Luke 7:1-10 — The centurion in the town of Capernaum had what many of us would love to have. A wonderful reputation, healthy relationships, material prosperity and a compassionate heart all were his. In the world’s eyes he was a good man, and yet there was one glaring deficiency in his life. He didn’t have the answer to death. His beloved servant was dying and there was nothing he could do about it.
The experience of this unnamed centurion is common to all. It doesn’t matter what we have or how respected we might be, none of us have the answer to death. The only person who does is the same person this centurion looked to.
Jesus, and only Jesus, has the answer to death. He is the answer(!) and we need to trust Him. This is what we’re reminded of as we make our way through a familiar story in the Gospel According to Luke.