Inviting people to follow Jesus in a way that follows the example of Jesus requires leaving stereotypes behind by inviting everyone and anyone to trust and follow Jesus...

This week we have been looking at an event from history that is recorded in a section of an account of Jesus life that is recorded for us in the Bible called the gospel of Matthew. As Jesus finished traveling from the place where He had preached His famous sermon to arrive at the city of Capernaum, that Matthew gives us a front row seat to this event from history by explaining that a Roman Centurion came to Jesus. Matthew explained that this Roman Centurion came to Jesus imploring Him and saying "Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented."

As the Centurion watched his closest assistant suffering at the hands of a terrifying and debilitating disease, the centurion recognized that, for all his authority; for all the might and resources that he had at his disposal, there was nothing that he was able to do to help his servant. Helpless to help his servant, this commanding officer of the conquering enemy who was very different from Jesus ethnically, came to Jesus and strongly pleaded with Jesus to do something for him that no one else was able to do.

Jesus response, if communicated in the language we use in our culture today, would have sounded something like this: “You want me, as a Jew, to come under your roof, since you are a Gentile? You want me as a Jew to come touch and heal your servant, who is a Gentile? If you are asking me to do that, I will do that, but are you sure you want to ask me to do that?” You see, under the Jewish Law and customs of the day, for Jewish person to enter the home of a Gentile would have been a cultural taboo. Jewish people believed that they would defile, or corrupt themselves, if they had such contact with a person who was not Jewish.

But now a military leader who was in a position of authority was strongly requesting Jesus to violate a cultural taboo of the day and come to heal his servant. Or so it seemed. Matthew explained that instead of having Jesus come to his house, which would violate the cultural morays of the Jewish culture of the day, this commanding officer of the conquering enemy stated “Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof”.

The issue for the centurion was not about the social status of Jew vs. Gentile. The centurion recognized that under Jewish Law and customs, a Jew was not allowed to enter the house of a Gentile. So, instead of arguing and leveraging his social status, the centurion demonstrated a deep personal humility. The centurion recognized Jesus authority and that he was not worthy as a man, not just as a Gentile, to have Jesus enter into his home. And because of that reality, the centurion engaged Jesus and stated, “but just say the word, and my servant will be healed.”

The centurion believed and trusted that Jesus had the authority to teach, heal, cast out evil spirits, and therefore reasoned that Jesus could heal from a distance. And because of that reality, the centurion trusted that Jesus needed only to say the word, and his servant would be healed.

Jesus responded to the statement of the Centurion by marveling at the Centurion. And as a result of being so amazed and impressed, Jesus proclaimed to the crowds that were following Him, which were almost entirely Jewish ethnically and culturally, "Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel.” Jesus proclaimed that this gentile, this commanding officer of the conquering enemy, had more faith than any of the Jewish people that He had encountered. Jesus proclaimed that this gentile, this commanding officer of the conquering enemy, understood who Jesus was and what Jesus was offering far better than any of the Jewish people that He had encountered. And because of humility and trust that Jesus witnessed in this commanding officer of the conquering enemy who was not Jewish ethnically, Jesus responded by challenging the crowds that were following Him in Matthew 8:11-12:

 "I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; ¹² but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Jesus proclaimed to the predominantly Jewish crowd that was following Him that many who were far from the Jewish people in terms of their nationality, ethnicity, or exposure to God would experience community with those who were Jewish ethnically and who demonstrated the faith to trust in Jesus for all eternity as part of the kingdom of Heaven. However, for those who were Jewish and who trusted and relied on their exposure to God that came as a result of their ethnic or national background would end up separated from God and experience eternal justice and judgment as a result of their wrongdoing and injustice that flowed from their selfish rebellion and rejection of God. 

Jesus painted a picture of the kingdom of Heaven as a place where individuals from every ethnic and national background would be present and welcomed as part of the kingdom. Now, it is hard to underestimate how shocking this statement would have been to a Jewish person in Jesus day. After all, those who were ethnically a Gentile were viewed as subhuman and were referred to as dogs. Especially despised were men such as this Roman Centurion, this commanding officer of the conquering enemy who no Jewish person would even consider entering into their home.

For even someone who was as respected as the Roman Centurion was by the Jewish people, Jesus statement would have left the mouths of the Jewish crowds hitting the floor in stunned disagreement and disbelief. After all, for someone to make such a shocking and stunning statement, that person would have to provide evidence of their authority to even make such a statement.  We see Jesus back His statement with the evidence of His authority to make such a statement in verse 13:

And Jesus said to the centurion, "Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed." And the servant was healed that very moment.

Jesus responded to the centurion by commanding the centurion to "Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed." You see, for the centurion to demonstrate his belief and trust in Jesus and the authority that Jesus possessed would require him to act on that trust by returning home without Jesus. The centurion would have to place His trust in the word of Jesus and return home without the presence of Jesus, which is exactly what he did. Matthew tells us that upon returning home, the Centurion found his servant fully healed and restored to health.

And it is here that we discover a timeless truth when it comes to following the example of Jesus by inviting those who are far from Jesus to follow Jesus and live in relationship with Jesus. And that timeless truth is this: Inviting people to follow Jesus in a way that follows the example of Jesus requires leaving stereotypes behind by inviting everyone and anyone to trust and follow Jesus. In order to invite people to follow Jesus in a way that follows the example of Jesus, we must leave any stereotypes behind by inviting everyone and anyone to trust and follow Jesus.

Inviting people to follow Jesus in a way that follows the example of Jesus requires that we leave any stereotypes behind because every human being bears the image of God regardless of ethnicity or nationality. Inviting people to follow Jesus in a way that follows the example of Jesus requires that we leave any stereotypes behind because every human being deserves to be treated with dignity, regardless of ethnic, national, or religious background.  Inviting people to follow Jesus in a way that follows the example of Jesus requires that we leave any stereotypes behind because Jesus challenges our tendency to stereotype people who are different from us ethically, culturally, and nationally.

Inviting people to follow Jesus in a way that follows the example of Jesus requires that we leave any stereotypes behind because the message of Jesus is a message for all people, regardless of ethnicity or nationality. Inviting people to follow Jesus in a way that follows the example of Jesus requires that we leave any stereotypes behind because the message of Jesus is the only way that provides rescue from our selfish rebellion and God’s right and just response to our selfish rebellion.

So here is a question to consider. Are you willing to invite people to follow Jesus in a way that follows the example of Jesus by leaving any stereotypes behind so that we can invite everyone and anyone to trust and follow Jesus.? Are you willing to take the time to recognize the good qualities of those who do not know Jesus but who are being drawn by Jesus to Him regardless of their ethnicity, nationality, or religious views? Are you willing to invite people to follow Jesus in a way that follows the example of Jesus by leaving any stereotypes behind in order to treat everyone and anyone with dignity, regardless of ethnic, national, or religious background?

Because that is what it means to invite people to follow Jesus in a way that follows the example of Jesus…