Gospel

Our Faith Must Increase

by Roland Crim
02/13/17
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When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people who were listening, he entered Capernaum. There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” So Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 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.” When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well. Luke 7:1-10 NIV

The elders of the Jews sent to Jesus by the centurion really cared about the centurion. However, they were wrong in saying that he deserved to have Jesus heal the centurion’s servant. We don’t deserve anything which Jesus does for us. What He does for us is done out of His love, mercy and compassion for us. We are wretched sinners, yet, He saved us.

The centurion was the one with the correct attitude. He did not even consider himself worthy enough to go to Jesus, or for Jesus to enter his house. He knew that Jesus did not need to be present to heal his servant. He truly believed in what Jesus could do. This is the heart our Lord seeks. This is the faith the Lord wants to see. He responded to those present with Him that He had not seen such faith in all Israel.

We humans do not fully comprehend the power which lies in faith. Christ spoke much about faith, even faith the size of a mustard seed. Why do we doubt what our Lord says to us about faith? Why do we not believe we can move mountains if we have enough faith? The more faith we have in our Lord, the more He can do in us and through us. We are the ones who limit what our faith can do. With maturation we hopefully can even relinquish more to our Lord and He can accomplish even more through us. Let us strive to have the faith of the centurion.