Amazing Faith, What Makes It What It Is?

June 23, 2019 Luke 7:1-10

Do you have a strong faith or a weak faith? How do you really know? Professor Becker once told the story of how he was convinced that he didn’t have faith when he was a child because the pastor said something to the effect of, “When you have faith you won’t worry about dying.” So when Professor Becker worried about dying he was convinced that he didn’t actually have faith. Every time he said the Creed he wouldn’t say “I believe” but he would say the rest of the Creed. He said that he believed Jesus died for his sins. He believed Jesus rose from the dead. The only problem was that he didn’t believe that he believed. It was an interesting introspection on his thought process. Do you ever have the same worries about your faith? The topic of today is faith, and we especially focus on the centurion’s faith - which Jesus was amazed at. What made his faith so amazing and great?

Amazing Faith, What Makes it What it Is?

Jesus knew the centurion had great faith partly because he is God. But we can’t see into people’s hearts. However, God does tell us to look at people’s works as evidence of their faith. Jesus said, “By their fruits you will recognize them.” Good works do not always mean that people have faith, but they can be good indicators of faith.

From the perspective of the Jews, this centurion was an exemplary man. He had built a nice synagogue for them to worship in with his own finances. I would imagine that he also provided protection for the Jews in Capernaum and didn’t allow them to be abused in any way. What we see is a powerful and rich man using his power and his position to the glory of God. He wasn’t ashamed of his faith in the LORD. He lived it.

It has been said that there are two great tests when it comes to your faith - when you are poor and when you are rich. Now you might ask why it would be a test to be rich? It is because you might tend to be proud or forget that you need the Lord when you are so well provided for. I think of those who reach high political positions but then seem to abandon their religion after they get there. But that didn’t happen for the centurion. He was unashamed to be associated with the synagogue and the LORD, and he used his gifts to glorify the worship area there. Lydia is another example of that happening in the Bible, along with Joseph of Arimathea and Abraham.

It can be a very powerful thing when a powerful or influential man or woman is brought to the faith. Think of athletes like Reggie White or Tim Tebow. Think of politicians like Abraham Lincoln or Frederick back in Luther’s day. Frederick helped to keep Luther from getting arrested and Lincoln helped to free the slaves. They can make wonderful donations or use their influence to make sure that good laws are passed. Their lives can be used as examples and role models on what blessings can come from living according to God’s plan.

You don’t have to be a pastor or a teacher. As a matter of fact, if the kingdom were made up of only pastors and teachers it wouldn’t be much good at all. We have some very talented musicians and carpenters and jacks of all trades in our congregation, and they help to make a mark on our congregation and on our society when they serve to the glory of God. It is a strong witness to the people they work with when they do what they do to the glory of God’s name. I am amazed by the talents that some of you have and use to the glory of God.

Here’s another thing about the centurion . . . a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. It may seem like a small thing, but we shouldn’t overlook it. He valued his servant very highly. He didn’t look at him as just a piece of property. Later on, the Greek says in vs. 7 that he refers to him as “my child.”

When I was over in India there were servants in one of the households that I visited, and they wouldn’t speak with the servants like you and I might carry on a conversation with someone we hired to put in windows or fix a garage door. They weren’t mean to them, but it still seemed to me like they were purposely ignored. When we are in Christ, we don’t think this way. We have a God who came down to speak with us and pay special attention to us: to cover our sins and heal us. God thinks highly of us even though we should be by nature repulsive to Him. The centurion thought highly of his servant. He was genuinely concerned for him when he was dying. The centurion showed his faith in the way he cared for those under him. When you care for people it leaves a strong witness.