Read today’s texts first: Ezra 1; Psalms 84, 85; Luke 7
Jesus always speaks with authority and integrity -
what He says He will do gets done!
what He says He will do gets done!
I understand authority. My dad wasn’t domineering, but he was clearly the head of our family. His reputation as WW 2 flight leader over a squadron of B-24 pilots helped bolster our respect. Mostly it was his integrity – what he said he would do, he did.
The Roman centurion in the Luke 7 reading understood authority too. He commanded a “century” of soldiers (100 men) and expected them to obey. Yet there was more to this man than his rank and armor. Behind that tough exterior must have been the soft heart of a seeker. Why else would he build the Jews, their subjects, a synagogue? Why would he care so much for a sick servant? How did he know about Jesus and why would he think this lowly Jew could and would heal his servant?
It takes a leader to spot another one. The centurion had obviously noticed Jesus in action earlier. He recognized that Jesus spoke with authority and integrity. He saw a man of His Word. For someone of such high rank to be so humble and so subservient to a Jew who was his subordinate, shows he knew exactly who he was dealing with.
So did Jesus, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel” (9). “Lord, may I live this day with that kind of confidence in You and Your Word. When the voices of doubt inside my head whisper, ‘says who?’ I want to respond like the centurion, ‘says You!’”
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