Not Worthy
Today’s Verse:
Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed. ~Luke 7:7
What do you consider to be your worth? We associate a value to worth. For instance, our world is possessed with knowing our net worth. We think of benefit, cost, meaningfulness, and usefulness with worth. The idea of a zero or a negative worth has the connotation of worthlessness. This morning, we are touched by the life of a man who said, “I am not worthy.”
We see his status.
This man was a centurion. He was reputable. He was a leader among Roman soldiers. He had a minimum of 100 soldiers under his command. He was a rich man. He loved the Jewish people and even helped them to build a synagogue in Capernaum. He was respected and loved. The elders of the Jews commended him to Jesus by saying that “he was worthy for whom he should do this.”
We see his supplication.
He had a servant who was dying. He loved this servant very much. When he heard that Jesus was in his town, he sent to the elders of the Jews requesting that they appeal to Jesus to come to the centurion’s house to heal the servant. His appeal gives us vital lessons on prayer. He felt that he needed men with influence to represent his appeal to Jesus. It reminds me of how the Holy Spirit, as our Friend, represents our inadequacy to the Lord. Praying in the Holy Ghost is relying on Him to make groanings for us which cannot be uttered. It is the Holy Spirit Who makes intercession for us in a way that gives us representation before God. We see that the centurion also prays in dependent faith. His prayer request had no plan B. He said, “Say in a word, and my servant shall be healed.” He was a Gentile who had incredible faith in Christ’s power even though he had never met Him.
We see he was self-effacing.
He told Jesus, “I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof.” For a man of his stature, he demonstrated incredible humility. To say that he was not worthy was to say that he was a man who was worthless. He felt utterly helpless in his situation, and he did not deserve the privilege of Jesus coming to him. Humility and a self-effacing spirit are necessary requirements for honoring God. We must humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He might exalt us in due time. Are you someone who believes that you are not worthy?
We see his success.
Jesus was amazed at the centurion’s faith. At that moment, Jesus healed the servant of his illness. He threw the weight of his dependence upon Jesus to give life to this servant whom he loved. Our greatest success is what we are able to accomplish in the Lord for other people. It is a privilege to intercede for the salvation and health needs of people whom we love. It is glorifying to our Lord when He sees us humbling ourselves and casting our complete dependence upon Him for every need for us and those we love.
We see a standard.
This centurion is a standard for powerful praying, humility, and faith. Jesus commended his faith by saying that He had never seen “so great faith” in Israel. Let us do away with having a high esteem of ourselves, an entitlement mindset, and trying to solve our problems. Remind yourself in times of crisis of how you are not worthy, and cast yourself upon the Lord.
Have a humble God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Luke 12-13