Iman Pribadi dan Komunal: Sebuah Tinjauan Teologis atas Teks Lukas 7:1-10

Abstract

Luke 7:1–10 is frequently seen as a story of a miraculous cure. Yet, if we examine more closely, it seems that the text tells of a person’s growing faith, which cannot be isolated from his social surroundings. On the one hand, faith is a matter of one’s connection with God, making it a personal affair. On the other hand, faith is communal since it involves interaction with many people as faith grows. In the text, we encounter three main characters who are trying to participate in bringing a servant healed, through their respective expressions of faith. The first one is the Roman centurion, who commands two different groups to converse with Jesus: some Jewish elders (v.3) and his friends (v.6). These Jewish elders are the second character, and they thank the centurion for being their benefactor (v.5). His friends, who make up the third character, convey his personal long message directly to Jesus (vv. 6-8). This article is interested in examining the intersections between the centurion’s personal faith and the communal faith of these two groups. By employing a narrative criticism, that is a characterization, this article explores how Luke portrays the Roman centurion’s development of faith and how that leads to him influencing the communal faith of the Jewish elders and his friends.