Scripture Passages
Overview
How easy is it for you to give up control? What was it like the last time you did it? Did you do it on your own or was it something you were encouraged to try? In our lesson for today, a high-ranking soldier came to Jesus for help. He was either desperate or had grasped a concept that many others had not. His statement to Jesus would change his life and that of others. What did he say? Get ready to jump into God’s Word and witness a miracle.
Opening Activity:
What Happened This Week?
Have the students answer the following questions:
- What is the weirdest thing that happened to you this week?
- Would you rather have a million dollars or a superpower? Explain why.
- What makes a person a great friend?
- What is the longest you’ve ever gone without eating?
- Which would you rather go without for a week: Cell phone or internet? Why?
Questions
- Were you surprised by any of the answers your classmates gave?
- How often do you think about your own or someone else’s priorities?
Transition
Jesus could have healed everyone. Why didn’t He? Jesus came to seek and save the lost, but not everyone wants to be saved. In our lesson today, Jesus reminds us that His priorities may be different from ours. What principles can we learn so that our priorities and His are more in line with each other?
Bible Study Guide
Read Matthew 8:5-13.
5 When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. 6 “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.”
7 Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?”
8 The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. 11 I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that moment.
Questions
- Who are the major players in this story?
- Who needs to be healed? Was this an odd request?
- Considering that the Romans were an occupying army, is the centurion’s request reasonable?
- What is the centurion saying to Jesus when he suggests that Jesus doesn’t need to go to his house?
- In this story, what is the definition of faith?
- Explain what Jesus means when He says the “kingdom of heaven” was prepared for Israelites.
- What is Jesus saying about who is going to be in heaven?
Read Matthew 12:22-28.
22 Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. 23 All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”
24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.”
25 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? 27 And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
Questions
- Who does the crowd think Jesus might be?
- What is the Pharisees’ response to Jesus casting out the demon?
- What is the important message Jesus is attempting to point out to the Pharisees in this story?
- What is the major theme for each of these stories?
- In what way do these stories show us the character of God?
Application
The centurion has the most incredible faith. He knows that he doesn’t deserve Jesus’ help, but he perseveres in seeking it anyway. Jesus does the unimaginable by healing the servant boy of a Roman officer. This story makes us ask, why was this particular servant important? Instead of asking, Jesus recognizes the man’s faith, and the illness is defeated. Jesus points out that the centurion has more faith than many in Israel. How could this be? Jesus is pointing out that one’s belief in Him surpasses culture and outward appearance. If Jesus isn’t judging on these things, then, should we?
Have you ever hated someone so much, you were unable to see the good they were doing? The Pharisees did just that. Maybe it seems like such an obvious trap that you would never fall into it, but . . .? These stories are included in scripture so that we can learn from the mistakes of others. Yes, even us!
Faith is an important character trait to have. It’s not in limited supply. Whether you are the centurion, Gentile, or Israelite, there is hope and salvation in Jesus. And that’s where the faith comes from as well!
Follow Up
Think about the two stories in this week’s lesson. How is your faith quotient? What do you wish you could say to Jesus? Take time this week to write Him a letter, spend some quiet time praying, or share your faith with someone else.
Scripture Passages
LEADER’S NOTE
For a Relational Bible Study (RBS) you’ll want to get into the Scripture passage and encourage the youth to imagine participating in the story while it’s happening. Then you will be able to better apply it to your own situation today.
You will need to ask God for the Holy Spirit to be present as your small group discusses the questions (no more than 3-6 people in a group is recommended). Start with the opening question. It is a personal question and the answer is unique for each individual. There is no right answer and nobody is an expert here, so don’t be surprised when you hear different responses. You are depending on the Holy Spirit to be present and to speak through your group. Say what God prompts you to say, and listen to what others share.
Take turns reading the chapter out loud. Follow that with giving the students some time to individually mark their responses to the questions (a PDF version of the handout is available as a download). This gives each person a starting point for responding when you start to share as a group. Next, begin the discussion by asking the students to share what they marked and why on each question as you work your way through. Feel free to take more time on some questions than others as discussion warrants.
Encourage each person in the group to apply what is discussed to their personal lives and to share with the group what they believe God wants them to do. Then ask them to pray that God will help each of them to follow through in doing so. Remind them to expect that God will show them ways to live out the message of this passage in the coming week, and that they are free to ask others in the group to help hold them accountable.
Be sure everyone takes time for personal applications before you end your Sabbath School time together.
Overview
While He was here on earth, Jesus had many enemies, but also many supporters. As word spread about His miraculous acts and His vast wisdom, people flocked to Him, holding on to a shred of faith that they too could find peace and healing in Jesus. These people came from various backgrounds, Jews to Gentiles, poor to rich, society members to outcasts. In today’s story, we see a man, presumably from a rather comfortable or wealthy socioeconomic position, show tremendous faith in the Savior. We find this Gentile Roman centurion intervening for his servant who is paralyzed and ill. Thinking that the best way to reach Jesus is through the Jews, he sends some of them to ask Jesus for help. As they lead Him to the centurion’s house, which is an option that Jesus Himself presented, the centurion sends word that he only wants Jesus to say the word and has confidence his servant will be healed. Christ was amazed by this man’s extreme faith and made it a lesson to all the unbelievers who were confident they were already “chosen.”
