Day Twenty-Nine
DAY TWENTY-NINE
We are about three quarters of the way through our journey to grow RICH in FAITH. A journey to increase our stores of faith through understanding and practicing the activities and postures that help us do that, and also understanding and avoiding those things that can deplete those stores.
Today I want to look at the qualities and actions of a man Jesus described as having GREAT faith. His story is found in Matthew chapter 8.
He is not a Jew, he is a leader of 100 men in the Roman Army; the occupying force in Israel at the time Jesus was alive on earth.
Matthew 8:5-10,13
When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. 6 “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.”
7 Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?”
8 The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith……. 13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that moment.
He is an outsider, so what was it that caused Jesus to say that he had GREAT FAITH?
- Commitment to change his situation.
The first thing that strikes me about this man is his love for his servant. He cares deeply for this servant, and is distressed that he is “suffering terribly.” He has clearly been thinking about what he can do, and how he can help him. Someone with great faith doesn’t just accept fate or the status quo, they are committed to changing present circumstances and they don’t just give in and accept them. Have you accepted a marriage that is not at its best, a relationship with a child that isn’t what it should be, a diagnosis or health problem, maybe its time for you to take action and seek out the intervention of Jesus?
- Humility This man had the resources of Rome at his disposal, and yet the one he turned to was Jesus. Sometimes we think we can work things out on our own; if we just try harder, put more effort in, we fear what people will think if we admit we need help. This man was part of the leadership team of the conquering, occupying forces, and yet he knew that he needed help and wasn’t afraid to ask for it. Faith by its very nature only works when the situation is bigger than you and beyond your control. What do you need to let go of today that would stop you admitting to others that you need help?
Recognition of authority
In reality he was the enemy, he had the power and authority, and yet because he did, he could recognize greater power and authority in Jesus! He understood that Jesus not only had the power to heal but the authority to just speak the word and it would be so. As a result Jesus said to him, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that same moment.
Those words Let it be done just as you believed it would are incredibly powerful! Jesus just put the power back in the hands of the man’s faith! Whatever you believe let it be so! What are you believing today and who are you believing in?
Scripture to meditate on: Matthew 8:5-13