Luke 7:7 Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed.
A Different Perspective
There are three perspectives on your life today: the one you have, the one others have, and the one God has. Obviously, the one God has is the most important perspective, but the others aren’t insignificant either.
In Luke 7 we find a fascinating story that illustrates these three perspectives. The Bible tells us the story of a centurion who was a Roman and a man of authority. He had a servant who was dear to him, and who was ready to die because of an illness. The Bible says that he sent the elders of the Jews to ask Jesus to come and heal his servant. When these messengers came to Jesus, they asked Him to heal the servant and told Jesus that the centurion was worthy of this request.
Why did these messengers think that the centurion had worth? Well, he was a man of power, but he was also a man of grace. He wasn’t asking help for his son, but for a servant. Here’s a man powerful enough to have a servant, but gracious enough to care for the servant he had. He also loved the Jewish people and helped build a synagogue for them.
Well, how did the centurion perceive himself? The Bible says that when Jesus was coming to the centurion’s house, the centurion sent friends to tell Him, “Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof: Wherefore, neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee.” So the centurion’s perspective of self was that “I’m not worthy, and I never thought I was worthy.” His perspective was different from that of the messengers who presented his case to Christ.
What was Jesus’ perspective of this man? When Jesus heard these things, He marveled. Can you imagine making God the Son marvel? Jesus said to the people that followed him, “I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.” Even among the Jewish people, Jesus had not found this kind of faith. Perhaps the reason this man had this much faith in Christ is precisely because of the way he viewed himself, and thus, how he viewed the Lord Jesus.
There is a lesson to learn when we bring into focus these three perspectives. People see what I do, but Jesus knows who I trust. You will not impress God with what you do, but you will please God when you trust in Him. If you are trusting Him, you’ll do exactly what you should do by the power of the risen Christ.