By: Dale Weckbacher
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the
assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
(ESV)
One definition of faith found in Merriam-Webster’s
dictionary is “firm belief in something for which there is no proof.” (1) Hebrews 11:1 provides a more Biblical
definition that on the surface seems to somewhat agree with the definition
found in the dictionary for both seem to portray faith as some blind belief in
something unseen. However, Biblical
faith is not something that is blind for even though it is a faith in an unseen
God, it is not something without proof.
Luke 7:1-10 provides the account of Jesus’ healing of the
Centurion’s Servant. While Hebrews 11:1
provides a general definition of faith as being an assurance of things we hope
for and a conviction in the existence of things not seen, the account in Luke
provides a more detailed definition of Biblical faith and is something we
should look at more closely.
1)
The Centurion had a need (Luke 7:1-2) – The
Centurion had a highly-valued servant that was sick to the point of death. The fact that the Centurion had a need is not
an indication of lack of faith but something everyone reading this, and might I
add the one writing it, experience in our lives. While many of us like to think of ourselves
as independent and able to handle our needs, the truth is we are all
dependent. For example, you do not want
me to fix your car for I lack expertise in auto mechanics. As such I am dependent upon others to fix my
car when it breaks down. Romans 3:23
reminds us that we all have sinned and fallen short God’s standard. The consequence of this sin in our lives is
death (Romans 6:23) but because of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus
Christ, we can all be rescued from this death sentence. Therefore, we all need a substitute to die
for us in order to escape this death sentence.
That substitute is Jesus Christ.
If you have not accepted Jesus substitutionary death for your sins, I
invite you to do so now by praying with me,
Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know
that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23). I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse
me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).
I believe you died, was buried, and resurrected from the dead and now
declare you Lord of my life.
2)
The Centurion knew about Jesus (Luke 7:3) – At
this point in His ministry, Jesus had performed many miracles of healing. Having heard of these reports, the centurion
sends messengers to Jesus. When we have
a need the next step is finding someone we know can meet that need. Using my car analogy again I know and have a
good mechanic that can fix my car when it breaks down. I know this mechanic is good because of my history
with him and good word from others using his services.
3)
The Centurion believed Jesus could heal his servant
(Luke 7:3) – Just knowing Jesus is insufficient for even demons know Jesus
(James 2:19). Knowing must become a
belief that Jesus can meet our particular need.
Most medical doctors display their diploma in their offices. While this diploma is just a simple piece of
paper, it symbolizes the fact the doctor has completed a level of training in
medicine. The displaying of the diploma
is to help instill belief that the doctor treating you has expertise in the
field of medicine and able to treat your illness. Our faith in God it is found in the written
accounts in God’s Word that help instill belief.
4)
The Centurion humbly trusted Jesus (Luke 7:4-7) –
So humble was the Centurion that he did not even feel worthy to have Jesus come
to his house. So trusting was this
Centurion that he trusted that just a word from Jesus would heal the
servant. It is this trusting part that
most of us, including myself, struggle with.
We know we have a need, we know of Jesus, and we believe the Word of God
is true yet when it comes to trusting God with our personal need, we have
doubts and believe we need to fix things ourselves. Some of us may even be like the elders of the
Jews, believing we are somehow worthy of a miracle based upon our good works
(Luke 7:4-5). In the Centurion however,
we see a humble man not even feeling worthy to have Jesus visit him yet a man
understanding Jesus authority from God and trusting this authority granted
Jesus the power to heal his servant with just a word (Luke 7:6-8).
This passage in Luke concludes with Jesus commending the
Centurion for his great faith and using it as a teaching moment (Luke7:9-10). May we all strive to have a
faith defined by the Centurion who knew of Jesus, believed he could perform a
miracle for his servant and trusted that just a word from Jesus had the
authority to perform a miracle.
Next Saturday we will explore the object of our faith.
1. Merriam-Webster. Definition of Faith. www.merriam-webster.com.
[Online] Merriam-Webster. [Cited: April 30, 2017.]
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/faith.
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