GREAT FAITH (1)

“Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such GREAT FAITH, not even in Israel!” – Matthew 8:10b

God extols and rewards GREAT FAITH with Great Honour: “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such GREAT FAITH, not even in Israel!” (Mt.8:10b). This statement was the highly commendatory response of the Lord Jesus Christ to the Faith-affirmations of a Roman Centurion who had besought the Lord for the healing of his servant. This passage contains Matthew’s first two accounts of specific miracles of the Lord Jesus: The healing of a leper by His touch (vv.2-4); and that of the Centurion’s servant (vv.5-13). The parallel account of the latter is in Luke 7: 1-10. After Jesus healed the leper, he entered the city of Capernaum, the same place where He first began His ministry after relocating from Nazareth, and where He called His first set of disciples (Mt.4: 13, 18-22).

On entering Capernaum, a Roman Centurion – a military officer with authority over one hundred soldiers – approached Him. Being a Gentile, and one who was positioned there to maintain Roman domination over the Jews, from their perspective, this Centurion epitomized the very enemy that they expected the Messiah would come to overthrow! This particular centurion had heard of Jesus’ miracle-producing power and sought Him out, calling Him by a title of respect – “Lord” and imploring Him with the urgent request regarding his servant who was “lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented” (v.6). Jesus replied: “I will come and heal him” (v.7).

The servant was lying at home paralyzed, in such a bad shape that he was unable to travel or even be brought to Jesus for healing. But he was not only unable to move; he was also under terrible torment, perhaps suffering from a neurological or demonic disorder that also called spasms. Practising what He preached, the Lord was willing to instantly leave all that He was doing in Capernaum to heal a pagan enemy’s servant. He was willing to go the extra mile in relating with and loving supposed enemies (Mt.5: 41-47). But the Centurion’s response was both a stunning statement of humility and an astonishing declaration of Faith. He confessed that he, a Gentile of considerable power and position, was not worthy for Jesus, a Jewish Rabbi, to enter his house.

The unique Strength of the Centurion’s Faith in Jesus was that he was not only convinced that the Lord had the power to heal his servant, he also believed that Jesus did not even need to be present physically to make the healing happen: “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But ONLY SPEAK A WORD, and my servant will be healed” (v.8). As a man of authority himself, he was utterly confident that ONE ORDER from the Lord would drive out disease and end the torment (v.9). Moreover, his request was not directly for his own benefit, but for servant’s. That he would set aside his busy affairs to travel to Capernaum, most likely from a Decapolis city some miles away, for the sake of his servant, shows a remarkable degree of love for the servant.

The Lord Jesus marveled at the Centurion’s Faith: This Gentile, this despised enemy of the Jews had greater Faith than all of the disciples! By highlighting this fact, He was calling them to have this kind of Faith. The other significant and striking point the Lord made to His disciples was: Gentiles with Great Faith will feast in the Kingdom of Heaven basking in glory alongside Israel’s founding Patriarchs, while the sons of the Kingdom who lack Faith will lose rewards, and be excluded from honour (vv.11-12). This is because what is honoured in the Kingdom of heaven is the demonstration of Great Faith, not mere possession of status or titles!

Faith is a central Kingdom principle. Living by Faith is the avenue to receiving rewards from the Lord (Heb.11:6). In His Kingdom, God will reward our Life of Faith without partiality; not the initial believing faith that made us sons of the Kingdom. Believing Faith guarantees our salvation from eternal damnation. Great Faith guarantees our inheritance and honour in God’s eternal Kingdom.