One More Gentile Pete Kersker - Nov 19, 2025 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, proclaim this message: 'The kingdom of heaven has come near'" (Matthew 10:5-7 NIV). Jesus encouraged (spurred) his disciples (students) to "go" long before he gave them the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18.20). The group of people he sent them to, though, changed over their time together. Early on, as we see in the passage above, Jesus sent them only to the Israelites. Yesterday, however, we saw how Jesus taught them to "go" to the Samaritans. Today, we will look at Gentiles. When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. "Lord," he said, "my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly." Jesus said to him, "Shall I come and heal him?" (Matthew 8:5-7 NIV). The centurion in the passage above would have been a Roman soldier. He wasn't Jewish. He wasn't even a partial-Jewish Samaritan. This soldier was a Gentile: not even a little bit Israelite. More than that, he represented the Roman Empire, who was holding the Israelites in submission through soldiers like him. Jesus did not send this man away. Instead, Jesus offered to help. The centurion replied, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, "Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith" (Matthew 8:8-10 NIV). The centurion wanted Jesus' help and he trusted that Jesus was powerful enough to help. This Roman soldier believed that Jesus could order spirits around like he orders the soldiers under his command. He was right. Jesus is that powerful and has that authority. Jesus used this opportunity to teach his followers that the centurion's faith, not his heritage, was what was important. "I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 8:11-12 NIV). Jesus taught them that people like this centurion will end up in the kingdom of heaven. He also taught them that some Israelites, who were the people of God, would be removed from the kingdom of heaven because they did not believe and trust Jesus. Then, Jesus proved that he had the power and authority by remotely healing this centurion's servant. Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would." And his servant was healed at that moment (Matthew 8:13 NIV). Did you know that Jesus welcomed "not even a little bit" Jewish people? Can you think of other ways Jesus taught his disciples (students) to do the same? Do you know any non-religious people who need Jesus in their lives? How does Jesus want you to welcome them into the kingdom?