Verse 1 Jesus finishes his teachings in the Sermon on the Mount and comes to Capernaum (Cah-purr-num).

Verses 2-5 Most Jews didn’t like Romans because of the way they ran the country. Romans were oppressive towards Jews. But this Roman was different. He was a centurion, an army officer in command of about 100 men. The centurion had demonstrated his love for Jewish people by building them a synagogue here in Capernaum.

Many of the non-Jews (Gentiles) were drawn to the Jewish religion because they believed in one God and their teachings had morals. These Gentiles feared God and participated in Jewish practices but they didn’t convert to Judaism (Jewish religion). This might have been because one of the practices in Judaism is to be circumcised.

This centurion who was a Gentile was loved by the Jews so when his beloved servant was sick and he needed Jesus, he sent the Jewish elders, people with dignity and authority in their religion, to urge Jesus to come. The centurion wasn’t sure if Jesus, a prophet, would respond to an uncircumcised Gentile. So the elders plead with Jesus to come and heal the servant. They tell Jesus how worthy this centurion is of favor because he loves the Jews and he even built a synagogue for them.

Verse 6 The centurion had a high view of Jesus and a very humble view of himself. He felt unworthy to have Jesus in his home. This was very different than how the Jewish religious leaders treated Jesus. They were very critical of Jesus’ teachings and who Jesus claimed to be.

Verses 7-8 The centurion fully believes that Jesus has the authority and power to heal with even one word. And the centurion tells Jesus he, himself is a man with authority over an army and he doesn’t have to be present to command them to take action. He can say one word like “go” and they act. The centurion believes Jesus has that kind of spiritual authority to speak one word and healing would take place.

Verses 9-10 Jesus is amazed at this Gentile’s faith. Jesus had never come in contact with someone who believed like this. Remember that this centurion had stopped Jesus while he was far off to tell him all this. When the messengers arrived home, they found the servant healed. Jesus had healed him from a distance and rewarded this man’s faith by doing exactly what the centurion believed He could do.

Jesus can heal deep things in our souls with His Word. We hold healing in our hands when we pick up the Bible. His words heal wounds, pain, twisted thinking, selfishness, deep sins that have been carried on for generations. The list can go on and on with what Jesus can do with His Word. One Word can heal – forgiveness, love, gratitude. These are just a few.

The other day I was caught up in heaven and my soul experienced so much healing with the words “The End”. God the Father, Jesus His Son, and the Holy Spirit were all at the beginning of time. They are known as The Beginning. And the Bible tells us they will be at the end of time. They are also known as The End. I was reflecting on Jesus as my beginning, knitting me in my mother’s womb before she was ever born. He formed my body and put that first breath in my lungs. All my beginnings in life, like beginning to walk, beginning to talk, beginning school, beginning relationships, beginning a job… are all found in Jesus. He was there and He held all my beginnings in His hand. And at this moment, my heart can feel the weight of heaven and the tears flow as I acknowledge Jesus is my End. Jesus was at the end of my time in school, at the end of my time in my parent’s home, at the end of all my jobs, and at the end of every relationship with His arms open for me to crawl up in with my tears. He was waiting at the end and in the end. And He will be at the end of all my life circumstances to come. I don’t know all the endings that lay ahead, but I know Jesus will be there. And He will be at my final end on this earth. This is healing to my bones to think of Jesus in my endings and as my end. No matter what it feels like at the moment, He will be there with me, Immanuel (God with me). Many times endings hurt but there in the hurt I will find my healer. He is safe. And anything that finds its ending in Jesus’ hands is safe. This is comforting to my soul. He is in every ending. He is The End.

Verses 11-12 Only the book of Luke mentions this story. After healing the centurion, the next day Jesus, his disciples, and a large crowd walked to the Galilean town of Nain, not far from Capernaum, where a funeral was happening (side note: Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth is in Galilee too, which is now present-day Palestine). The mother of this dead son was a widow with no other children, so she would have no one to support her now.

Verses 13-15 Jesus’ compassion quieted her tears and commanded her son to get up. And instantly the dead son sat up in his coffin and began to speak. Out of all the miracles we have read about so far in Luke, this is the first time Jesus raises someone from the dead. Jesus speaks a word and the man rises up. Here’s something we can apply to our spiritual life that is dead in sin without Jesus’ healing, without Jesus’ word. We cannot raise ourselves from a dead life by any power of our own. We cannot read enough self-help books. We cannot go through enough counseling. We cannot strive to remove the death that has found its way into our thinking and nestled into the depths of our hearts. Only the power of Jesus – His Word that is written down in the Bible and the Word He speaks to our heart through his Holy Spirit – can lift us out of that life of sin. He calls out “arise” to us and through His Spirit works inside us to carry our thoughts out of the valley of death – depression, sin, hurt – and into life and light. He walks with us in life-giving pastures. (Psalm 23) There is power in His Word to do this restoring work in our soul. You may be sitting with your Bible or in church one day with burdens weighing down your heart and the pastor delivers a word from God that completely shifts every weight, every thought, every sadness in your spirit and seemingly makes it light again. That is His mercy, His grace, the miracle in His Word. And when we receive that Word, let us be a people who open our mouths (like this son) in praise and thanksgiving.

As I finish typing this, the ‘random’ song “Psalm 23” is just beginning to play in my headphones. Nothing is random. This is a reassuring word from God.  So let me include that Psalm here because it has raised my spirit from many dead places in life. It is worth clinging to, memorizing, having near always:

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” ‭‭Psalm‬ ‭23:1-6‬ ‭ESV‬

Verses 16-17 The crowd was in awe with godly fear and respect. The goodness and greatness of God were on display. Jesus breathed life into a dead man with one word: Arise. I can’t help but believe it may have breathed hope into many of the witnesses who had been waiting for the Messiah. This miracle was no doubt by the hand of heaven. They glorified God at that moment. Notice again that this miracle happens when the glory will honor God. These miracles are not for nothing. God isn’t in the business of performing miracles for nothing. “So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11) God is not in the business of letting his work stop with a miracle or provision. His work is for His glory, and His glory alone. He declares that His work will perform and return with praise. It will not come back to Him empty.

Lastly, about death itself. All who have their faith in Jesus will rise again in glory one day. So we shouldn’t mourn as those who have no hope. All issues of death belong to Jesus. All our endings find their hope in Jesus!

Prayer: Jesus, thank you for your grace, your mercy, your goodness that follows us, that chases us down all the days of our lives. Thank you for Your Word, for the miracle that is found in just one breath from heaven. Thank you for speaking to our spirits and raising us out of the dead thoughts that weigh down our souls. Thank you for not leaving us here on our own. Thank you for Your presence, for drawing near, for comforting us, for knowing just what we need, and taking all that we don’t need – every anxiety, every burden, every hurt. We breathe out praise and breathe in Your peace. Thank you, Jesus. Fill us up with the wonder of Your miracles in our lives, Jesus. Speak “Arise” to the remaining dead places and lift us from the dead to new life in You, Jesus. We want the centurion’s humility and faith. Help us to see ourselves as not worthy and yet full of belief that You can heal us all the way from heaven. One Word from You, Jesus, and our lives are changed forever. Your Word shatters every bit of stability we have found on this earth and is the only rock we can stand on that will not crumble. Here we are waiting for you, Jesus. Speak to us. Confirm our faith with Your Word today. Yours is the kingdom, the power, and glory, God. We adore You, Jesus. In Jesus’ name, Amen.