“Understanding the Kingdom of God” Lesson 55 – A Lesson from the Roman Centurion

This powerful lesson teaches us how the proper application of Kingdom keys produces incredible results.

A Roman centurion spoke to Jesus by appealing to Jesus’ constitutional power as a King. In a sense he was saying, “Lord, since you are a King, your words are all that is needed in this situation. Everything under the domain of your Kingdom answers in submission to your word. Your word is law. Your reputation precedes you as the healer. All I need is your commanding words and nothing more. If you speak healing it shall be done.”

And Jesus said, “I have never seen anyone in Israel who understood the Kingdom like this man.” Jesus marveled that a man understood and applied kingdom principles to a bad situation in life.

As Jesus spoke to the Roman centurion that day many religious Jews surrounded him in the crowd. The reason the Jews surrounding him did not understand the Kingdom concept in the same manner or revelation that the soldier did was because they had abandoned the concept of a Kingdom and its promises. The Jewish people had once been a Kingdom, but they had morphed that concept into one of a religion. The Jews had substituted religion for Kingdom. In their religion they had:

· Long prayers
· Traditions
· Phylacteries
· Much speaking
· Fasting
· Alms

These religious practices and traditions did not produce results. Religions do not operate like kingdoms do. The results Jesus had in His ministry was because he spoke authoritatively as the King. The Roman centurion got immediate results because he appealed to the King’s authority even though he himself was not a citizen of the same Kingdom. He understood that Jesus’ Kingdom superseded his.

Did the centurion have complete understanding of who Jesus was? Almost certainly he did not. You do not have to understand everything, but you do have to apply the principles correctly and have the faith that they will work.

You cannot substitute the Kingdom with a religion and get Kingdom results.

In today’s Church culture most Christian’s have morphed from Kingdom thinking to religious thinking. It is because of our religious thinking that we emphasize the things we do. These things classify us as religious. Consider the following:

· Long prayers
· Traditions
· Phylacteries (or dress styles, dress codes, standards of dress)
· Much speaking (sermonizing, motivational talks, religious phrases)
· Fasting
· Alms

However, as stated previously, you cannot substitute the Kingdom with a religion and get Kingdom results. Christianity as a religion cannot produce the wonderful works of the Kingdom of God. Christians today need to be delivered from religion and enter a revelation of the Kingdom of God.

Let us therefore apply this lesson from a Biblical application. Just as the Roman centurion applied a kingdom principle to his servant’s need, and obtained Kingdom results when Jesus healed his servant; we should also apply Kingdom keys and principles to everything we do. We are in the Kingdom! We should think and live as such.

So, by looking back to Biblical truths like this story, let us press forward and apply them appropriately as life occurs. Doing so will produce Kingdom results.

This lesson reveals how Kingdom keys interconnect. The Roman Centurion understood that Jesus did not have to physically come to his house to heal the sick servant. He understood that Jesus was King of a spiritual Kingdom. He therefore said, “Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof: Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed.” That is a powerful key.