Luke 7:1-10
Pastor Kirk
Big Idea: To belong to Christ is to live under the authority of Christ. Discipleship involves learning, but even more important than learning about Christ is learning to live under the authority of Christ. An outsider becomes an insider when they submit.
WHAT? (This is the ability to understand your reactions to the context of the Scripture and the content of the sermon)
- What excites, inspires, or encourages you about the passage? About the sermon?
- What challenges, jolts, confuses, or even offends you about the passage? About the sermon?
SO WHAT? (This is an invitation to dig down deep into the heart of God whose words have endured for thousands of years in order to be specifically spoken into your life this week)
- What does this tell you about God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, the principles of life, and/or sins to avoid?
- Why does this passage matter to your relationship with God today?
- What other Scriptures do you know that support this passage and the ideas presented in it?
NOW WHAT? (This is the discipline of bearing fruit {James 1:22} by bringing the life of Jesus to a faith-starved world through the power of Holy Spirit)
- How can you personally apply what you have learned to your life and spheres of influence?
- What one thing will you do (or stop doing) in the next seven days because of what you have learned and to whom will you be accountable for this?
- How will this reinforce or change the way you pray for God’s guidance for yourself and others?
Questions specific to today’s sermon:
- The lines we draw
Capernaum Rome
Jew Gentile
worthy unworthy
occupied occupier
clean unclean
in the house a far distance away
We construct barriers in our minds and sometimes physical ones such as fences to separate us from others. We block physical interaction, relationships, empathy, action, our ears to listen. Jesus Himself was a victim of geographical prejudice. We remember in John 1:45 when Nathaniel, being called to follow Jesus remarks, “Can any good thing be out of Nazareth?”
What barriers do we construct, consciously or subconsciously, in our lives where other people are concerned? Why do we do this? Are these harmful or helpful?
- Themes of worthiness
The Centurion was seen as “worthy” of Jesus’ help by the occupied Jews because he was tolerant of their beliefs, financially supported them, went above and beyond by building them a synagogue (which would have been very costly to him) and he cared deeply for a slave. When Jesus speaks of the Centurion, why does He not mention any of these qualities? They are unusual for an occupying Centurion. Why is it the faith of the Centurion that He marvels at? What does this tell us about what Jesus values?
If the Centurion had been otherwise – oppressive, intolerant, indifferent to the cares of his household – do you think the Jews would have petitioned Jesus on his behalf? Would you?
Can Jesus find such great faith in you as He did in the Centurion?
- The Occupiers
The Romans were occupiers in Capernaum and their presence was offensive to the Jews. The zealots sought to remove them, and the hope laid on Jesus was that He would throw off their occupation and politically free Israel from their rule. Where do you come from? What part of your geographical heritage makes you acceptable? How does where you come from make you an outsider?
In Regina, if you are not from a First Nation, you are an occupier. The settlers of this nation are the Centurions of our time. Have you, as one of settler heritage, conducted yourself towards the First Nations peoples of Canada in such a manner that if you were in dire need, they would feel compelled to petition on your behalf?
