podcast: https://www.pastorwoman.net/podcast/episode/21f02aa9/auditioning-for-a-new-captain-marvel-luke-33
Okay, let's get our bearings.
One month down in 2025. . . how are you doing with your intention to know your Creator more this year? Do you awaken in the morning and think, 'This is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it!'1 Friend, God promises he will never leave us2 - but have you sought to be in his presence? Hmmm...
Today's a new day - a new opportunity.
We are about 70 days away from marking Jesus' resounding, life altering, time-splitting and life-giving victory over the grave. So let's march with faces set toward Jerusalem and the Palm Sunday path, learning all we can from Luke about our Lord. Hold onto your hat, grab your Bibles and turn to Luke chapter 7 please.
Today, we consider Captain Marvel – What moves Jesus. Luke #33
definition: to marvel - to be filled with wonder or astonishment
We do not know his name, but it doesn’t matter, because this man caused Jesus to marvel. Let’s call him Captain Marvel, and I pray we will learn something from him and of course, from Jesus.
Marvel was not a religious person, in fact he was not even a Jew, but he seemed to be highly esteemed by Jesus, so we have something to learn from him. Fact is, the man was a despised Roman, and a centurion in charge of a hundred men. Centurions were the long-service, regular soldiers of the Roman army, responsible for the discipline and morale of the regiment.3 The centurions were the finest men in the Roman army, and commanded respect wherever they went.
One day, Captain Marvel went looking for help; he went looking for Jesus, because he knew Jesus was the only one who could help him.
Luke describes the scene:
After he had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him. When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue.” And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. For I too 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 servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well." Luke 7.1-10
Why was Jesus amazed by this Roman? Luke says 'he marveled at him'. There were several reasons. First, servants were property—in all actuality, they were slaves, little more than things. Gaius, the Roman legal expert, wrote: "We may note that it is universally accepted that the master possesses the power of life and death over the slave."4
Yet here we have Captain Marvel (our centurion), filled with compassion and love, taking time from his duties to come and seek out Jesus on behalf of his slave. hmmm, Jesus marveled at his genuine kindness and concern.
Second, in coming to Jesus, Captain Marvel showed his willingness to humble himself, even saying, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof…” He recognized his inferiority to the stature of Jesus, and freely expressed it. It is not always easy for men who have power or people who have means, to humble themselves, yet this man, demonstrated great humility.
Most importantly, he exhibited his faith in Jesus’ heart and ability to do the miraculous for his slave, “only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.” And of course, Jesus immediately recognized the centurion’s great faith, marveled at it, and proclaimed in appreciative amazement for all those nearby who observed their encounter. “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.”
Christian friend, your attention? Do you want Jesus to marvel at your great faith? He can and wants to do the unlikely, the impossible, the not-to-be-believed things in our lives in response to our faith. ‘But,’ you say, ‘I want to believe, I want to have more faith…how?’ Start there, ask God to give you more faith. Jesus said, “All things are possible to him who believes.”5 To which a sick boy’s father said, "I do believe; help my unbelief."6 Yes, we are to ask God to grow our faith in him, and he will.
Today I was talking to someone who commented that they never pray for themselves, only for other people. My dear ones, Jesus said, ‘Ask, Knock, Seek,’
and that includes for ourselves. Talk to God each morning—thank him for Who He Is - the Lord God Almighty, your Savior; tell him your needs, thank him for his answers and good gifts in your life. Ask him for wisdom. Ask him to increase your faith. He is always looking to marvel at the faith of his children… really.
"Lord, I believe" - I speak Jesus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JgCy3PtHkI
Christine
Luke #33
1 - Psalm 118.24
2 - Deuteronomy 31.6; Hebrews 13.5
3 – William Barclay commentary, The Daily Study Bible.
4 – ibid
5 - Mark 9.23
6 – Mark 9.24
7 – Matthew 7.7-12
Comentários