03.15. Back in Galilee

Back in Galilee

Upon returning north, Jesus was again in Capernaum when he met an officer of the Roman army who asked him to heal a critically ill servant. The man knew that if he, an army officer, could exercise imperial authority to command his soldiers, Jesus could surely exercise divine authority to heal the servant. He merely needed to issue a command and the servant would be healed.¹

Jesus was impressed with the simple confidence of the Roman officer. A foreigner had more faith than the Jews.² In fact, the Jews of Capernaum (and Bethsaida and Chorazin, other Jewish towns in the part of Galilee where Jesus did much of his work) were heading for a terrible judgment. Predominantly non-Jewish towns such as Tyre, Sidon and Sodom may have been morally worse than the predominantly Jewish towns, but the judgment on them would not be as severe, because they had not been blessed with the extensive ministry of Jesus among them.³ The lesson is that people in a position of privilege will be judged more severely if they reject the opportunities given them. Whether in mercy or judgment, God often acts in ways that complacently religious people do not expect.

Even those who were in many ways closest to Jesus, such as his mother, brothers and sisters, were at times slow to understand what he was doing and saying. He did not conform to their ideas of the Messiah, and they thought he was suffering from some form of religious extremism. Conservatively religious people today would be equally surprised if they realized the sort of radical life Jesus has called them to. It is a life that puts his interests before personal well-being, family relationships, community prosperity and national self-interest, but it is the only life of true discipleship.⁴

1. Luke 7:1-8

2. Luke 7:9-10 3. Matthew 11:20-24 4. Mark 3:20-21; Mark 3:31-35; cf. Luke 14:26-27

Synagogue ruins, Capernaum