A Foundation of Grace: By Grace Through Faith

Now when He concluded all His sayings in the hearing of the people, He entered Capernaum. And a certain centurion’s servant, who was dear to him, was sick and ready to die. So when he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to Him, pleading with Him to come and heal his servant.  And when they came to Jesus, they begged Him earnestly, saying that the one for whom He should do this was deserving,  “for he loves our nation, and has built us a synagogue.”

Then Jesus went with them. And when He was already not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying to Him, “Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof.  Therefore I did not even think myself worthy to come to You. But say the word, and my servant will be healed.  For I also am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, “I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!” And those who were sent, returning to the house, found the servant well who had been sick.-Luke 7:1-10 (NKJV)

This is a very interesting story.  We can learn so much about the time period by reading this account.  And this is a very simple picture of law and grace.

Remember that according to John 1:17, the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.  The Jewish elders would have been following the law of Moses, but when Jesus came things changed.

A centurion was a Roman soldier who over 100 men. This one lived in Capernaum, a place Jesus visited frequently.  He had probably already heard about Jesus or come in contact with Him even. We are told he had a sick servant, who was dear to him.  This affection prompted him to seek help for him, which already tells us something about the posture of his heart, to care for a servant.

The centurion sends the Jewish elders to Jesus, and they came to Him, which tells us that there were Jewish leaders there that believed in Him.  They may not have had a full picture of who He was, because of the way they approached Him.  They approached Him based on the law.

They come to Jesus, and they start telling Jesus He should help the man based on what the man has done, based on his works.

And when they came to Jesus, they begged Him earnestly, saying that the one for whom He should do this was deserving,  “for he loves our nation, and has built us a synagogue.”

So, what does Jesus do.  He goes with them!  Because that what Jesus does.  He is a healer.  But when he gets close to the house, the centurion sends more people to him saying he is not worthy to have Jesus come under his roof.  He sends the message to just say the word and he knows his servant will be healed.

He was not looking at himself!  He was not looking at his actions or deeds!  He is looking to the person and grace of Jesus! At the end of the story, Jesus commends him for his faith. Knowing the grace of God produces faith.

Ephesians 2:8 says,

For it is by grace you have saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.

This story is a beautiful picture of that scripture!!

And the servant was healed.  Grace causes healing to flow.  Knowing Jesus causes healing to flow.

To read more in the series, please join me here, at A Foundation of Grace.

31 Days of Healing: Grace Causes Healing to Flow

The southern pool of the pools of Bethesda and fifth porch as seen from the south.

Photo courtesy of Lightstock and BiblePlaces.com.

After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had. Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”

The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”

Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked.

And that day was the Sabbath. The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed.”

He answered them, “He who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your bed and walk.’ ”

Then they asked him, “Who is the Man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place. Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.”

The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.-John 5:1-15 (NKJV)


I might like this story a little bit.  This makes the second time I have written about it in my series on 31 Days of Healing.  You can find the other post here.

This passage of Scripture has been a little confusing for me in the past, and I think for some other people as well. But recently, I looked at it again, and things I believe are significant opened up to me. I want to share those with you today.

It is important to note the setting of the event. We are told that the man is at the pool of Bethesda. The word "Beth" in Hebrew means "house." And the word "hesed" has multiple meanings including mercy, love, grace and kindness. So, the man was at a pool named "The house of grace." Also, the Bible says that there were 5 porches there. Five is also the number of grace in the Bible.

The sick man in this passage of Scripture had been that way a really long time, 38 years. That is longer than Jesus had been alive. Some people have surmised that he could have made it into the water if he wanted it badly enough. That may have been why Jesus asked him, "Do you want to be made well?" Because some people don't want to.

His answer though suggests he didn't have anybody to help him. He was just there. At this point in my walk, I don't think it is as significant to wonder why he hadn't been healed by being in the water already. However, I think it is very important that we examine how or why he got healed when Jesus came into the picture. I think this story is painted for us by the Holy Spirit to demonstrate how we can get healed too.

The man didn't know who Jesus was. So, it wasn't his faith in Jesus that healed him, like we see in other stories. But his story does have something in common with some of the other stories we are told about Jesus- freedom from the law.

Repeatedly we see Jesus healing people on the Sabbath. That made the religious leaders so mad, because they did not think Jesus could be from God because He was "breaking the law." He didn't come to break the law, but free us from it. In John 5, Jesus tells the man to pick up his mat and walk. It was unlawful for Jews to carry their sleeping mats on the Sabbath, because it was considered work. When Jesus said that to him, he was made well immediately! Immediately. I love that word. Immediately that man was freed from the power of the law, and Jesus put him under grace instead.

Grace causes healing to flow. It causes forgiveness and it causes healing. Throughout the Scriptures we see these two side by side, forgiveness and healing.

Jesus came to bring grace, and to remove us from living under the law. The Bible says that,

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”),-Galatians 3:13 (NKJV)

Everything that Jesus did during His earthly ministry was a picture of what would be available to us as New Testament Believers.

As New Testament Believers, we are not under the law, but under grace. And grace is what causes healing to flow.

For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.-Romans 6:14(NKJV)