Anchor My Faith

Travel Time

Scripture: Matthew 8:1, 6-7; Luke 7:1-6

With this lesson we begin a new major section of study consisting of seven sections. We pick up the narrative with: ^{Lk 7:1} “After he had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, ^{Mt 8:1} he came down from the mountain, [and with] great crowds following him, ^{Lk 7:1} he entered Capernaum.”

Jesus has come to the end of a rather lengthy time of teaching on a variety of subjects and comes down from the side of the mountain where he was positioned a little above the disciples and the multitude of people he was teaching. As he left that location, great crowds followed him as he journeyed on to Capernaum.

^{Lk 7:2} “Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, ^{Mt 8:6} lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.” ^{Lk 7:3} When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. ⁴ And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy to have you do this for him, ⁵ for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue.”

A centurion is a Roman officer in charge of a hundred men. This particular centurion had a servant who was sick, lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly, and at the point of death. This centurion heard about Jesus and his ability to heal people and so he sent to Jesus elders of the Jews, to ask him to come to his home and heal his servant.

The elders went to Jesus and explained to him that this centurion was a kind man who loves the Jewish people and helped build their synagogue. They pleaded with him to return with them to the centurion’s home and heal the servant. ^{Mt 8:7} “And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” ^{Lk 7:6} And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, . . .”

This lesson is being used as a time to travel with Jesus from the place he was teaching the people, at the foot of the mountain, to Capernaum. Once in Capernaum, Jesus is requested to come to the home of a centurion who has a servant that is critically ill and dying. Jesus accepts the request to return with the elders and as they came near the home of the centurion, he sent friends to Jesus with a message that we will begin our next lesson with.

Prayer

Father, this lesson reminds me of traveling home from a busy day at work, and when arriving home, was requested to go someplace to help someone with a problem. Are we willing to respond to that request as Jesus did?