurion appeals to nothing in himself, he appeals only to Christ’s power, and on that basis alone, he asks for Jesus to heal his servant.
This is a pure faith. It is pure because it is not mixed with ego, it is not mixed with craving for sensual pleasures. It is asking for God to do for someone else, what only God can do, speak the word and my servant shall be healed.
This is also a pure faith because it comes from love. A love and a value for what God loves and values, in this case, the life of a young servant, dying and at death’s door.
Do you love what God loves, and value what God values, because that is the love that purifies our faith and our prayers to God.
Second, observe that great faith is marked by a recognition of your own unworthiness.
While the Jews say, he is worthy, The Centurion says, I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof.
But think about this. What has already happened inside the Centurion? Jesus has already entered his heart. Jesus has already given him the grace of faith, and that is why he feels himself so unworthy of Christ coming to him in person.
So dear Christian, you who believe, the Bible says that your body has become a temple for the living God, a dwelling place for the Holy Trinity.
So do you realize how unworthy you are in yourself to have God take up residence within you?
Do you realize that you never could have prepared your soul for grace, unless God’s grace first prepared you?
Do you know, down into your bones, that salvation is of the Lord, from beginning to end, and that unless God makes you worthy, you will never walk worthy of Him?
It says in Ephesians 2:5, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
The Centurion says to Jesus, what every person should say to Jesus, I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof.
You are not clean until Jesus makes you clean. You are not alive until Jesus makes you alive.You are not a good Centurion of your soul, until Jesus comes and reigns over you. And even after you live a life of faithful service to Jesus, what does Jesus say that you should say to him?
He says to his disciples in Luke 17:10, When you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’
Obedience to Jesus is your duty, because we are all debtors to grace. And so the more we think of ourselves as Centurions under Christ’s authority, perhaps the more we shall likewise receive the rewards of faith.
Verses 9-10 – The Rewards of Faith
9When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
10And they that were sent, returning to the house, found the servant whole that had been sick.
Observe here the two rewards of faith. Two rewards that you also should seek.
The first is the most important, and that is The Divine Commendation: that is, when God judges you and says well done good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Master.
Notice Jesus commends the Centurion openly, publicly, and marvels at the faith that He himself gave according to His divine nature. And by this he is illustrating what shall happen when he returns in glory to judge the living and the dead.
Jesus says in Matthew 10:32-33, Whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.
And in Revelation 3:3-5, Jesus warns the church to keep the faith saying, Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
So do you have an ear to hear what Jesus says to the churches? And are you obeying what Jesus says? It is by the obedience of faith that you shall receive the reward of Divine commendation. Is this what you are aiming at? The glory of God through faith in Jesus Christ?
That is what Paul says his whole mission of apostleship is. He says in Romans 1:5, By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name.
The second reward of faith is that the Centurion receives what he asked for: His servant is healed. And as Luke records it, Jesus does not even say anything. The friends simply return the house, and find the servant healed.
Jesus says in John 14:13-15, And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. If ye love me, keep my commandments.
And so this is why we still ask God to heal us, to heal those we love. To provide for us in times of need. Because Jesus wants us to ask Our Father in heaven for daily bread, for deliverance from temptation, for all that we need to reach heaven safely.
At times, God says no to our requests or not yet, but it is always because He wants to give us something more, something better, something that will actually serve the salvation of our soul.
In Paul’s case, it was better for him to have a thorn in the flesh, and to rely upon God, than to have no thorn, and run the risk of self-reliance (2 Cor. 12).
And so we ought to pray and ask God for many things. But most of all, we should ask God to give us God. We should ask God to change our desires, so that we ask for those things that are most good for us.
As it says in Psalm 37:4-5, Delight yourself in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.
Conclusion
Jesus delighted in nothing else, but doing the Father’s will. And far from that obedience being a hindrance to his joy, or an obstacle to glory, nobody has ever been more joyful and blessed and glorified than Jesus.
And so be like the Centurion, trust Jesus, honor God, love your servants, build up God’s house, send for Jesus in time of need, acknowledge to Him how unworthy you are to have him enter beneath your roof, and Jesus shall gladly come to you, and make his home permanently within you. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.