The Centurion Parent
Who is a Centurion? The English dictionary defines a Centurion as an officer of the ancient Roman army, in command of a century of solder. A century is a hundred - 100. So a Centurion man is a Commander of not less than a hundred soldiers. He is a man in charge. A Centurion man is no joke in those days. Even now you can't take for granted a military officer of that kind of ranking in any country. They have so much authority that there is virtually nothing they want to do that they can't do. By the ranking of a Centurion in the army, his subject cannot review his opinion. You don't have to know the reason behind his dictates, before you obey him. Centurion in the Roman army doesn't bow to anyone below him in the army or and anyone outside the army, no matter your status among the civilians. He is a lord in his own world. He only respect a senior ranking officer. One would have thought, that with all this level of achievement the centurion should not be wanting in anything.
But something happened one day and the commander was in serious fear and palpitation.
Matthew 8 v 5 - 7 "As Jesus went into Capernaum, a centurion came up to Him, begging Him, And saying, Lord, my servant boy is lying at the house paralyzed and distressed with intense pains. And Jesus said to him, I will come and restore him."
He had a challenge that no one in the army could solve and he had to run to a civilian man with just twelve disciples. The hundred soldier behind him could not help him, because they were also perplexed. That very day he bowed to a civilian.
More to him was that when the civilian Jesus called on him and told him He will come and heal his child, he was humble enough and sensitive to the authority that Jesus carries.
Matthew 8 v 8 - 9 "But the centurion replied to Him, Lord, I am not worthy or fit to have You come under my roof; but only speak the word, and my servant boy will be cured. For I also am a man subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, Go, and he goes; and to another, Come, and he comes; and to my slave, Do this, and he does it."
Recognize the authority of Jesus to heal his daughter. He was humble enough to submit his authority to a higher authority, not mind the minding the profession or status of Jesus, as long as Jesus has what it takes to save his dieing daughter.
What are the lessons to be learnt from this story? One Important lesson is that as a parent you need to recognize the place and the impact of spiritual authority in the life of your children. He was a parent that recognized the place and impact of spiritual authority in the life of his child. That doesn't mean you are not spiritual. It only shows the divers role that men have to play in our life. Even spiritual things are in their diversities and dimensions. So a time will come when you will need a dimension a God's grace in His servant to minister to your child. At such times, be humble enough to seek with every sense of honour to receive what is missing or wanting.
It is important I hammer this point very well, so that we don't suffer in ignorance. That you are a spiritual leader doesn't mean you can solve all spiritual challenges. You need to be humble enough to plead to get the help and assistance you need. The theif will always come, but you will be at disadvantage when you don't have any security provision that you can call on or you just refused to call thinking you can fight alone. I will also like to the case of the centurion man with that of Jairus the ruler of the Synagogue.
Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, also had a similar challenge one day. I know he must have also tried his best but to know avail. He had to drop his rulership title, to seek a man with mantle. He humbly came and pleaded with Jesus to come and lay hands on his daughter.
Mark 5 v 22 "Then one of the rulers of the synagogue came up, Jairus by name; and seeing Him, he prostrated himself at His feet"
I believe that Jairus will be older than Jesus, not just because he has a grown up daughter of twelve years of age, more because of his status in the society. He was a ruler. Imagine a ruler pleading for help in the public. But he didn't mind that. He knows what he wants. He forgot the age and he face the challenge. That is to tell us that pride cannot get anything done, it can only complicate matters. Pride doesn't show maturity or strength. Pride brings shame, disgrace and lose that you could have avoided. I pray the Lord will give you a humble and meeky heart in Jesus name. It is a heart that saves. The book of proverbs 18 v 12 "Haughtiness comes before disaster, but humility before honor." Proverbs 15 v 33 "The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility." I pray that the Lord will give, us grace to be humble at heart and in act.
I will like to say that no one has a monopoly of anything in life. This is a message that the Lord has laid in my heart for years now (I will say since 2009). Then, when the Lord began to talk to me on it, it look like a joke. Not knowing that God was speaking against a time and season. I write this as appointed, called, commissioned and sent by God, not because of any happening, story or event. This is a message I bound to preach and teach no matter the circumstances. It is only alignment with God's will that saves, emotion doesn't save. I pray for you as a parent and as Parents, that in the areas where you are losing command, the power and the authority in the name of Jesus will come to your aid in Jesus name. Stay blessed.