There is a kind of optical illusion where at first glance it looks like one thing, but on closer inspection it turns out it’s a picture of something else.  The picture with this Family Worship is a bit like that – at first it looks like some one playing a saxophone, but on closer inspection, it is a picture of woman...  or vice versa!

There are plenty of other illusions like this online.  Why not have a look and see what you can find?

Our passage this week is like one of these optical illusions. At first glance it is about a Centurion’s servant being healed... but on closer inspection it turns out Luke is wanting us to learn something about Jesus: His authority.

Depending on how old your child(ren) is, you might want to play something like a game of ‘Simon says...’, or you might want to think about being a soldier, and obeying orders. What happens if you get an order you don’t like?

The Centurion is a soldier (Plenty of opportunity for craft / dressing up here!). He really gets the idea of authority, and how it works. we have authority because we are under authority.

so think of someone directing traffic – it makes a big difference whether they have the authority to do that or not.  How do they get that authority?  It is given them by the Law of our land.  Police are under authority, and therefore they have authority ... for a specific job for which they are responsible.

Discussion:

Why do the Elders think that Jesus should help the Centurion?  Are they right?

Who is in charge of you? Why? What gives them the authority to tell you what to do?

Who gives Jesus His authority (Lk.10:22; Matt.28:18)?

How do you feel about Jesus having complete authority?

Look through Luke Chapters 7 & 8.  What and who does Jesus have authority over?

If Jesus has such authority, what does that mean about how we should hear His teaching?

You might want to take it further and explore the fact that Jesus practices what He preaches.  He has just spoken about loving our enemies (Lk.6:27), and on the way home from preaching that sermon He is confronted by a situation in which an enemy of His people is asking Him for help.

The Centurion is a Gentile (see Luke 4:28-29 for the last time Jesus engaged with the question of Gentiles!!!).  And he is an officer responsible for enforcing the political and military rule of the occupying Roman Empire.  What will Jesus do?  He will do exactly what He told His disciples to do.  He will love His enemy...

Family Prayer

Dear Lord, you offer grace and forgiveness

to all. Please help us accept your love with

trust and faith.

teach us wisdom about who to trust.

In Jesus’ name we pray.

Amen.