Transcript

Matthew 8:8-12 · NOBA @ Noon

Canon Justin Murff: The Gospel of Matthew chapter eight twelve But the centurion replied, Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man under authority with soldiers under me, and I say to one go and he goes, to another come and he comes, and to my servant do this and he does it. When Jesus heard this, he marvelled and said to those who followed him, Truly I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from the east and the west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness, and that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. The Gospel of the Lord. This Roman centurion approaches Jesus, and he's seeking healing for his paralyzed servant. Now what makes this encounter remarkable isn't just the request, but it's the centurion's understanding of Jesus' supreme authority. When Jesus offers to come to his home, the centurion responds with this extraordinary statement of faith, Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. This alone is a pretty bold statement for a Roman centurion to be saying. to an itinerant Jewish preacher of the time. But he goes on to say, Only say the word, and my servant will be healed. This Gentile Roman soldier understood something so profound. He goes on to explain, for I too am a man under authority with soldiers under me. The centurion recognizes that Jesus possesses supreme authority over sickness, just as the centurion possesses supreme authority over his soldiers. A word From someone with genuine authority isn't just sufficient, it's transformational. Jesus' response reveals his astonishment at the situation. Truly I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. This is remarkable, and if we're honest, it's a bit of a gut punch for the disciples present. Here, this Gentile Roman outsider, the enemy of Israel, is displaying greater faith than anyone in Jesus' inner circle? No doubt. The centurion's understanding of authority led to his unwavering trust, especially considering all that's transpired up to this point. Then comes this prophetic statement. Jesus says, I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, when the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into outer darkness. Jesus is looking forward to the great heavenly banquet, the feast that will mark the kingdom's new beginning, the shocking revelation. Is who will actually be seated there? Many from the east and the west, Gentiles from all directions. Meanwhile, the sons of the kingdom, those who should have been the natural heirs, those who had reserved seats, will find themselves excluded. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. This language of profound regret and sorrow and anguish. The insiders had become the outsiders. Because they failed to respond and recognize what was standing right in front of them, or more importantly, who was standing right in front of them. You know, the early church wrestled with Gentile inclusion as well. These once Jewish believers, now turned followers of Christ, needed to understand that physical descent from Abraham didn't guarantee their eternal spiritual inheritance. The centurion became a model of faith precisely because he was an Outsider. He had no religious credentials. He had no covenant standing, no claim on Adonai's promises for his chosen people. He came with nothing but the recognition of Jesus' authority and total confidence in his word. And praise God, that is enough. This passage confronts our religious presumptions. You see, we can assume that our heritage, our church membership, maybe even our theological knowledge or our religious service. Gives us some kind of special standing before God. But the centurion, with none of these, exhibited greater faith than any in all of Israel at that moment. We see that a truly transformative faith is the kind of faith that trusts Jesus' word alone. The centurion didn't need Jesus to physically come to his house. He didn't need to see the healing take place. No, he trusted in the authority of Christ's spoken word. that we would have such spiritual confidence in our own lives. The heavenly banquet for sure will include many from the East and the West, people from every tongue, tribe, language, and nation, and this wasn't an afterthought. No, in fact, what today's scripture shows us is this was and always has been part of God's divine plan and intention. So today, let me ask you: where is your faith rooted? Is your faith? Based on religious credentials or on our personal trust in Christ's authority. Can we really trust in Jesus' word even when we don't see the immediate evidence? Of course we can. May we be so blessed today to have the faith of a centurion.