Résumés are funny things, aren’t they? Sometimes a résumé can just feel like an excuse to brag about yourself, and even those who don’t outright lie on a résumé may be tempted to embellish things a little bit in their favor. For example, why not describe yourself as a “classic Italian cuisine transporter” even if you are just a pizza delivery guy? (It’s absurd, but I’ve heard about someone that put that on his résumé!) Some people spend a whole career chasing accolades for their résumé, only to realize too late that they put way too much value and identity in their résumé and that life has passed them by. As tragic as that is, it’s even more tragic to put our trust in our spiritual résumé, thinking that God will somehow be impressed by our goodness or merit. One of Jesus’ encounters with a Roman officer in the gospel of Luke shows us that when we approach our Lord, our trust must not be in our merits, but in his power and goodness.

The interaction took place in the town of Capernaum, a town that was home to a garrison of Roman soldiers whose very presence was detested by many of Jesus’ fellow Jews. A certain Roman centurion sent some elders of the Jews to Jesus to beg him to come heal one of the centurion’s beloved servants. These men chose to make their appeal to Jesus based on the merits of the centurion. “He is worthy to have you do this for him,” they said, “for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue” (Lk. 7:4–5). 

The centurion then sent additional messengers to Jesus with his own words, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am unworthy to have you come under my roof. Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed… 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’” (Lk. 7:6–7, 9). The elders appealed to Jesus based on their perception of the centurion’s worthiness, but the centurion himself appealed to Jesus’ power and goodness, demonstrating that he was willing to submit to and trust in Jesus’ authority.

Let me ask you, when you approach our Lord in prayer to ask him for something, on what basis do you make your request? Do you ask him to do things for you because you think you deserve it? Or do you ask him to display his power and authority in your life for his glory, knowing full well that you are unworthy of his grace? We have no merit of our own with which to appeal to God. So when you pray, approach our Lord with both humility and trust, the way this centurion did when he said “Lord, I am unworthy. But say the word…”