Re: More thoughts on the Centurion

"The point is that there are really not situations in the NT where we can identify proper lifestyles of people by the fact that Jesus did or did not choose to interact with them." Oh, I agree with you completely. In fact, my first thought when I read this interpretation of the Centurion was, "Boy, this sure fits in with other tales of Jesus meeting non-orthodox sinners." Which is why I'm inclined to think that a case can be made for the interpretation. On the other hand, I don't think that a watertight case can be made for my "sinner" interpretation either. And I agree with Splash that - whatever Jesus thought of the Centurion's religion, sexuality, or dietary habits - this story centers in on Jesus' admiration of the Centurion's faith. That is the overwhelming message of the passage - that Jesus judges people primarily by the quality of their faith. The fruits question remains an important one. I wish we could have met up with the Centurion later in the Gospels. Heather [E-mail]   [Home Page]