PODCAST
Such Faith
April 12th, 2018
Matthew 8:5-13
When we read the story in Matthew 8, often the focus of the centurion’s faith is around the fact that he believed Jesus could heal his servant simply by speaking a word. His faith seems so extraordinary because it is so matter-of-fact. The centurion’s authority means his commands are followed. He recognizes the authority of Jesus and assumes the same will happen if Jesus were to give a command. So he simply asks Jesus to give the command for his servant to be healed.
Often we overlook the fact that the extraordinary nature of the centurion’s faith was the result of who the centurion believed Jesus to be in the first place. The story starts with the centurion coming to Jesus because he believes Jesus can heal his servant. Whether it is done in person or from afar, the centurion has faith in Jesus’ power to heal. If he truly believes Jesus has the power to heal, it is a small step to believe that power can heal simply by speaking a word.
Author: Grant Christy
