A Roman centurion, a battle-hardened commander who decided matters of life and death, calls in all his influence, not for himself, but for a dying servant nobody else cared about. This scene opens a reflection on two miracles of Jesus from the Gospel of Luke (Luke 7): a healing at a distance, granted to the extraordinary faith of a pagan, and the raising of the widow of Nain’s son, which no one had even asked for. The preacher honestly admits that miracle stories can also be unsettling, and shows that miracles were never the norm, but signs of the coming Kingdom of God. Listen and discover the difference between believing in miracles and believing in the One who performs them.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- The centurion first sends the Jewish elders to Jesus, and then his friends with the words "I am not worthy." What do these choices reveal about him and how he saw himself before Jesus (Luke 7:2-10)?
- In Nain the widow asks for nothing, yet Jesus has compassion on her, touches the bier and raises her only son. What does this scene show about Jesus' heart and the boundaries He was willing to cross?
- Jesus praises the centurion for a faith that needs no touch, only a word. What do this faith and Robert's story teach you about the transforming power of God's word?
- The sermon says miracles were never the norm but signs of God's kingdom and a promise that God will one day put everything right. How does this help you keep praying when the answer doesn't come the way you expect?
- Paweł didn't ask for anything, yet Jesus answered his unspoken needs, partly through other men sharing their stories. Who could you courageously tell this week about what God has done in your life?
- We tend to surround ourselves with people like us. Who, completely different from you, could you reach out to this week, stepping past your own prejudices or fears?
