-/\/\-----------------------------------------------------------------
\ / HEARTLIGHT(R) Magazine -- http://www.heartlight.org/
--\/------------------------------------------------------------------
May 24, 2009
|-- Hurt By Infidelity? -----------------------------------|
Want to stop the pain and rediscover hope?
Then click on the following link, and at no charge,
receive specialized resources which build hope,
stop painful thoughts and redevelop trust.
|-- http://ads.heartlight.org/email/176/ ------------------|
=========================== TODAY'S ARTICLE ==========================
Memory and More, by Phil Ware
The Centurion stood sheepishly before the governor, Pontius Pilate. He
had not asked for this duty. His century of men were elite troops of
Rome stationed in Caesarea. Caesarea was near the coast, beautiful,
felt more like home, and was far away from this dangerous and harsh
place called Jerusalem.
With rumors about the Nazarene named Jesus floating in the air, King
Herod had asked for a stronger Roman military presence during the
Passover feast. When the Jewish Ruling Council had sent Jesus to Pilate
and screamed for his execution, Pilate had sent the Centurion along
with his men to keep the peace and oversee the execution. His job was
to keep the peace and confirm to Pilate that the Nazarene was dead.
Watching over the death detail was beneath his station. The Centurion
was professional soldier, not an executioner and prison house lackey.
When ordered to carry out Pilate's sentence on the Nazarene, he had
expected the worst. Reality proved him right.
Ranting and raving, insults and cruel jokes, with three men dying the
slow death of crucifixion were expected. Earthquakes, darkness at
midday, and the eerie sense of something much bigger happening had set
the Centurion on edge. The look in the Nazarene's eye, however, was
what tugged at his heart. Jesus had said, "Father forgive them, they
don't know what they are doing." Then the Nazarene had looked right at
him.
As the death detail cast lots for his clothes, as the religious
powerbrokers hurled their insults, as the other two criminals cursed
and screamed at the crowd, the Nazarene had prayed for their
forgiveness -- his forgiveness! Then this dying Jesus had looked at one
of his friends and told him to take care of his mother. He then looked
to the heavens, and seemed to give his spirit up to some unseen deity
-- this God whom he called Father. In that moment, this
battle-hardened, best of Rome's fighting machine hero, surprised
himself. "Surely this was the Son of God," he heard himself say.
Now that Jesus' death was confirmed, Pilate was sending him back to
Golgotha. He in his silver burnished armor, a rich man named Joseph in
his fancy clothes, along with a man in all of the religious garb he had
seen earlier. Only thse two men were allowed to take down the body of
the Nazarene from cross and bury it. The Centurion and his men were to
accompany them. This was "to ensure that nothing happened with the
body," Pilate and the High Priest had emphasized.
So here he was again, the Centurion at the foot of a fowl smelling,
blood-stained, instrument of torture to take down a mutilated body.
Somehow, he still he felt drawn to this Nazarene. In a weird way, he
even felt connected to the rich guy and the religious man even though
their lives were worlds apart.
Could it get any stranger -- this death detail that must now oversee
the burial of an executed Nazarene to be placed in a borrowed tomb?
Somehow, the Centurion knew this story wasn't over. Even when his men
rolled the stone across the door to the tomb and sealed it shut, he
knew he hadn't heard the end of the Nazarene.
Little did the Centurion know that the strange pull of faith on his
heart would be challenged and enlivened with what was about to happen
over the next few days. "Surely this Jesus is the Son of God," he heard
his heart say it again. In the coming weeks, many would come to agree
with him.
Is that exactly how the story happened? I'm not sure. That's how I put
it together in my imagination after looking at the different accounts
of Jesus' crucifixion focusing on the role of the Roman Centurion --
see the account from the Gospel of Mark at the bottom of this article.
But for me, there is a bigger issue for you and me.
On this Memorial Day Weekend, let's remember that soldiers in Jesus'
day recognized something powerful and commanding about Him -- like the
Roman Centurion who confesses Jesus as the Son of God. In fact, in the
early years of the Jesus movement, we meet three Centurions who all
demonstrate some level of faith in Jesus:
* The Centurion with the sick servant who recognizes Jesus' authority
(Luke 7:1-10).
