Fantastical Faith

The event that followed Jesus' sermon on the mount (the Beatitudes) was divinely appointed to, I believe, provide the people with an example of how to carry out some of Jesus' radical commands given during that message. This event was the healing of the centurion's servant (Mark 8:5-13 and Luke 7:1-10) Here are some things I have observed.  If I have misinterpreted (or just plain missed) anything concerning this event, please let me know.

Jesus doesn't seem to have had any major interaction with Gentiles yet. He has just started His ministry in the region of Galilee and was hanging out in what would be His central headquarters, Capernuam. His twelve disciples have been selected and He has already had a few run-ins with the Jewish religious leaders. He has also started healing everything from fevers to leprosy.  And He has taught the people with an authority they have never seen before.

A Roman centurion, via the local Jewish elders, sends a request to Jesus that He heal his servant.  There are several weird and strange things going on here:
1--the centurion seems to care about his slave...not normal since slaves were commonly considered property not people.
2--the centurion cares for the Jews...the Romans had conquered the Jews...they were not normally friends.
3--the Jews care for the centurion!
4--the centurion had the respect of the Jewish elders...no easy task since the Jews themselves had very little dealings with anyone outside their race. This man was a direct representation of the empire that had conquered them and was holding them in submission.
5--the Jewish elders were helping the centurion...again, the man was a Gentile and as such he was normally to be avoided, despised, and even hated...and he was a military soldier and as such was a dealer of death and torture to all of Rome's enemies.  The Jews were enemies of Rome.  The Maccabean Revolt and the later destruction of Jerusalem, among other events, testify to this.
6--the elders seem to believe that Jesus could do the deed; otherwise they probably would have talked the centurion into another course of action.
7--the centurion believed that Jesus could heal...how he came to such faith is what I would like to know most!
8-- the centurion humbly respected Jesus, a person whom he had apparently never met...and of whom  he had such faith in and such understanding of.

So why all the funny business? Part of the answer, I am sure, is right there in the text. The Jew's devotion to the centurion can start to be easily explained by their avarice.  The centurion has faith in Jesus as the great  Authority (Creator, Lord, Master) of this world...he behaves like any Jesus-freak!

But the most important observations are of Jesus. I love watching Him in action.
--He readily agrees to help the centurion.
--He acquiesces to the centurion's humble desire to bother Him as little as possible.
--He recognizes the centurion's faith.

And what faith it is.  Talk to you soon.