Faith Is What Counts (Matthew 8:5-13)

 Faith Is What Counts

Scripture

“And when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, imploring Him, and saying, 'Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented." Jesus *said to him, "I will come and heal him." But the centurion said, "Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. "For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, 'Go!' and he goes, and to another, 'Come!' and he comes, and to my slave, 'Do this!' and he does it." Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who were following, "Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel. "I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." And Jesus said to the centurion, "Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed." And the servant was healed that very moment.” (Matthew 8:5-13)

Devotional Thought

A non-Jewish military man comes to Jesus asking for help. When Jesus says He will come and heal him, the centurion responds with something remarkable. He says You don’t need to come, Jesus; just say the word.

Our Lord took note of his response, and it’s crucial for us to do the same. Why? Because Jesus marveled at it. “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel.”

Following that declaration, Jesus points out that many different people will be in the kingdom of heaven, not based on their genealogy, but on the basis of their faith. The sons of the kingdom will be cast out. However, the centurion’s belief is confirmed by Jesus, as his servant was healed that very moment.

Beloved of God, you will not enter heaven because you are an American. You will not have peace because your parents are saved. Everlasting life will not be obtained by doing good works. No, only by faith will you be saved.

However, if you have faith in Christ, even though you can not see Him now, you will see Him someday. “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is” (1 John 3:1-2).