"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 7:6b-10
Scripture tells us that "Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Many of the great men of the Bible, such as Abraham and the prophets, lived by faith. They trusted the promises of God even though they knew that they would never see them fulfilled.
In the above text a man who had no reason to have faith in Jesus displayed great faith. He had sent some Jewish authorities to petition Jesus to heal his sick servant.
Jesus had agreed to visit this man, a Roman centurion, whom the authorities suggested was deserving of Jesus' assistance. According to them, this man had used his own resources to build a synagogue for the Jewish people.
Jesus decided to go and provide help, not because the man was worthy, but because someone needed help. That is what he does, gives help to the needy. Yes, Jesus listens and hears the cries of all people.
However, even though the authorities had informed Jesus that this man was worthy of assistance, the very same man later sent word to Jesus saying that he was unworthy. "Lord, do not trouble yourself for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof."
"Say the word and let my servant be healed."
What great faith? This foreigner displayed more faith in God's Messiah than the people who spent centuries waiting for his advent. This man believed that Jesus had the power to heal his servant from a distance.
Jesus has the power to heal us from a distance. He promises that he will answer and give us relief when we call upon his name. He does not turn anyone away.
How is your faith? In whom do you place your hope? Is it in some politician? Is it in money? Is it in your worldly possessions? Or is it in your own ability to do for yourself?
The centurion placed his faith in the one who matters most, Jesus. Jesus is the one who died for our sins and he is the only one who can save us from our sins. Therefore, like the centurion, place your faith in Jesus.
While it is good to place our faith in Jesus, don't get the impression that faith is something that we possess and are at liberty to dispose of. No! Faith is a gift from God. Through the Holy Spirit we receive faith. The Holy Spirit creates faith in us to believe in God. Otherwise, on our own, we cannot believe in God, especially the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
As you negotiate your way through this pilgrimage we call life and as you encounter perils and roadblocks during the journey, I pray that your faith is rooted in Jesus Christ. Amen.
o Reverend Samuel M. Boodle, pastor at The Lutheran Church of Nassau, can be reached at P.O. Box N 4794, Nassau, Bahamas, or telephone 426-9084; E-mail: lutheranchurch@coralwave.com.
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