The Greatest Faith

INTRO

Yesterday, we discovered that in order to be built on a solid rock foundation that cannot be shaken, we need a strong foundation in the Word of God. We believe that if you dig into the Word every day, this process can radically change your life.

TEACHING

In Matthew 8, there are all kinds of stories of healing. The first four verses talk about a leper who was healed because Jesus touched him. Jesus interacted and engaged with the community. He commanded us to go into the world because He has given us authority. Jesus engaged the culture.

Matthew 8:5-13: In verse 5, Jesus engaged the culture. Jesus entered Capernaum and was interacting with the people there, when a centurion came up to Him. A centurion was a Roman military officer who was in charge of 100 soldiers. Carson said that many of these officers would have been of Phoenician (modern-day Lebanese) and Syrian background.1 The centurion would have been the backbone of the military. Throughout the New Testament, when you read of a centurion, it’s always a positive statement. Centurions are presented as having power under control, and a sense of meekness. This centurion who came to Jesus was able to say, “I need help.” By pleading with Jesus, the centurion acknowledged that Jesus was in control.

This passage has a few surprises. The first surprise comes from verse 5. It surprises me that a centurion, a military man, would humble himself and plead with Jesus.

There are at least two surprises from verse 6. First, the centurion identified Jesus as “Lord.” Most commentators would say the centurion was being polite with this title and wasn’t referring to Jesus as deity. We’ve already identified that the centurion was willing to plead with Jesus. The next observation is that the centurion was pleading for his servant, which means that he recognized Jesus as an authority who had the power to help.

In verse 7, Jesus replied that He would come heal the servant, another surprise. The centurion simply asked for help and Jesus simply said yes. The Father wants to pour out good things to us. Here’s where the rewards come from––when we intercede in prayer for someone else. This makes you want to talk to Jesus. We can come before the throne in humility because Jesus understands and hears our prayers.

The surprises continue in verse 8 when the centurion proclaimed his own unworthiness. MacArthur states that “Jewish tradition held that a person who entered a Gentile’s house was ceremonially defiled.”²The centurion recognized that as a Jew, Jesus would become defiled if He entered his home. It’s kind of like outside the gate at the Old City in Jerusalem. The Muslims took over the Eastern Gate and they cemented up the gate. It’s also known as the Golden Gate and is the gate the Messiah will ride through to restore the kingdom of God. Not only did the Muslims cement up the gate, but they put a cemetery before it because they knew that no priest would defile himself crossing through the cemetery. However, Jesus is not concerned with being unclean but instead wants to touch people’s lives. When it’s time for Jesus to return, He’ll come through that cemetery.

A surprise from verse 8 is that the centurion believed that Jesus had the authority to heal his servant. Another surprise is that the centurion thought he wasn’t worthy, but that Jesus was. He was willing to humble himself to get help for his servant. Jesus has no desire to pour out His mercy or His grace on our lives if we are not humble before Him. The centurion’s response that he wasn’t worthy, was like John the Baptist’s response to Jesus that he wasn’t even worthy to untie His sandals (Mark 1:7; John 1:27). That’s what Jesus is looking for.

In verse 9, a surprise is that the centurion, because he was a soldier, connected simply on the basis of authority. He recognized that Jesus’ authority was greater.

1 Donald A. Carson, “Matthew,” in Matthew-Luke, vol. 8 of The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein and J. D. Douglas (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1983), 200; Thomas L. Constable, Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable: Matthew, 238, https://planobiblechapel. org/tcon/notes/pdf/matthew.pdf.

In verse 10, Jesus was amazed. Where else in Scripture have you ever read the statement that Jesus was amazed? Jesus was amazed that the centurion had such great faith that He could command “Come,” “Go,” or “Do.” It’s a surprise! Scripture says that the one who postures himself to decrease while Christ increases in him will be elevated. Jesus pointed out that this Gentile had the greatest faith because he recognized what Jesus could do. And all the centurion did was to plead for his servant. Back in verse 6, the centurion didn’t ask for Jesus’ help. And in verse 8, he said to Jesus, “Only say the word, and my servant will be cured.” I want to put back into our hearts and minds that Jesus is in the business of healing. It’s His kingdom business. He has the authority and is in charge of the kingdom, so He can do whatever He wants.

In verse 11, Jesus described the gathering of Israel in heaven. This is a weird transition since Jesus had just complimented a Gentile for having the greatest faith. But the point of this verse is that when Israel comes together in heaven, the banquet will not only be for the Jews, but the Gentiles (those from the east and the west) will be at the banquet, too. The religious leaders of that time thought that the kingdom of God and the Messianic banquet was only for the Jews. In verse 12, Jesus said “the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Jesus was challenging the Jews with an alternative perspective about heaven. And, He had just complimented a Gentile, indicating that Gentiles from all over would join the banquet in the kingdom (Isaiah 59:19; Malachi 1:11). Jesus said He didn’t come to abolish, but to fulfill. “Fulfill” doesn’t mean to come to an end, but to complete the process that has already been in place. Many of these prophetic words are still yet to unfold. The Messianic banquet––still in place. Jesus’ name will be great among the nations, not just Israel––still in place. What bothered the Jews was that they thought this banquet was only going to be for them. The end of verse 12 says there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. There are multiple places in the Scripture that talk about this (Matthew 22:13).

In the middle of this story, Jesus tells the Jews that the Gentiles can come to the table too if they have faith; and at the end, the servant was totally healed (v. 13). I believe that when we have a kingdom mindset, we can walk like the centurion and we can walk like Jesus. I want us to look at one verse, and through observation move through the process of interpretation, and land on application: “As you go, announce this: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near’” (Matthew 10:7).

When you walk with the presence of God, when you walk as Christ has changed your life, the kingdom of heaven has come near, and this is what you can do: “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with skin diseases, drive out demons. You have received free of charge; give free of charge” (v. 8).

When we walk with this humility, understand that King Jesus has given us authority, and with the Holy Spirit within us, we can actually do what Christ does . . . heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with skin diseases, cast out demons. What you’ve been given, you need to give away.

CLOSING

What I wanted you to do in this lesson was to slow down and consider what the Scripture is saying. Ultimately, what I take away from this lesson is that when you come to the table with Jesus, you can learn from Him, and then “Come,” “Go,” and “Do” just like Jesus did. We’ve all received free of charge and now it’s our turn to give free of charge.