The story of the centurion’s faith is one that should inspire and amaze us all today. The contrasting details in both retellings are not meant to confuse; instead, they are meant to provide pieces that some may have seen to make the story more cohesive. The story Luke tells directly fits into the one Matthew tells, completing the story perfectly like pieces to a puzzle. Through this story, God wants us to learn to have faith in Him. Just as in the declaration Jesus makes after hearing the tremendous faith of this centurion (v. 10), anyone can come to Christ; you do not have to be a specific race or type to become a child of God and be saved. All you need to do is have the faith of a mustard seed (or a centurion), and you are on the road to Paradise!
A Centurion’s Faith
What is an experience that has strengthened your faith in Christ?
Read Matthew 8:5-13.
5 When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. 6 “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.”
7 Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?”
8 The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. 11 I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that moment.
Read Luke 7:1-10.
1 When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people who were listening, he entered Capernaum. 2 There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. 3 The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. 4 When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, 5 because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” 6 So Jesus went with them.
He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. 7 That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
9 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” 10 Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.
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What is important about the title, status, and/or ethnicity of the main character?
- He is a centurion.
- He is a Roman.
- He is a Gentile.
- He is rich and powerful.
- He is loved by the Jews.
- He is not of the same faith.
- He is all of the above, but he is still an outsider taking a leap of faith.
- He is hated by the Jews.
- Other.
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What is important about the person who he is interceding for?
- He is merely a servant.
- It shows the caring nature of the centurion.
- It shows the general character of the centurion.
- It shows that the centurion only cares about the rich and powerful like himself.
- It shows that the centurion is a good person.
- He only wanted the servant healed for selfish reasons.
- It shows that he cares about everyone around him, much like Jesus does.
- It shows he cares about those who are suffering.
- Other.
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What is one difference between Matthew and Luke’s accounts of this story?
- Matthew didn’t speak about the Jews who spoke for the centurion.
- Luke didn’t speak about who was ill.
- Luke used more detail in the story.
- Matthew records Jesus’ response to the initial plea; Luke does not.
- Luke provides more backstory, but Matthew provides more dialogue.
- They are the exact same retelling.
- Matthew provides more detail in Jesus’ response.
- The two stories contradict each other.
- Other.
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How did the man approach Jesus?
- With tremendous fear.
- Through others because he was a coward.
- Through others because he thought it would help his cause.
- With tremendous faith.
- By himself at the dead of night.
- With a lot of humility.
- Through others because he felt unworthy.
- With faith and confidence.
- Other.
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How did the man relate his job to Jesus’ job?
- He considered it the same.
- He related their positions of authority.
- He related their positions of authority, but recognized Jesus’ superior authority.
- He thought himself at the same level as Jesus.
- He showed he understood the system Jesus operated with.
- He used his job to justify his faith.
- He used it to explain why he wanted his servant back.
- He used it to explain his knowledge on Jesus’ authority.
- Other.
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What is significant about Jesus’ response to the man?
- He thinks this man is better than the Israelites.
- He sees more faith in this man than He sees in the Jews.
- He uses it as a threat to force others to believe in Him.
- He is amazed at the faith this man has.
- He uses it to warn the people around Him about the consequences of lacking faith.
- He uses it as a lesson to the others about what true faith is like.
- He uses the situation to speak on the importance of faith.
- He uses it as a lesson, but never ends up healing the servant.
- Other.
- What does this story teach you about faith? Does it matter that you are part of a church? Does that automatically give you faith? What is the true definition of having faith to you?
- Once you know what exactly it means to have faith, you must develop it. What are other factors that you can infer from the centurion’s behavior that can help you develop your own faith?
Application
1. DIFFERENT VERSIONS.
As you continue your journey through Jesus’ ministry in the Gospels, pay close attention to how each “take” complements the others. In this story, we are comparing two different takes of the same event: Matthew’s and Luke’s. (Luke collected his information from another disciple, presumably Peter.)
- Try to note the different details in each retelling and reflect on how they complement the story altogether.
- How does this help you understand the Bible?
- What does this tell you about the events that each person is recounting?
2. FAITH OF A CENTURION.
A centurion is classified as a military officer who has charge over 100 soldiers. Finding 100 reasons to have faith is not at all unfeasible, but it may be a bit of a challenge at first!
- So, start with ten.
- Try to write down ten reasons that you have faith today, or over the course of the next few days.
- Each time you have ten, make sure to pray about it and thank God for always being there for you!
3. PRACTICING FAITH BUILDING.
Building their faith is an experience each person must go through to become a true Christian. Sometimes, it can be hard to find where to start truly trusting. The easiest way is by reading others’ experiences, whether it be in the Bible or from another believer.
- Every day, find a building block to your tower of faith by asking others what helped them build faith.
- On some days, take time to dive into the stories in the Bible and see how these characters learned to have faith in God.
Before you know it, you will have a skyscraper of “faith blocks” that you can lean on anytime!
Power from the Parables
Created by NAD Youth Ministries
The Bible is such an amazing book full of life lessons, practical ideas on living, and power for overcoming in the face of adversity. Power from the Parables is for teens who are looking to advance their faith in a world where faithlessness seems all too common and unbelief is popular for many.
In this book you will find 12 of the parables of Jesus broken down into five sections:
- Parable Scripture Reference and Summary
- Practical Points
- Additional Texts That Relate to the Parable
- Action Steps
- Daily Affirmation
These parables will make the Bible real in your life and give you the momentum to grow closer to God daily.
