EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 8/10/2026
8:55 PM
My
Worship Time Focus:
The Context
of the Centurion’s Amazing Faith”
Bible
Reading & Meditation Reference: Luke
7:1-2a
Message of the verses: “When He had completed all His
discourse in the hearing of the people, He went to Capernaum. And a centurion’s slave”
Luke adds a chronological note that this incident took
place when Jesus had completed all His discourse, and this is
speaking of the Sermon on the Mount which was seen in 6:20-49, in the
hearing of the people is of great significance. The theme of the Lord’s sermon was true discipleship,
and this Roman soldier was a living model of the genuine faith of a disciple of
Jesus Christ. Now everything that Jesus
said was characteristic of a true disciple marked this man, and remember that
this man was a Gentile.
Now after preaching the Sermon on
the Mount, Jesus then went to Capernaum, and that city provides the
geographical setting for this story we are about to look at. Capernaum, which was Jesus’ adopted
hometown as seen in Matthew 4:13, and headquarters for His Galilean ministry,
was located on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee within walking
distance of the hillside where the Lord just delivered the Sermon on the Mount. The name of this city means “city of Nahum,”
but whether it was named for the Old Testament prophet Nahum is not known. We do know that Capernaum was the main city
on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, and was a significant enough town
to have had this centurion with his detachment of soldiers stationed there,
perhaps as many and 100 soldiers. A
royal official (most likely in the service of Herod Antipas, also lived there
as seen in John 4:46. In Luke 10A:15
Jesus rebuked its people for their exalted view of their city’s
importance: “An you, Capernaum, will not
be exalted to heaven, will you? You will
be brought down to Hades!” In
fulfillment of the Lord’s words, Capernaum was eventually destroyed so
completely that its precise location is actually unknown.
Luke’s reference to the centurion
provides the biographical setting for this story. Centurions, so named because they were in
charge of approximately one hundred soldiers, as mentioned, were the backbone
of the Roman army. A Roman legion at full
strength consisted of 6,000 men, and was then divided into ten cohorts of 600
men each. A centurion commanded 100 of
these men, and a legion therefore had 60 centurions, each of whom reported to
one of the legion’s six tribunes (cf. Acts 22:25-26).
(cf. Acts 22:25-26)
“25
But when they had stretched him out for the whips, Paul said to the
centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a
Roman citizen and uncondemned?” 26 When
the centurion heard this, he went to the tribune and said to him, “What are you
about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.”
MacArthur
writes “The Roman historian Polybius described centurions as ‘not so much
venture-some daredevils as natural leaders of a steady and sedate spirit, not
so much men who will initiate attacks and open the battle as men who will hold
their ground when worsted and hard pressed and be ready to die at their posts’
(Histories vi. Xix-xlii, cited in Naphtali Lewis and Meyer Reinhod, eds.
Roman Civilization: Source book 1: The Republic [New Your:
Haprper & Row, 1966] 435).
“Since Galilee was under the rule of
Herod Antipas during the life of Christ, Roman
troops were not normally stationed there. This centurion may have been overseeing some
of Herod’s soldiers, or a small detachment of Roman troops may have been
assigned to Capernaum (Leon Morris, The Gospel According to St. Luke, The
Tyndale New Testament Commentaries [Grand Rapids; Eerdmans, 1975], 136). He most likely was not an Italian, but a
native of one of the nearby territories, such as Syria. That he was a Gentile is clear from verses 4
and 5. He was a career soldier, having
risen from the ranks by proving to be a strong, responsible, reliable man and a
brave, loyal, and skilled fighter. His responsibilities
included keeping order, enforcing the law, and overseeing the collection of
taxes.
“Like all the other centurions
mentioned in the New Testament (Mark 15:39; Acts 10:1-2; 22:25-26; 23:17-18;
27:1, 42-43), this one is portrayed favorably.”
(Mark 15:39; Acts 10:1-2; 22:25-26;
23:17-18; 27:1, 42-43)
“39 And when the centurion, who stood facing him,
saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son
of God!”
“1 ¶ At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius,
a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, 2 a devout man who feared God with all his
household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God.”
“25 But when they had stretched him out for the
whips, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to
flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?” 26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the
tribune and said to him, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman
citizen.’”
“17 Paul called one of the centurions and said,
“Take this young man to the tribune, for he has something to tell him.” 18 So he took him and brought him to the tribune and
said, “Paul the prisoner called me and asked me to bring this young man to you,
as he has something to say to you.’”
“1 ¶ And when it was decided that we should sail
for Italy, they delivered Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the
Augustan Cohort named Julius.”
“42 The soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners,
lest any should swim away and escape. 43
But the centurion, wishing to save Paul, kept them from carrying out
their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and make
for the land,”
“Along
with the centurion in charge of Jesus’ crucifixion, and Cornelius (Acts
10:44-48), he became a believer in Jesus Christ.”
(Acts 10:44-48)
“ 44 ¶
While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all
who heard the word. 45 And the believers
from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the
gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. 46 For they were hearing them speaking in
tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, 47 “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing
these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the
name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.” 8/10/2026 9:32 PM
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