PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: Matthew 8

What do you sense the Lord saying to you in this passage?

“Not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.” (Matthew 8:10)
I believe that Rome was an ungodly, evil system of power.
Roman soldiers may have known no better, but they served that system.
Slavery was one of its detestable practices, though not unique to them.
Jesus should have confronted and challenged this centurion.
But Jesus sees past these obvious sins to the heart and faith.
He sees a mustard seed of faith in this unbelieving outsider.
Not a faith that led to repentance and righteousness.
But a faith that led him to desperately seeking Jesus.
What Jesus sees as ‘great faith’s, we would reject for church membership.
But Jesus does not measure people by their worthiness.
Jesus does not treat people as their sins deserve.
Jesus knows they act from ignorance, and helps them anyway.
I wonder if Jesus still sees greater faith outside the church.
Could the people we reject as ‘unbelievers’ have a greater faith?
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, give me eyes of faith to see you like this centurion. Give me eyes of faith to see others like you saw this centurion.