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.” Luke 7:9
Dear People Who Keep Company with God,
Throughout the Gospels, Jesus calls us to have faith in God, and He has given us all a “measure of faith” to work with (Romans 12:3). Furthermore, it is the same supernatural faith that Jesus possessed! Church history tells the stories of many powerful men and women who have developed and strengthened their faith over time by the Word. Still, their faith is no different from ours. We have that same capacity and potential to have great faith.
Luke 7:1-10 records the story of a miracle Jesus performed on behalf of a Roman soldier, also known as a centurion. Through the Jewish leaders, the soldier asked Jesus to come and heal his beloved servant, who was ill and near death. Jesus agreed to go and heal the servant. When Jesus was not far from his house, the centurion sent a message to Jesus that he was unworthy to have Him come into his home. He asked that Jesus “say the word, and my servant will be healed.” Jesus was genuinely impressed with the man, praised him for his great faith, and healed the servant with His Word.
This Roman centurion loved Israel and had built a synagogue. Knowing the love of God is foundational for the strengthening of our faith (Galatians 5:6). The Jewish leaders, who ironically opposed Jesus, and hated the Romans, pleaded with Jesus to heal the man’s servant, stating that he was worthy of their request. However, the centurion did not even consider himself deserving of Jesus to come to his house or worthy enough to approach Him personally. He knew God never answers prayers based on what one does, their position in life, or how well one measures up to religious standards. This man knew love and was genuinely humble.
He understood that God honors government. One of the lessons we find in David’s dealings with King Saul was never to dishonor, usurp, or harm the people God places in authority over us. The centurion was a soldier in the Roman army. In the natural, soldiers understand governance better than anyone. They know the power that is vested in a position of authority. When someone in charge gives a command, then it is as good as done. In the heat of battle, their lives depend on everyone following orders and not breaking rank.
When he said, “But say the word, and my servant will be healed.” He was saying, “Just speak the logos.” In the New Testament, we have two Greek words that define God’s Word. One is Logos, and it means “the expression of thought.” Simply put, we could say the Bible is a compilation of what God thinks. “Word” is translated logos approximately 330 times in the New Testament. Just as we express ourselves in words, God has perfectly expressed himself in Christ; the Logos made flesh (John 1:1).
The other Greek Word is Rhema. It is defined as “that which is spoken.” Rhema speaks of revelation. “Word” is translated Rhema approximately 68 times in the New Testament. The centurion asked Jesus to speak. He understood authority. He knew that Jesus only had to say the Word, and it would heal his servant. Jesus said we live on the Rhema Word of God (Matthew 4:4). The difference between great faith and little faith is the object of focus. If you look at Jesus, the Living Word, your faith will develop and become great. But when you focus on the cares and desires of this life and personal circumstances, your faith will remain small. Where you choose to focus will determine the greatness of your faith.
Many Blessings, BW