Matthew 8 tells a story that, I believe, contains one of the most powerful verses in all of the Bible. In vs. 10, Jesus says, "I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel." The faith of the centurion He met in this chapter was greater than any faith He'd ever come across. He hadn't even found someone with faith like this among God's people.
As I looked at this passage the other day, I started wondering what it was about the faith of this man that impressed Jesus so much. We don't have a lot of Scripture dealing with this man, but we do have a little and a few characteristics jumped out at me.
1. Great faith knows Who to turn to (vs. 5). The faith of this centurion caused him to turn to Jesus when he was in need.
2. Great faith understands the need (vs. 6). Strong faith gives us the eyes to see the needs of people around us.
3. Great faith causes compassion for others (vs. 6). The man was obviously moved by the condition of his servant. He told Jesus that the servant was "grievously tormented."
4. Great faith causes humility (vs. 8). The centurion said he wasn't worthy for Jesus to come to his house. Faith will make us humble before God as well. By nature, faith is the reaction to our understanding that we can't.
5. Great faith recognizes the power of God (vs. 8). The centurion told Jesus to simply speak and his servant would be healed.
6. Great faith knows who is in charge (vs. 9). The military man understood a chain of command. He also understood that God is always ultimately in charge.
Obviously, these thoughts could be elaborated on greatly, but I hope they at least get you thinking about your faith. Do you see any of these characteristics in your life?
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1 comment:
Chris,
Great post and thoughts brother. I believe each man of faith in the Bible had these characteristics. Thanks for encouraging us to have these characteristics in our lives. I hope all is going well in your new position. God bless.
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