Jesus did not play favorites on the issue of worthiness, yet even so, He did listen to the Jewish leaders of the area in which he enter into a city. Can you imagine for a moment that the Jewish city had found compassion from a Roman Centurion. A man not of Jewish origin, but one that loved the Jews. He care so much for the people that he help them build a temple to worship in. He took care of the people in the village. He was not a mean man but one highly favored by the people. This centurion heard that Jesus was there and had heard those rumors of healing and he had a servant he loved dearly that was near death. He was a man that recognized the authority and power Jesus had. Yet he was also a man of great authority with men under him that he order to go this way or that, and they went. He understood Jesus had power to heal and so need only for Jesus to speak the words and knew it would be done.

Did the Centurion know Jesus was the only begotten Son of God, did he understand He was the Messiah the Word of God. Probably not, but he understood this man was a prophet, healer and teacher. He understood that Jesus had authority over diseases. Jesus fame had reached his ears. To the Jews the centurion was worthy to be heard because of his care of their people. Yet God does not view us worthy or unworthy by our compassion on others. He sent His Son for the entire world to die for our sins. He did not look at people as far as worthiness but healed, delivered, and saved the lost that would hear and listen. The man of nobility got Jesus attention because of the Jewish elders that knew the stories of Jesus ability to heal. A man not of authority was in need of healing, but was a man and servant to a man of authority. One might ask would not a man of lower rank be better off in heaven, yet Jesus would heal him by His Word because of the faith of the Centurion. Centurion was not going to waste Jesus time, he put forth a request and probably expected Jesus to do it. Government people are like that, they expect their authority to never be question, but in America people question even their government.

Jesus healed the worthy servant of his illness, for the man of nobility. Yet Jesus did not do it because he was a Centurion servant. Jesus healed even lepers in scripture, the outcast of Israel. When Jesus healed ten lepers that one that returned to thank him, was from Samaria a region of half Jews and half Gentile people that were not consider worthy to even go into the temple to worship. He was a man of no high priest but in need of Jesus. A people outcasted because of their mixing of nationality. This kind of bigotry still continues in our world today. God is no respecter of persons, yet people judge people worthiness by what they do and say. Doctors that judge based on money or prestige is only after the mighty dollar and those that care about each patient as their own, is one of good character and standing in a community. I seen doctors that fought for a patient despite their income as well as ones that only fought for those with money. It a sad day when hospitals chose worthiness based on income, or insurance.

There a point God loves all people. We have to have compassion for people of all rank. Jesus was only listening to the whim of the religious leaders of the community, something wise to do if you going to talk to the people and heal the people of a community. To have the religious leaders okay in a community is valuable, but not a necessity. Jesus need not religious leaders approval, He was there on the will of the Father for all mankind not just the Jews. Worthiness had nothing to do with those for compassion for the Jews, after all did not the soldier whose ear was cut off by Peter a disciple in garden, find Jesus compassion that very night despite what he was doing to Jesus.

Jesus compassion for his persecutors even to the cross. If anyone was unworthy it would be those that shouted crucify, and allowed his crucifixion to take place. Yet Jesus on the cross said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” Life lesson of worthiness for forgiveness as well as healing. We all are worthy of death due to sin, yet Jesus paid the price for our sin by dying on the cross. Jesus said we were worthy of forgiveness of sin. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. To have a lawyer to go between the Father that says he or she is a child of mine.

Dear Heavenly Father hank you for not choosing us as people do, but choosing us as no respecter of person. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study for Devotion: