An Atheistic Bible Study Of The Gospels Jesus Heals A Centurions Slave

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A story told only by Matthew and Luke, but with very differing details. Both accounts set events in Capernaum shortly after Jesus arrives there. Matthew 8:5-13 A Roman Centurion personally approaches Jesus, telling him that a servant (slave) is seriously sick at home, paralyzed and suffering greatly. Jesus plans to accompany the Centurion to the house to attend to the slave. Jesus does not seem to plan to heal the patient from afar as he did for a man coming to him about another patient earlier in the Gospels. The Centurion is honoured but considers himself unworthy to have the faith healer under his roof. He tells Jesus to just heal with words, and that he is willing to take the healing in good faith even before going home to see his slave. He compares himself to Jesus in so far as being a commanding officer, he can order men to do his bidding. He sees Jesus as someone able to command nature and healing in the same way. Jesus has a number of followers with him who witness this. Jesus tells them that the Centurion ha more faith than any of them. Jesus seems genuinely surprised by the Centurion, who may or may not be a fully converted Christian, though Jesus has not yet stated plans to convert Gentile (non-Jewish follower) to Christ worship. Jesus tells his followers that many of them will not actually prove worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus tells the Centurion to go home and that his servant will be healed when he reaches the property. The chapter end by stating that the slave was healed within the hour. Luke 7:1-10 Here the Centurion does not personally approach Jesus at first. He sends a group of Jewish elders to find and negotiate with Jesus on his behalf. The Elders tell Jesus that the Centurion helped build a synagogue and therefore deserves a favour for his services to the faith. Jesus travels with them to the Centurion’s house and only meets the Centurion outside the property, where the Centurion makes his ‘I am not worthy’ speech rather than letting Jesus enter the house. Again, Jesus sends forth the healing power but this time from right outside the house. Though Jesus never enters, some witnesses do, and they declare the slave is healed. Luke at least tries to give some credibility to the Roman’s relationship to the Jews, rather than having him taking direct interest in Jesus and Christianity. We never see the slave. Matthew says nothing about who witnessed the healing or ever saw the slave sick, apart from his master, the Centurion. The other witnesses have only the word of a few officials as to whether the slave was ever ill at all. Arthur Chappell