This is one of two times that Jesus is recorded as being astonished.

John 4 says servant and Luke’s account says son. This isn’t a contradiction because it may not be the same people. There very well could have been two different kids that were deathly ill. Also, a person could be a servant and a son at the same time. Ex 21:5-6 is the Jewish custom of a slave becoming a son.

In Roman culture: Freedman class- household servants who became attached to the family and they could marry into or be adopted by the family.

Luke puts these pericopes here to lead up to the interaction with John the Baptist coming up.

This Captain of the Roman military should have been hated by the Jews as their overlord, but he was very loved by the local Jews.

The Centurion’s understanding of Jesus ability to command reality and that He has God like authority astonished Jesus.

Lessons in the passage:

1. The value of humility:

James 4:6,10; 1 Peter 5:6; Col 3:12; Phil 2:3-5; Matt 20:26

2. The ease with which this happened.

We can treat things like an incantation and get loud and bombastic in prayer like it’s going to make God respond.

3. We can have the humility of understanding that we don’t deserve to be in God’s presence, but know that Christ’s sacrifice has made it possible.

Vs 14-17

This miracle is getting the attention of the religious leaders in Jerusalem. This miracle is only recorded in Luke.

Covering for the rawness of mourning is built into the culture with hiring professional wailers.

This miracle is compassion on the mother’s situation of destitution as a widow whose son has died.