Who exactly is heaven for? We picture ourselves there without difficulty, yet almost all of us also keep a quiet list of those we are certain we will not meet. This sermon looks closely at the Roman centurion in Capernaum, an occupier and a pagan, number one on the list of the excluded, whose faith genuinely astonished Jesus and whom he held up to his own people as an example (Matthew 8). Listen if you want to see what truly opens the way into God’s kingdom, and why the invitation reaches further than we assume.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- Who was the centurion to the Jews of Capernaum, and why was it so shocking that Jesus was willing to talk to him and enter his house?
- What in the centurion's words, "just say the word, and my servant will be healed," amazed Jesus, and how was his faith different from those who asked Jesus to come and touch?
- The centurion respected the Jews and their religion, cared for his servant, and protected Jesus from becoming unclean. Which of these attitudes moves you most, and why?
- Jesus says many will come from east and west, while the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown out. How do these words challenge our certainty about who will be in heaven?
- The story of Adaś, whom other children kept out of the kids' meeting because they called him a pagan, shows our tendency to exclude. Where do you notice this tendency in yourself or around you?
- Who around you is hard for you to imagine in God's kingdom, and how can you show that person respect or invite them closer to Jesus this week?
