This is the testimony that I shared on 16 December 2007.
Whenever I read any of the Gospels I am always touched by the miracles that Jesus performed during His time on Earth. As we have been looking at Luke this month I have been particularly moved by the faith of those who came to Jesus seeking His power and compassion.
I love the image of the sick woman who must have struggled so desperately through the crowd to get close enough to Jesus. Her faith in Jesus’ power and her hope for his mercy and compassion was so strong that only touching His cloak was enough to draw out the power to heal her physically.
Then there is the woman who washed Jesus’ feet with her tears at Simon’s house. Jesus could see that her actions were a demonstration of her faith. Because of her faith Jesus forgave her sins – he looked at her with compassion and blessed her with His power by healing her spiritually.
However, the people in Nazareth had little or no faith in Jesus’ power. When Jesus was in Nazareth, His hometown, He was unable to perform miracles, because the people did not believe that he was the son of God. Their lack of faith limited the impact that Jesus’ power could have on their lives. The Gospel of Mark says that Jesus “was amazed at their lack of faith” (Mark 6:6).
In contrast, Luke records the story of the centurion:
When Jesus had finished saying all this in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. There a centurion’s servant, who his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” So Jesus went we them. He was not far away 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 this 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 7:1-10)
The centurion understood that Jesus was a man of power, a man with authority. Because the centurion was a man with authority over others, he also understood that it was not necessary for Jesus to come to the centurion’s house to heal his servant, but that, being a man of great power, Jesus need only say the word and the servant would be healed. Luke says, “When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him” – Jesus was amazed at the centurion’s faith!
In my life I often find myself surprised when God answers my prayers. But why should I be surprised when I ask something of God’s infinite power and He gives it to me? Reading about the faith of the centurion caused me to wonder how my life and relationship with God would change if I had more faith that God can do amazing things in my life and the lives of the people for which I pray.
I think it is very important to remember that our faith or lack of faith does not change God’s power. Psalm 102:25-27 says:
In the beginning you laid the foundation of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands.
They will perish, but you remain; they will wear out like a garment,
Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded.
But you remain the same, and your years will never end.
God’s power is infinite and unchanging. His power does not depend on whether or not people believe in Him, but he gives us a choice to believe. Just as God gives us the choice to accept his salvation or to refuse it, he also gives us the choice to allow his power to touch our lives or to limit his impact on our lives by having little faith.
John 14:12-14 says:
I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name and I will do it.
If we have faith in the power of Jesus, we can ask him for anything that will bring glory to God and he will do it. Let’s pray that God will help us to grow in our faith in His power until we have faith like the centurion – faith that amazes Jesus!
