One of the most frustrating experiences in the world is when you measure out a piece of building material and it is just short of where you need it to be. I was never one to take measuring too seriously so this was a common occurrence. Or even more frustrating when you forget the one thing you need to finish a project. Falling short in both areas is not only frustrating but can make you feel incredibly unworthy.
Well, okay, maybe that’s dramatic. But the idea is there! By definition, to be unworthy is to be undeserving of recognition, attention, or respect. Falling short in general can make us realize how unworthy we are. And maybe it’s not just a building project. But what about other scenarios?
Maybe you dropped the ball on a big work project, leading your boss to call you in for a “talk.” Or maybe a friend trusted you with a vital secret and you let it slip in a group. Maybe your family and work and friends and school are demanding time and energy from you and you just don’t have enough to get it all done. You fall short. You don’t have enough. You feel unworthy.
The point is this – it’s easy to identify the things that make us feel unworthy. But what actually makes us worthy?
Worthiness?
Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him. When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, ‘He is worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue.’ And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, ‘Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. Therefore I did not presume to come to you…
(Luke 7:2-7)
In this story, we see conflicting views of worthiness. The Jewish elders the centurion sent to Jesus believed he was a worthy man. A centurion was a commander in the ancient Roman army. At this time, Romans hated Jews. Yet this centurion “loves their nation” and “built their synagogue” which is a Jewish place of worship. So any act of kindness to a Jew by a Roman was amazing. Hence why they were pretty impressed by him. To the Jews, what made the centurion worthy was his actions, his success, charity, and likeability.
But look at the centurion’s response, “Do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy….” The centurion viewed himself as unworthy. Nothing he could do, no matter how successful or how charitable, would make him worthy of Jesus. This is why he sent the Jewish elders instead of going himself (v7). He saw his shortcomings. He knew he was unworthy.
Okay then, that still doesn’t answer our questions. Does our actions make us worthy? And if so, when those actions fall short, does that worthiness get thrown out the window? What truly makes someone worthy?
That is the very question I wrestled with over the summer.
A Meager Offering
This summer I had begun to start work with a college ministry. The summer process is a lot of reaching out to people to explain your ministry and offer to partner with. That along with weekly trainings and coaching calls was more than I had anticipated.
Although I felt this was the right direction, I was ashamed of how little I could bring to the table. I was busy with nursing school and another nursing job. How was God going to use what little I had? Would He even use it or would He scoff and find someone with more to offer?
Right in the middle of my doubting, my coaching group decided to pull out an age-old classic of a Bible story, the fishes and loaves.
Now the day began to wear away, and the twelve came and said to him, “Send the crowd away to go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find lodging and get provisions, for we are here in a desolate place.” But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.” For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” And they did so, and had them all sit down. And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing over them. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. And they all ate and were satisfied. And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.
(Luke 9:12–17)
Like I said, pretty classic Sunday school story. But what my coach pointed out hit me differently this time around. It didn’t matter how much the disciples brought. They simply brought their everything and Jesus did the rest. In no way was that enough food for the crowd. But that didn’t matter. What mattered was that they brought their everything.
The centurion was actually spot on when he claimed he was unworthy of Jesus. In fact, we are all unworthy of Jesus (Ecclesiastes 7:20). All the actions in the world cannot make us worthy. We on our own are unable to be worthy (Romans 3:23). In the same way, I could not provide enough righteousness on my own. I could only bring a meager offering of my time and energy. The offering I brought was by no means enough to get me to my ministry goal on my own. I, just like the centurion, knew I was falling short – unworthy – regardless of the “worthy” reputation I earned in other’s eyes.
And you might be in a similar situation. You may look at the situation in front of you – your job, school, family, relationships – and feel not enough, imperfect, unworthy.
At the end of ourselves, we are faced with a vital reality. Maybe the question isn’t what makes us worthy but rather who.
The Worthy One
But say the word, and let my servant be healed. For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” And when those who had been sent returned to the hours, they found the servant well.
(Luke 7:7-10)
What made the centurion worthy was actually not related to him at all. It was not his actions but his belief in the Worthy One.
The word “amazed” here is the Greek word “thaumazo.” The only other place we see Jesus express this is Him marveling at the unbelief of his hometown (Mark 6:6). This is the only time we see in the gospels Jesus exhibit such a response to an individual’s great faith. And it’s not the faith of a Rabbi or disciple. It’s the faith of a Roman.
To the Jews and his friends, the centurion was worthy through his good works. He was a good guy. He built their synagogue, loved them, waved to them on the street. He had it all I’m sure, money, popularity, maybe even a family. But the centurion, like so many of us, saw his heart. He saw his shortcomings. He knew nothing he could do could cover it.
But there was One who could. Though he was not worthy to approach Him, the centurion knew Jesus could do miracles without even being in the room (v7-8). And that’s what Jesus desired. He displayed faith in the only One who makes anyone worthy of God. A faith in the one who bridges the gap between an imperfect people and a perfect God. A faith that even when we don’t – or can’t – bring enough, Jesus can cover it
Today, Jesus invites you to come with your shortcomings, you meager offerings, your unworthiness. He is enough to cover all unworthiness and to make us whole (Romans 7:24, James 1:4). Trust that He is enough! Such faith-filled knowledge is truly something to marvel at.
Resources
- Luke 7
- Luke 9
- Search for Significance by Robert McGee
- The Centurion: Faith that Made Jesus Marvel by Jon Bloom
Interested in knowing more about the ministry I am apart of? Go to my Cru page or send me an email to hear more and how you can be involved!
Overwhelmed 