Amazing Faith

Amazing Faith

Matthew 8:5-13

What amazes Jesus?

The scripture records only two times that Jesus was amazed:

1) Once when people lacked faith…

Mark 6:2-6

2 When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. "Where did this man get these things?" they asked. "What’s this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles!

3 Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him.

4 Jesus said to them, "Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor."

5 He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them.

6 And he was amazed at their lack of faith…

(NIV)

2) The other, when a man’s faith far outdistanced those around him

Matthew 8:5-13

5 When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help.

6 "Lord," he said, "my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering."

7 Jesus said to him, "I will go and heal him."

8 The centurion replied, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.

9 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."

10 When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.

11 I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.

12 But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go! It will be done just as you believed it would." And his servant was healed at that very hour.

(NIV)

Let’s go to Capernaum and see this amazing faith.

Jesus has just finished preaching what we call “The Sermon on the Mount” and the scripture says that…

Matthew 7:28-29

28 When Jesus had finished saying these things,

the crowds were amazed at his teaching,

29 because he taught as one who had authority,

and not as their teachers of the law.

(NIV)

Then as Jesus is coming down off the mountain, Jesus amazes the people again by touching a man covered with the highly contagious disease of leprosy.

Jesus always amazes us. It is amazing to think that the God who cast the stars into orbit would care enough about us to enter into our orbit and cast our sins as far as the east is from the west. It is amazing to think that the God who fashioned the world with His own hands would fashion Himself to take on human flesh and become one of us. It is amazing that…

2 Corinthians 5:21

21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us,

that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

(NKJ)

Jesus constantly amazes us.

When he enters the town of Capernaum, which He had set up as His base of operations, a centurion and his entourage comes to Jesus. The Centurion was the commander of 100 soldiers. Luke’s account of this event tells us that this Centurion was well loved by the Jews in Capernaum. He had invested His own money to build a synagogue for the Jews. He loved them and they loved Him. When Jesus got to town, the Centurion meets Him with a request.

Matthew 8:6

6 "Lord," he said, "my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering."

(NIV)

The Centurion’s highly valued servant could not serve. The Centurion made a simple statement to the Lord and Jesus responded:

Matthew 8:7

7 Jesus said to him, "I will go and heal him."

(NIV)

Isn’t that just what you would expect Jesus to say and do? When one comes to Jesus requesting healing, we expect Him to respond by coming and bringing wellness and wholeness. As Jesus turns to go to touch the Centurion’s servant, and amaze the people again, the Centurion puts out his hand to stop Jesus.

Matthew 8:8

8 The centurion replied, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.

(NIV)

Amazing faith recognizes that

The God Who has spoken