A Soldier's Training
Charles Kingsley. Luke 7:1-10 Now when he had ended all his sayings in the audience of the people, he entered into Capernaum.… This centurion was a Roman, a captain in the army, who had risen from the ranks by good conduct. Before he got his vine-stock, which was the mark of his authority over a hundred men, he had, no doubt, marched many a weary mile under a heavy load, and fought, probably, many a bloody battle in foreign parts. That had been his education — discipline and hard work. And because he had learned to obey, he was fit to rule. He was helping now to keep in order those treacherous, unruly Jews, and their worthless puppet-kings like Herod; much as our soldiers in India are keeping in order the Hindoos, and their worthless puppet-kings. This was the great and true thought which had filled this good man's mind — duty, order, and obedience. The message which he sent to Jesus means this: "There is a word of command among us soldiers. Has God no word of command likewise? The word of my superiors is enough for me. I say to those under me, 'Go,' and they go. And if I can work by a word, cannot this Jesus work by a word likewise? "By some such thoughts as these, I suppose, had this good soldier gained his great faith; his faith that all God's creatures were in a divine and wonderful order obedient to the wilt of God who made them; and that Jesus Christ was God's viceroy and lieutenant (I speak so, because I suppose that is what he, as a soldier, would have thought), to carry out God's commands on earth. This is the character which makes a good soldier, and a good Christian likewise. (Charles Kingsley.) Parallel Verses KJV: Now when he had ended all his sayings in the audience of the people, he entered into Capernaum. WEB: After he had finished speaking in the hearing of the people, he entered into Capernaum.