![]() Over the body and life of his servant (a non-Jewish man, from a conquering nation).The centurion believed Jesus had authority: It really is incredible to think about the implications of Jesus’ authority in this situation. He had actual power and the right to do what he was doing, rights and power that came from God. That idea might sound self-evident to you, but it has been one of history’s most disruptive ideas.)īy calling Jesus “Lord” and acknowledging his authority, the centurion demonstrated that he understood Jesus wasn’t just some loose cannon acting on his own and teaching good ideas he’d dreamed up while meditating. When we say such things, we claim that there are limits to human authority – that all individuals have their own rights, their own authority, which kings etc. (This, by the way, is why claims that “all men are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights” derive from the Bible, and also why they were so explosive. While we can set up wrongful authority (rooting it in power, for example), if you trace rightful authority back far enough, it always takes us to our Creator. ![]() He recognized Jesus’ authority as being analogous to his own in that it too came from above.Īuthorization must be rooted in something or someone beyond ourselves and above ourselves. The centurion had authority derived from his superiors in the military, and ultimately, from the Roman emperor. This leads us to the next point, which is … Authority Comes from AboveĪuthority, or the right to act, comes from somewhere. In fact it was Jesus’ exercise of supernatural power that caused many to recognize his authority – he had to be getting that power from somewhere, so either it came from the devil, or it came rightfully from God. Generally speaking, though, the two go hand-in-hand. But you might not have power – if, for example, you’re disabled, or too broke to buy paint, or just flat out of time. You have the right to do whatever you want with it. You, on the other hand, have the authority to paint your house any color you like. But I don’t have the authority to do that, unless you give it to me. To make the difference clear: I have power to come over and paint your house purple. It’s different from power, which is the ability to act. Put simply, authority is the right to act. While the two are often connected, they’re not the same. We tend to conflate authority (Gr: exousia) with power (Gr: dunamis) and assume that having authority means having power. What is authority? Authority and Power Aren’t (Quite) the Same “For I too am a man under authority, having soldiers under my command.” The centurion goes on to recognize Jesus’ authority, declaring that Jesus only has to say the word in order for his servant to be healed. ![]() But it does indicate serious honor to the one addressed and serious humility from the one addressing. To be clear, this doesn’t mean that every time someone used the word “Kurios” they were identifying the person as God. Here we have a Roman centurion, an officer in the Roman army (which is occupying and governing Israel at this time) calling a Jewish man “Lord” – Master, Owner, Supreme One. The Greek is kurios, deriving from a root that means “supreme.” The Greeks used it to mean master or owner to refer to God or gods and as a title for the Roman emperor.Ĭatch that. The centurion tips us off to his unique view of Jesus with his use of the word “Lord.” Lordship and Authority: What’s Really Being Said Here In order to really know the Lord and relate to him properly, we need to see the same thing. In a nutshell, what the centurion saw was Jesus’ authority. And what he saw he was incredibly significant. In other words, the centurion saw something in Jesus that most people didn’t, at least not at this point in his ministry. We’re later told that Jesus responds to this man’s “great faith” with amazement. The centurion’s approach is our starting point: “Lord,” he says in effect, “you have authority to heal.” Like the story of the leper, this encounter is rich in meaning. The second of Jesus’ post-Sermon encounters is this one, with a Roman centurion. I say this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.” (Matthew 8:5-9) For I too am a man under authority, having soldiers under my command. But only say the word, and my servant will be cured. ![]() “Lord,” the centurion replied, “I am not worthy to have You come under my roof. When He entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, in terrible agony!” ![]()
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