Most people think that good people deserve good things, and bad people deserve bad things. The Jewish leaders thought this centurion deserved Jesus' attention to heal his servant.  Even though they could not speak a good word about Jesus, they were prepared to patronise His 'healing powers' to keep a friendly influential officer of the occupation 'on-side'.  The Roman had certainly been respectful of the Jewish way of life and their religious practices - even to the point of arranging for a new synagogue to be built in Capernaum.  But did he deserve a favour from Jesus?

No!  This soldier knew he did not deserve anything special from Jesus, and even sent a message to stop Him coming (Luke 7:6).  Whatever Jesus could offer, this man knew he was not worthy of receiving it.  Paradoxically, he was putting himself into the only position where he could receive 'grace' - God's amazing kindness directed to meet our real need.  Grace is always undeserved yet given freely to those who know they could never earn God's favour.  It does not depend on anything other than God's willingness to give and our willingness to receive, so that He might get the glory.

Yet many people think that is too simple, or simplistic.  They struggle to be good enough and always end up disappointed.  By contrast, Jesus declared that the corrupt civil servant who said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner’, was accepted by God; whereas the self-righteous religious leader was not (Luke 18:9-14).  

If, like the centurion, you have reached the point of thinking that God could not possibly be kind to you and that you deserve punishment, help is already on its way: you just need to receive it from Jesus!  If that applies to a friend or colleague, encourage them to go to Jesus.  He does not award places in His kingdom to people who think they deserve to be there, but He grants eternal citizenship to people who admit they have nothing to offer and yet are willing to trust in God’s mercy and dare to receive His grace (Ephesians 2:8-9).