Matthew 8:8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.
Matthew 8:9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.
Matthew 8:10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
Matthew 8:11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 8:12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Jesus had made his way into Capernaum and his fame had gone throughout the region. A centurion came to meet Jesus with a request. He had heard that this Jesus was able to heal the sick. This centurion had a sick servant at home in need of healing. The centurion was a military captain commanding probably around 100 men. He understood how authority worked. He had a firm grasp on the chain of command. When the centurion issued orders to men under his command, he expected those orders to be carried out. When the centurion gave orders to his servants, he expected his servants to obey unquestioningly. The centurion called Jesus, "Lord." He understood that Jesus was his superior. He understood his position in comparison to Jesus. The centurion declared himself unworthy to have Jesus come under his roof. His request was what drew Jesus' attention. He asked Jesus to, "Speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed."
Jesus marvelled at the faith of the centurion. We must remember that this centurion was a Gentile. He wasn't a Jew or a "Child of the Kingdom." The centurion simply believed that Jesus had the power to speak the word and heal his servant.
Jesus used the centurion's faith to point out a scriptural truth in verse 11. The truth was the inclusion of the Gentiles in the reception of the Gospel message by faith. Verse 11 reveals to us that the Gentiles will one day sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. That should be wonderful news to us as Gentile believers today.
Another sad truth is revealed to us in verse 12. Some of the children of the kingdom, the Jews to whom the Gospel message was first committed, will end up being cast out into outer darkness because of their unbelief. God the Father has given us all the Gospel message regardless of our race. All we have to do is repent and believe and we can sit down with Jewish and Gentile believers one day in Heaven.
Monday, October 3, 2016
A Centurion's Faith
Matthew 8:8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.
Matthew 8:9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.
Matthew 8:10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
Matthew 8:11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 8:12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Jesus had made his way into Capernaum and his fame had gone throughout the region. A centurion came to meet Jesus with a request. He had heard that this Jesus was able to heal the sick. This centurion had a sick servant at home in need of healing. The centurion was a military captain commanding probably around 100 men. He understood how authority worked. He had a firm grasp on the chain of command. When the centurion issued orders to men under his command, he expected those orders to be carried out. When the centurion gave orders to his servants, he expected his servants to obey unquestioningly. The centurion called Jesus, "Lord." He understood that Jesus was his superior. He understood his position in comparison to Jesus. The centurion declared himself unworthy to have Jesus come under his roof. His request was what drew Jesus' attention. He asked Jesus to, "Speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed."
Jesus marvelled at the faith of the centurion. We must remember that this centurion was a Gentile. He wasn't a Jew or a "Child of the Kingdom." The centurion simply believed that Jesus had the power to speak the word and heal his servant.
Jesus used the centurion's faith to point out a scriptural truth in verse 11. The truth was the inclusion of the Gentiles in the reception of the Gospel message by faith. Verse 11 reveals to us that the Gentiles will one day sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. That should be wonderful news to us as Gentile believers today.
Another sad truth is revealed to us in verse 12. Some of the children of the kingdom, the Jews to whom the Gospel message was first committed, will end up being cast out into outer darkness because of their unbelief. God the Father has given us all the Gospel message regardless of our race. All we have to do is repent and believe and we can sit down with Jewish and Gentile believers one day in Heaven.
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