January 22, 2010
BIG FAITH
Matthew 8:1-17
Julie Nicholson
Central Truth
Faith isn't about theological knowledge or time spent inside a church building. It's much more about trust in a loving, living God and building a relationship with Him.
Key Verse | Matthew 8:10
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." (Matthew 8:10)
Matthew 8:1-17
Jesus Cleanses a Leper
1 When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. 2 And behold, a leper 1 8:2 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13 came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” 3 And Jesus 2 8:3 Greek he stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4 And Jesus said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a proof to them.”
The Faith of a Centurion
5 When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, 6 “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.” 7 And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” 8 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. 9 For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, 3 8:9 Or bondservant ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 10 When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel 4 8:10 Some manuscripts not even in Israel have I found such faith. 11 I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, 12 while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 13 And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment.
Jesus Heals Many
14 And when Jesus entered Peter's house, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever. 15 He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve him. 16 That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.”
Dive Deeper | Matthew 8:1-17
Hebrews 11:1 tells us, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." This Matthew passage covers four interactions with Jesus. They all share something in common: faith.
I'd like to focus on the centurion. This guy was a Roman. Most likely from a pagan background. We don't know if he had sat and listened to Jesus teach. We don't know if he'd even heard Jesus teach at all. Yet, he had faith. He recognized Jesus as an authority figure (8:9). Maybe that's the key. The centurion understood that even with all his military power, he could not heal his servant. He was not in control of the situation. And Jesus recognized this Roman's faith (8:10). A Gentile pleading for another Gentile and realizing the position of Jesus. Stunning! "Religion" was actually reaching beyond the confines of the "chosen." Glorious!
My husband and I experienced a similar situation to that of the centurion. We realized that modern medical technology and a team of medical personnel couldn't save us from extreme heartache. It doesn't matter what the situation was, only that we were helpless. But not hopeless. God revealed Himself as the One in control. It didn't seem so at the time, but slowly we saw His hand in many things. As a result of this painful experience, my faith grew in ways I would never have expected. I'm not "Super Christian" by any means, but I understand what faith means when very little else makes sense. And much like the centurion, I had to come to the end of myself before I realized that truth.
The centurion shows us that great faith doesn't necessarily take great knowledge, just faith.
Discussion Questions
1. What does faith look like to you?
2. How has God grown you in the area of faith?
3. Can you describe a time when a situation looked hopeless, but ended up producing faith?
FAMILY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What is a miracle? (A miracle is something wonderful only God can do.)
2. What does it mean that the Roman soldier had faith (verse 10)?
3. Do you believe that God can do miracles in your life?