WHAT YOU BELIEVED, WILL BE DONE

MUSINGS – June 09 2018

WHAT YOU BELIEVED, WILL BE DONE

Matthew 8:5-13
When Jesus went to Capernaum, a Roman army officer came to beg him for help. The officer said, “Sir, my servant is lying at home paralyzed and in terrible pain.” Jesus said to him, “I’ll come to heal him.” The officer responded, “Sir, I don’t deserve to have you come into my house. But just give a command, and my servant will be healed. As you know, I’m in a chain of command and have soldiers at my command. I tell one of them, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and another, ‘Come!’ and he comes. I tell my servant, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.” Jesus was amazed when he heard this. He said to those who were following him, “I can guarantee this truth: I haven’t found faith as great as this in anyone in Israel. I can guarantee that many will come from all over the world. They will eat with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. The citizens of that kingdom will be thrown outside into the darkness. People will cry and be in extreme pain there. Jesus told the officer, “Go! What you believed will be done for you.” And at that moment the servant was healed.

• A Roman soldier came to Jesus begging for healing for his servant. How very remarkable.

• A Roman, conquer of the Jews, came to Jesus. A soldier and more than a soldier but an officer with others under his command, came in person to Jesus.

A Roman, conquer of the Jews, came to Jesus. A soldier and more than a soldier but an officer with others under his command, came in person to Jesus.

• He came to Jesus instead of sending soldier to bring Jesus to him.

• He came not demanding (which was his legal right) but begging.

• He came seeking healing not for himself nor his family but for his slave. Though he had power over the slave he also had compassion for him.

• He addressed Jesus with the honorific of Sir or Lord, in other translations. By doing so he was placing himself under Jesus’s command.

• He understood the power that Jesus wielded far better than even Jesus’ closest followers did.

• And his belief that Jesus could heal with a word and from afar is far greater faith in Jesus than any other recorded in the scriptures.

How great is your faith? How strong it’s your belief?

All content (except quotations) © 2018 Thomas E. Williams

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