S T A T I O N 8
THE CENTURION
Read
MARK 15:39
And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”
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MARK 9:14-18, 21-27
Jesus Heals a Boy Possessed by an Impure Spirit
14 When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. 15 As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.
16 “What are you arguing with them about?” he asked.
17 A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. 18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”
21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”
“From childhood,” he answered. 22 “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”
23 “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”
24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”
26 The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.
Reflect
During the New Testament era, a Roman centurion was a professional military officer commanding a platoon of troops called a “century”, which could have made up anywhere from nearly one hundred or several hundred men. Soldiers were appointed as centurions by virtue of their bravery, loyalty, character, and prowess in battle. Roman centurions were well paid and held in high esteem.
Here was a centurion who would likely have presided over the deaths of numerous criminals, but none of those deaths were marked by the things that accompanied the death of Jesus. That this soldier recognizes Jesus’ true identity when Jesus dies is remarkable, because many refused to recognize Jesus was the Son of God even after he was raised from the dead!
This soldier likely didn’t have all the pieces of information sorted about who Jesus was. His faith must have been disjointed and weak, but he comes to faith in Jesus as Son of God as Jesus dies.
Earlier in Mark’s account of Jesus’ life, we read about Jesus’ interaction with a father of a boy who is sick. Like the centurion, this desperate father did not have all the answers and his faith isn’t one of confidence, but in an astonishing moment of vulnerability, a loving dad exclaims to Jesus that he believes, but he admits he needs help in his unbelief. His faith, like the centurion’s, was mingled with confusion, and perhaps some doubt.
Maybe, like the centurion and this father, you believe, but you have some doubts, or you want to believe, but you’re confused or hurt. If so, take note of Jesus’ response to the boy’s father: Jesus doesn’t chastise his lack of faith or require a sturdy understanding of the gravity of the moment. Instead, Jesus heals the boy, takes him by the hand, and lifts him to his feet.
You don’t need to have it all figured out to receive the love of God, either. Whether your faith is a bold declaration (“Surely this man was the Son of God!”) or a quiet plea (“I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”), Jesus is waiting, ready to heal you, take you by the hand, and lift you to your feet. Whatever faith you have is enough.
Respond
A breath prayer is a simple way to connect with God using your breath and a few words. Set a timer for one minute and repeat the following breath prayer until your timer goes off:
As you breathe in, silently say: Jesus, I believe.
As you breathe out, silently say: Help my unbelief.