Luke 7

My name is Rafiki, like the baboon in Lion King. I am 14 years old. So earlier today I was performing my daily tasks of weaving nets and selling them to fishermen like I always do, since I am the son of a fisherman. I had finished weaving seven nets this morning and I was carrying them over my shoulder to the docks where fishermen stayed in their little wooden boats, when I saw a man walk into town with a huge following of people.

I dropped my nets behind a small bush a few steps before the boats and went to follow this man too to see what was going on. Based on the excited murmurs of the crowd, I gathered that the leader of this crowd was named Jesus and that he was from Nazareth. This Jesus was apparently a sort of prophet who had performed many miracles, healed many people, and taught many about the Scriptures. I couldn’t hear exactly what this Jesus man was saying at first, but he sounded like a good teacher, true to what rumor held about him. Finally, I elbowed my way to the front of the crowd and listened to Jesus’ teaching.

He headed towards Capernaum and the crowd followed. He walked towards the house of a centurion whose servant was sick. I had heard the crowd whisper about Jesus’ healings but I didn’t believe it at first, and I never thought I’d get to witness it. But sure enough, Jesus approached the servant. He was deathly ill, and the centurion was very depressed about his servant’s impending death. The centurion had also heard about Jesus’ healing powers and sent Jewish elders to summon Jesus. Apparently, this servant was the one who had built the synagogue, so he was a big deal. Poor guy, he didn’t deserve such an untimely death.

But when Jesus – and the crowd following him – got close to the centurion’s house, the centurion ran out and said that he was not worthy of having Jesus under his roof, but that he hoped that Jesus would still heal his servant. Jesus seemed very pleased with this man and his faith (I couldn’t hear all of the centurion’s words, but I would assume he was explaining his title and social role, in which he evidently had revealed his faith). Then Jesus turned around and began to walk away. Half of the crowd followed. The other half of the crowd stayed behind, wondering why Jesus, who apparently loved the centurion, did not go inside and heal the man. But the Jewish elders went inside the house and found the servant well.

I got to see Jesus today. I got to see Jesus heal a man. Surely, this man is a prophet sent by God. Could he be the Messiah?