Nov 28 2005

Mt 8:5-11
When Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.” He said to him, “I will come and cure him.” The centurion said in reply, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I say to you, many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven.”
The centurion had not only a strong faith but also humility. Say the word and the sick one shall be healed. This faith means not having to see the works of God as they occur but believing that they will, trusting in the Lord. There are times when there is no more to do for healing than to put the rest in the hands of the Lord and trust that it will be done. It is not always easy to trust in the unseen that might occur in a different place. The centurion understood the power that Jesus had and trusted in it. This morning I pray to the Holy Spirit for an increase in faith and trust in the Lord.