Luke 7:1-10 NRSVue
1After Jesus had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. 2A centurion there had a slave whom he valued highly and who was ill and close to death. 3When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him, asking him to come and heal his slave. 4When they came to Jesus, they appealed to him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy to have you do this for him, 5for he loves our people, and it is he who built our synagogue for us.” 6And Jesus went with them, but when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to say to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; 7therefore I did not presume to come to you. But only speak the word, and let my servant be healed. 8For I also am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me, and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and the slave does it.” 9When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him, and, turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” 10When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.
“Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.”
Reflection on Luke 7:1-10
Inspiration from 2024-09-16 Daily Prayer
A centurion, an outsider, with great personal qualities, believed Jesus could help his highly valued slave. This was a man with authority and generosity, who built the synagogue and was held in esteem by the Jewish elders themselves. Lord, may we have the faith to ask others to intercede for us, to pray on our behalf.
The spoken word can be powerful and very influential. Jesus is the Incarnate Word of God, and words can either generate life or destroy life. Human testimony is of great significance, on many occasions. May we believe in the power of the spoken word to bring healing and hope, when used well.