Category: Discipleship

[Jesus] was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith…” (Luke 7:9)

I’m amazed that Jesus was amazed. 

Luke uses this word 18 times, and only once does it describe Jesus. 

(In nearly every other instance, people are surprised and impressed by the words and works of Jesus. )

Jesus was amazed by the great faith of a Centurian, a Roman (not Jewish!) commander of 100 men. What can we learn from his example?

Great Faith Understands Opportunity.

Great faith looks beyond the problems before us and recognizes great opportunities to trust God. 

Even though his servant was very sick, the Centurion didn’t give up. Instead, he saw the opportunity to ask Jesus for help. 

Luke makes it clear that the Centurion wasn’t Jewish. Anyone can have faith in Jesus- Jew or Gentile! Faith isn’t reserved for people with perfect spiritual pedigrees. 

Your past, present, or future aren’t big enough or bad enough to keep God from working great things in your life. We all have the opportunity to have great faith in Jesus, even during life’s difficulties.

He understood charity. 

Great faith is expressed through great love for others. 

We know that the Centurion loved his servant because he valued him highly. Love recognizes the value of people. 

Love isn’t just a feeling or attitude! Love always translates into action. The Centurion asked Jesus for help–action. The Centurion’s love for the Jews translated into paying the bills for their place of worship–action.

It’s not easy to love others, but it’s worth every ounce of effort you put into it!

He understood authority. 

Great faith acknowledges the great authority of Jesus.

As a leader in the Roman army, the Centurion understood authority. He had people in authority over him, and he had people under his authority. This Roman soldier knew who was at the top of the “chain of command,” Jesus. This is why he said to Jesus, “I don’t want you to trouble yourself; I am beneath you.”

Recognizing Jesus as the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings is difficult. We are “hardwired” to resist God, and the Bible calls this sin. When we live on our own, apart from God, there are devastating consequences — for now and eternity.

He understood humility.

Great faith comes from great humility. 

The Centurion displayed humility in two distinct ways. Initially, he felt unworthy to meet Jesus, choosing instead to send others in his place. This action stemmed not from laziness or busyness but from a genuine sense of humility.

Secondly, the Centurion’s humility is further demonstrated through the progression of his requests to Jesus. Initially, he asked Jesus to come to his house. However, upon reflection, he sent another message, expressing that Jesus need not trouble himself.

One can imagine the Centurion’s realization after sending the first group to Jesus, perhaps smacking his forehead, and saying, “I’m not worthy enough to see Jesus; why am I asking him to come to my house?”

Humility is a life-long pursuit. As our humility increases, so does our faith.

One Last Thought

Jesus used the word FOUND because he is LOOKING for us to have faith in him. God wants us to trust him more and more.

No matter where you are in your journey, I encourage you to trust God with just one new thing. Your life of amazing faith is right around the corner.

“But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. (James 1:6-8)

Scripture makes it clear: we ought to deal with our doubts. Although our doubts are often a necessary stop along the path to spiritual maturity, we ought to make them a short visit rather than a permanent resting place.

John the Baptist had doubts at the end of his life, and he sought answers from Jesus. It’s a great picture of how to deal with our doubt.

We don’t want to be double-minded and unstable. But, what does that faith actually look like? Is it possible to have “too much” faith? That is to say, the kind of faith that spills over to presumption?

There is another danger of “too much” faith: what happens when we don’t receive what we are expecting? When this happens, has God failed us? Have you ever been disappointed with God? What caused that, if it wasn’t presumption?

True faith leads to stability and single-mindedness; there is also room for flexibility. James also says,

Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” (James 4:15)

Faith wants what God wants.
Presumption wants what we want.

Stable and single-minded faith trusts God to give us what he wants to give us, which is not necessarily what we want.

In a list of basic spiritual teachings, Hebrews 6:1 mentions “the repentance from acts that lead to death.”

The writer does not talk about a single act that leads to a single death. Instead, there are many kinds of actions that lead to many “deaths.”

There is a death that is not final. Physical death is a one time event (most of the time!), but a spiritual death can happen many times. We are called to repent from the acts that lead to death, meaning that the death can be cured. What is death? It’s a broken relationship with God.

This teaching rings true when we consider the decisions we make and the direction of our life. There are times when we are distracted from God. There are times when we are disobedient. These kinds of acts hurt and hinder our relationship with God.

We must keep in mind the severity of a severed relationship with God: it is no small thing! It’s not just a minor glitch, it’s a full system shutdown. Disruption in our relationship with God is so serious that the Bible calls it death.

Let us watch our lives closely so that we can both avoid and repent from the death causing actions that hinder our relationship with God.