HE LOVETH OUR NATION
“And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom he should do this: For he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue.” Luke 7:4, 5
A centurion had a servant who was sick and near the point of death. This centurion sent a group of Jewish elders to see if Jesus would come and heal his servant. When they came to the Lord, they presented their case, requesting that Jesus should help this captain saying, “That he was worthy for whom he should do this: For he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue.” This centurion, though he was a Gentile, had a reputation of devotion to the Jewish nation, which was Christ’s nation as well as theirs. He evidenced his love for their nation by building them a synagogue, a place of worship.
When we think of our nation, we know she has many faults and stands in great need of repentance and revival. Nevertheless, we love our nation. We do not love the direction she has been going or the wickedness that is permitted and promoted; but still we love our country. We are thankful for our heritage and Christian influence. We are grateful for the freedoms we enjoy. Our nation has been the birthplace and home of some of the world’s most influential preachers. Many faithful missionaries have left this country to evangelize other nations. Our nation has been responsible for publishing the Word of God and Gospel literature for the benefit of millions. We have gone to the defense of struggling nations and helped defend the oppressed on many occasions.
What could we do to express our appreciation for our country? The centurion built a synagogue for the Jewish nation, and one of the greatest things we can do for our country is to build churches. Our country is in a state of moral decline that will not easily be reversed. How can we help our beloved nation? We desperately need multitudes of sound, Bible-preaching, separated, New Testament churches. We need a voice for righteousness in every community and a faithful preacher of the Gospel in every town. If we love our country, let’s support missionaries and get the Gospel out wherever and however we can. Let’s dedicate our lives to reaching out to the lost, discipling the saved, and building churches wherever we can. Our love for our nation can be demonstrated in our commitment to the ministry.