THE FAITH OF THE CENTURION

[Mathew 8:5-13]

One crucial attribute of Faith is that if you have it, it will show. True faith always expresses itself. Living faith works!

In the course of Jesus’ ministry on earth, He encountered a man whose faith astonished him. Jesus’ conclusion was: “I have not found anyone in Israel with such a great faith” Mathew 8:10b The Centurion’s expression of faith astonished Jesus especially because the man in question was not a Jew, yet he understood how faith works. If Jesus commended him, we all need to understand the principles that drove his manifestation of faith.

1. The Centurion understood the Message of Jesus: Jesus did so many things, and said so many things, but He preached only one message. His message was the Good News of the Kingdom of God. The message of Jesus was about a kingdom and not a religion. The centurion, being a trained officer of the Roman kingdom understood the kingdom protocol and he applied this understanding in approaching Jesus. Probably, that is why the Bible does not state his name, but states his role in the Roman Empire

2. The Centurion approached Jesus as Lord: He knew that Jesus was more than a prophet or a Rabbi. He called him by the title of a king; he called Him “Lord”. What you call a thing determines your expectations from that thing. The title “Lord” depicts kingdom authority, ownership, influence and power.

3. Faith works by grace: It is of faith that it might be according to grace (see Romans 4;16). The Centurion did not approach the Lord with a sense of entitlement. The throne of God is a throne of grace and mercy. He knew that self-righteousness would not help his cause. He told the Lord: “I do not deserve to have you come under my roof” Mathew 8:8

4. The Centurion humbled himself: Pride, most times, prevents us from asking for help when we need to. Powerful people are not always willing to expose their vulnerability. The centurion, a captain of 100 soldiers came to Jesus “asking for help”.

5. Faith that works by love: The faith of the centurion was great because the faith was not applied for personal benefit. He approached Jesus in order to get some relief for his servant who was “paralyzed and in terrible suffering”. His faith was special because it was in the interest of others, especially someone “under” him, someone beneath him. His faith was special because it fulfilled the Law and Prophets: “In everything do unto others what you would have them do unto you” (Mathew 7:12)

6. Faith is operative through words: There is a Yoruba adage that translates as “by your words we know whether you are wicked or not”. What you say proves what you believe. What you believe determines how you behave. Your behaviour reinforces your faith. The accurate words of the Centurion showed his understanding and faith.

7. Authority is exercised through words: It is important to speak as authorized. When we speak contrary to the programmes of God, we speak to our condemnation. When we speak in line with God’s mind, we speak to our justification.

8. Faith is a legal tender; the currency of God’s kingdom: The centurion exchanged his faith for his desire. The Lord of the Kingdom said to the Centurion: “It will be done just as you believed it would”

Will the Son of man find faith on earth when he returns?