* The Centurion at the Cross who confesses Jesus as the Son of God (Mark
15:37-37).
* The Centurion named Cornelius who becomes the first Gentile
disciple recognized by the church leaders in Jerusalem (Acts
10:1-48;Acts 11:1-18).
On this Memorial Day Weekend as folks remember the sacrifices of those
who paid the ultimate price for their loyalty to USA and it's ideals,
let's remember Jesus. Let's recognize what those Centurions saw in
Jesus in their day:
* That we can receive the Lord's help with appreciation and
confidence knowing He has the ultimate authority to bless our lives
(Luke 7:5-10).
* That we can trust that Jesus is the Son of God who has died on the
Cross to share God's life with us (Mark 15:37-39).
* That no matter how good our life may appear (Acts 10:22-23), Jesus
calls each of us to receive the Holy Spirit and be baptized based
on our faith (Acts 10:34-48;Acts 11:15-18).
----------------------------------------------------------------------
LIFE Group & HomeGathering Questions:
Which of the three things do you need most to do with Jesus?
* ... receive the Lord's help with appreciation and confidence?
So what are you going to do with Jesus?
* ... believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died for you?
* ... respond to Jesus' offer grace by believing in Him, receiving
His Spirit, and being baptized?
What does it say about the kind of man that Jesus must have been if
career soldiers in Rome's army believed and followed Him as their Lord?
* Why do you think Jesus has been portrayed as a wimpy and weak man
for the most part in art and in movies?
* How do we know this is not a true portrayal of who Jesus was?
* What events in the life of Jesus help you best picture Jesus as a
strong, powerful, person with the personal authority to make to
make things happen?
* Women were also powerfully touched by Jesus and even supported
Jesus, yet Jesus was not accused of being sexually immoral with
women or "under the thumb" of women. How do you think he avoided
these accusations?
Which of the three stories of the Centurions in the New Testament is
your favorite story and why?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Mark's account of the Roman Centurion at the Cross:
The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And
when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he
died,b he said, "Surely this man was the Son of God!"
Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary
Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joseph, and
Salome. In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his
needs. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were
also there.
It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as
evening approached, Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the
Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went
boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. Pilate was surprised to
hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked
him if Jesus had already died. When he learned from the centurion
that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph. So Joseph bought some
linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and
placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against
the entrance of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of
Joseph saw where he was laid
(Mark 15:37-47 TNIV).
Image used above is from sculpture by José Antonio Hernández Navarro.
---------
(c) 2009 Phil Ware <phil@heartlight.org>. All rights reserved.
RELATED LINKS:
* Faith
http://www.heartlight.org/wjd/matthew/0404-wjd.html
* Who is That Man?
http://www.heartlight.org/feature/sf_981014_man.html
* A Letter from the Front Lines
http://www.heartlight.org/feature/feature_971119_letter.html
* Southern Hills Church of Christ
http://www.southernhillschurch.org
This article can be found on the web at:
http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200905/20090524_memoryandmore.html
=========================== FEATURED PRODUCT =========================
WOW HITS 2006, by Various Artists
They're here---all the chart-topping radio hits by your favorite
Christian artists! Two CD boxed set.
http://shopping.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/link?250
Find more great books, CDs and videos at the Heartlight store! With
each purchase you make, you're helping to support Heartlight's
ministry. Thanks SO MUCH for your help!
HEARTLIGHT DAILY EMAIL /\/\
===============================================================\ /===
http://www.heartlight.org/ \/
Visit HEARTLIGHT on the web for even more articles, plus music,
devotionals and more for your Christian walk!
ABOUT HEARTLIGHT:
Heartlight, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) religious non-profit organization.
Donations are welcome and tax-deductible! Find out how to help!
http://www.heartlight.org/support
EDITOR: Phil Ware, phil@heartlight.org
HOW DO I SUBSCRIBE?
It's FREE! To subscribe send a blank email to:
join-heartlight@maillists.heartlight.org
HOW DO I LEAVE?
To unsubscribe send a blank email to:
heartlight-unsub@maillists.heartlight.org
STILL HAVING TROUBLE?
If our automated unsubscribe system isn't working for you,
send an email to mailmaster@heartlight.org and let us know
what list you would like to leave. We'll take care of you.
======================================================================
