Faith That Jesus Marvels At

Faith That Jesus Marvels At | Matt 8:5-13 | Philip Dhinakar
Matt 7:28-29 shows us that Matthew wants readers to see a connection between the Sermon on the Mount in chapters 5-7 and the miracles that follow in chapter 8. He wants them to know that Jesus not only taught as one having authority but also did mighty works as one having authority.
Matthew builds his case with the miracles of Jesus as we move to chapter 8. In the first 17 verses Matthew selects the stories of three disadvantaged people— an unclean leper, a Gentile’s servant, and a woman. Today we look at the account about the Gentile's servant.
Luke 7:2-6 also records this miracle. Luke includes the detail that the centurion did not come to Jesus in person but sent the elders of the Jews to plead with Jesus on his behalf. The Centurion did not feel that he was worthy to have Jesus come under his roof. The centurion understood authority. He understood his orders only carried weight with his men because he himself was under the authority of someone else. And that unbroken chain of authority went all the way up to the emperor. When the centurion spoke, he spoke with the emperor’s authority. The centurion believed Jesus had a similar chain of authority, beginning with God himself. As the centurion’s word had the emperor’s authority, so Jesus’ word had God’s authority and therefore when he says ‘Go’ sickness will go, and when he says ‘come’ health will arrive. Jesus marvelled at the centurion's faith.
The centurion is a firstfruit and a foreshadow of what Jesus had come to bring about, that many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. In saying this, Jesus commending the centurion. But Jesus added a sad commentary about the state of the people of Israel. Regarding them, Jesus said that the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” The Jews had seen the miracles Jesus had done and heard Him teach, but none of them demonstrated a faith as great as this Gentile who had only heard about Jesus from others.
Have you believed? No man can ever ask you a weightier question. Have you trusted in Jesus Christ who is your only hope in life and in death, or are you still wrapped up in your unbelief?
On that day when you will have to appear before Him who will judge the living and the dead, if you do not want this question to judge you then let this question judge you today. Do not turn away from the mercy-seat of the gospel now, unless you want to hear your condemnation from the judgment-seat on that terrible day.
For those who have believed in Jesus Christ this is my question. What does your faith look like? Would your faith cause Jesus to rebuke you saying, “oh, you of little faith. Why do you doubt?” Or would Jesus marvel at your faith like he did over the faith of this Gentile centurion. Would he see in you a faith that comes from God? Would He see a faith that’s pure and unmixed by any doubt? Would He see a faith that is pure and unmixed by any distraction, any other love, any other interest? What would He find?