Highly Valued 

Luke 7:2

New International Version

There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die.

For Encouragement

This is remarkable. A high-ranking Roman soldier literally begged Jesus for healing on his servant girl’s behalf. Unbelievable! He was a centurion with about eighty to one hundred soldiers under him, while she was a poor Jewish girl with no rank, just a servant in the Roman officer’s household. What drove his concern for the servant girl, if not love?

First, she was not the officer’s daughter—no blood relationship to drive him like the Syrophoenician mother who pushed aside all resistance to get deliverance for her demon-possessed daughter (Mark 7:24-30). A mother’s heart for a daughter is understandable; but this Capernaum girl was not the centurion’s daughter. She was a servant in his household!

Second, the power to heal was in this Jewish Rabbi, whom he did not know. Why should he belittle himself before the carpenter from Nazareth? Wasn’t it humiliating? What would his soldiers think of him?

Third, this Roman commander, who had status to protect, had to go through some Jewish elders to get his request to Jesus. That was a double whammy. But he did! None of these concerns held the officer back from seeking help for his servant. He was prepared to suffer every humiliation necessary to get the servant girl the healing she needed.

The girl was sick and dying. That was critical enough to look beyond the social cost for her healing. Most importantly, the Bible says the officer highly valued the servant, so he went to Jesus. Isn’t that remarkable?

Besides the officer’s faith, which Jesus highly commended, and his heart for human life, the centurion valued the girl enough to love her like his own daughter. Perhaps she was an amazing, personable person whose service rivaled that of Joseph (Genesis 39:3-6)—the Holy Spirit does not tell us. What we have received is how valuable she was to her master, and that is something we can also do for those in our services—domestically, in business, and church. That is what Jesus has done for us, undeserving as we are.

Our situation was worse. The servant girl was sick and dying, but we were dead in our transgressions and sins. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, has made us alive together with Christ. By grace we have been saved (Ephesians 2:1-5).

God has done everything to save us from death through Christ Jesus (Romans 3:23; 6:23). Jesus  emptied Himself, took the form of a servant, and faced the ultimate humiliation on the cross for us (Philippians 2:7-8). His humiliation and suffering to save us are unequaled, and because of His love for us, He has put a high value on us, not because of anything we have done, but because of His love and grace.

So, rejoice and praise the Lord. Thank Him for His amazing love and bounteous grace through Jesus, and share this love with all around you and beyond. Thank your service workers today, whether they’re cleaners in your office or your home. Let them know how much you appreciate them; and let it also remind you of how much God values you through Jesus. Amen.

Pray with Me

I cannot thank you enough for placing such high value on me to do all you have done through Christ Jesus. Help me value others for your name’s sake. My hallelujah belongs to you, because you deserve it. Amen.