More Teaching and Miracles

Though related in meaning this is a different miracle than what is seen in Matthew and John (below). A centurion in the New Testament was assumed to be a man of good character (Luke 7:4; 23:47; Acts 10:2; 27:43). This centurion was concerned for his "servant." The Greek means "slave." This centurion was a humane man who was concerned about the well-being of his slaves.

In Luke 7:5 we see that the centurion "loves our nation." This was an attitude unusual in a conqueror. We also observe the expression that he "built our synagogue." The centurion was interested in Jewish worship. He may even have been a "God-fearer' (a Gentile who attached himself loosely to the synagogue and worshiped the true God but who was not circumcised and had not become a Jew in the full sense).

In comparing Luke 7:6-8, in Matthew 8:5, the man comes in person. Matthew implies that what a man does through his agents he does himself. In Luke, the messengers are important because they show the man's humility (Luke 7:6-7). As stated in the Matthew account, the centurion was familiar with the concept of authority exercised at a distance (Luke 7:8).

It should be noted that only twice in the Gospel accounts is Jesus said to have been amazed: here at the faith of a foreigner (Luke 7:9) and in Mark 6:6 at the unbelief in Nazareth.

Hughes says:

Why was Jesus so amazed?

The mans background. He was an uncircumcised Gentile, raised without the benefits of the covenant, without the glorious synagogue tradition, without the Scriptures that were the lot of every Jewish child raised in a devout home (cf. Deuteronomy 6:4-9). Yet he had faith!

The man's occupation. He was a soldier, an instrument of the oppressive pagan establishment. As an officer, he wielded considerable power. He was not the kind to naturally come to Christ in humble, amazing faith. But he did!

The man's wealth. Riches are not a spiritual advantage, because they foster a this-world attachment. Jesus later said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God" (Luke 18:24, 25). But, by the mercy of God, this centurion, this unusually rich soldier, had gone through the eye of a needle. Amazing!

The man's certainty. The certitude of his faith was expressed in stark simplicity: "But say the word, and my servant will be healed" (Luke 7:7). This was the dynamic dual certainty of faith given in Hebrews 11:1- future certainty: "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for" - and also visual certainty: "and certain of what we do not see." The Roman saw Christ's invisible spiritual power, and he saw his servant as being made whole by Christ's word. Amazing! His faith was like that of Noah and Abraham and Moses.

Here, for all to see, are the fundamental perspectives of a faith that pleases God - it sees itself, and it sees God. Such faith is transcultural - it is the same for Jews and Gentiles. And it transcends time - it is a spiritual reality then and now.

This is the first of three instances of Jesus' raising of the dead (Luke 8:40-56; John 11:1-44); such miracles were powerful Messianic signs (Luke 7:22). However, these "resurrections" differed markedly from that of Christ, for these three persons were only temporarily reunited with their mortal bodies, eventually to die once more. As the first to be clothed with an imperishable, spiritual body (1 Cor. 15:42-44), Jesus is indeed the "firstborn from among the dead" (Col. 1:18; cf. 1 Cor. 15:20).

Jesus went to a town called Nain. Nain is located approximately 6 miles south southeast of Nazareth and about 25 miles from Capernaum. In Luke 7:12 a dead person was being carried out. Luke used a technical term here for carrying out a corpse for burial. The dead person was the only son of his mother. Luke provided this description to reveal not only the emotional loss of the woman but also the desperate economic straits she was now in. With neither a husband nor a son to care for her, she would have had no means of support. She was a widow (cf. Luke 4:25-26; 1 Kings 17:10).

A large crowd from the town was with her. Attendance at a funeral was considered a work of love and the mourning for an only child would have been especially bitter. By his mention of the large crowd, Luke further heightened the tragedy and revealed that the things he recorded in Luke-Acts were "not done in a corner" (Acts 26:26).

In Luke 7:13, we once again see the term "Lord." Luke in narrating this account picked up the term "Lord" from the previous account (Luke 7:6) and used this favorite postresurrection title to describe Jesus. This is not surprising because for Luke and his readers the Jesus of this story and the church's risen Lord were one and the same.

Jesus' heart went out to her. The woman's dire situation caused Jesus to have compassion on her. This compassion, however, was no condescending pity but rather a loving concern. Jesus said, "Don't cry." This command anticipates that Jesus would do something. Jesus then went up and touched the coffin; not a closed coffin, but rather a bier or litter used to carry the body outside the city to its burial place (Luke 7:14). Touching a dead body made one ceremonially unclean (Num. 19:11, 16), but Jesus ignored this convention. Jesus says, "Young man, I say to you, get up!" In this healing, unlike the preceding one, no mention is made of anyone's faith. This shows that Jesus' healings ultimately were not dependent on the faith of the person being healed but on his own power and might. His grace alone. By his word alone the sick were healed and the dead raised.

The dead man sat up (Luke 7:15). Jesus' purpose in performing this miracle was not to witness to who he was but rather to show compassion toward this woman. However, even though this was not Jesus purpose, the miracle does in fact function as a sign of who he is both in the original situation and for Luke. This is evident from Luke 7:22. For Luke the healing serves as a sign of the arrival of God's Kingdom and its Messiah King. In Acts such implicit signs of the arrival of the Kingdom and of its King give way to a more direct proclamation of their presence.

The man sat up and began to talk. This is proof of a miracle. Jesus gave him back to his mother. Compare 1 Kings 17:23 (LXX), where we observe the exact wording (cf. 2 Kings 4:36).

Everyone was filled with awe (Luke 7:16). Literally, fear took possession of all. This fear was not terror but holy awe (cf. Luke 1:65). They praised God (cf. Luke 2:13, 20; 5:26).

Luke then reports on the phrase, "A great prophet has appeared among us." Luke did not understood this title as an inadequate confession but as indicating that Jesus, as Elijah in 1 Kings 17:17-24, possesses God's unique authority and power. Whether this is an allusion to the prophet of Deuteronomy 18:15-18 is uncertain. For the comparison of Jesus to Elijah, see Luke 4:24-26. For the description of Jesus as a prophet, see Luke 4:23-24; 7:39; 9:8, 19; 13:33; 22:64; 24:19; Acts 3:22; 7:37. Like the Old Testament prophets, Jesus was concerned for the poor, and he would later be put to death as the Old Testament prophets were (Luke 4:24; 6:22-23; 11:47-51; 13:33-34). Note though, that the title "Lord" in Luke 7:13 shows Luke's belief that Jesus was more than a great prophet.

God has come to help his people is a common Old Testament expression describing God's actions on behalf of his people (Exod. 4:31; Ruth 1:6; Psa. 106:4; cf. Luke 1:48).

This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country (Luke 7:17).