Faith That Impresses Jesus
Matthew 8:5-13
The subject for today …”Faith That Impresses Jesus”. Faith that impresses Jesus is definitely IMPRESSIVE FAITH! We are told in verse 10 that when Jesus heard the words of the Centurion, “He Marvelled” Literally, Jesus “admired” this man’s faith.
The Bible defines faith for us in - Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
There have been people I have met throughout my life that have “impressed” me with their faith. Certain circumstances arise that would devastate most men and these individuals are steady and secure. They put their faith and hope in The Lord. It is one thing to impress me, but this man we have read about today even made Jesus say “WOW”
At this point in His ministry Jesus has traveled many miles and encountered countless people. He has preached to many souls, performed many miracles, healed many sick folk but there is something different about this man. I would like to look at his story today and see what faith can do for you!
Faith is essential to the Christian life. Our Salvation is by grace through faith. We are to walk in faith daily.We find through the Word of God instances where faith is rewarded:
• There is the faith of those 4 men who brought the man to Jesus who was sick with the palsy.
• There is the faith of Jairus whose daughter Jesus brought back from the dead.
• There is the faith of the woman who touched the hem of Jesus’ garment.
• There is the faith of the lepers who were cleansed
• There is the faith of the sick that were healed.
• There is the faith of those disciples who followed Jesus
The Word faith is used 247 times in the Bible. (interesting fact: it is only used twice in the O.T)
The bible tells us that the “Just shall live by faith” - Romans 1:17
Jesus said - “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.” - Matthew 17:20
Romans 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith
Look with me to verses 5-6 and we will see:
I. A Request That Required Faith v5-6
This man made his request known to Jesus. In his plea we see a glimpse into his faith. Consider:
A. The Concern Of The Centurion - v5 And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him,
A centurion was a Roman military who commanded a group of 100 men.We can see much about this man’s character in these few verses that record his story. At a time when many other masters would have sent this servant to an infirmary he invested his own time into seeking a solution for this man.
The Centurion had a measure of faith. He also had a deep concern for his servant. This man sets a good example for us today…. We have loved ones who need a miracle; we can & should go to Jesus on their behalf! This man came to Jesus for his hired help; won’t you go to Him on behalf of your children?
B. The Condition Of The Servant - v6 And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.
The Centurion’s servant is described as being “sick of the palsy” this would be better translated “paralytic or paralyzed” The servant was in a helpless situation. We are not told what caused the issue but we are informed of the extent of the illness… v6 says that he was “grievously tormented”. The servant was in a bad situation and needed a miracle. Somehow, the centurion had heard of what Jesus had been doing in the area and he believed that Jesus could help his beloved servant.
Every person here knows someone who is in worse shape than the Centurion’s servant. This servant was in tormented physically. Some of our family and friends will be tormented ETERNALLY! The word “tormented” is literally translated “tortured”
In Luke 16 the Rich Man in hell proclaimed that he was “tormented in this flame” Do you realize that that could be your loved one? Do you even care? Will you come to Jesus on their behalf? If you will, your request requires faith… Just like the Centurion had!
Not only was there “A Request That Required Faith” we also see:
II. A Response That Rewarded Faith v7 And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.
Aren’t you glad that when you go to Jesus you get a response?It may not always be the response you want, be you will not be ignored! You may get a yes, a no, or a not right now… but you WILL GET A RESPONSE! This man took his issue to Jesus and Jesus said “sure, I will heal him”
If you will look on down to verse 13 you will see that Jesus did just that! - v13 And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.
Jesus rewarded the faith of the Centurion. As a result the servant was the beneficiary of an even greater reward. It is very rewarding to see a loved one get saved after praying for them for many years. When this happens we are rewarded with great peace & joy that our loved ones are delivered from an eternity in Hell. But our loved ones get the greater reward; they get eternal life and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Either way, faith is essential to receiving the reward!
After Jesus says that He will heal the servant, the centurion says “wait, there is no need to come to my house …Just speak the word Lord”. Notice:
III. A Reply That Revealed Faith v8-12
Now we have already seen that this man has a measure of faith, just in the fact that he came to Jesus in the first place. But as we look further we see a little more about this man’s character.
A. His Reply Was Humble - v8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. 9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.
The first degree of humility is to acknowledge the necessity of God's mercy, and our own inability to help ourselves - Adam Clarke
This man was not saying that Jesus was not welcome in his home. He was saying “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home”We are not worthy of Jesus hearing and answering our prayers yet we often act like He owes us something! But praise God HE DOES HEAR AND ANSWER OUR PRAYERS! Our prayers may be a little more productive if were we less arrogant and more humble when praying them!
The Centurion simply says “Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed.” What an amazing display of faith!
Not only was his reply humble, we also see that:
B. His Reply Was Honorable - v10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
Jesus was impressed with this man’s faith! Look at what He said “I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen such great faith in all Israel! Let’s be honest, that is the kind of statement that will make you swell up with pride!
I can imagine this guy talking to his friends after this event ------ Hey… Did you hear what Jesus said about me???? Yup, he said I have greater faith than anyone else in the area!!! That very likely would be my response, but I really don’t think it was the case for this man.
Jesus marvelled at his response and used him as an example to teach those who were with Him. It was at this moment that Jesus also pointed to another imperative truth. Consider:
v11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Jesus was stating that gentiles from all over the world will fellowship with Abraham, Isaac & Jacob in the Kingdome of Heaven. But that many of the Israelites (that the Kingdom was initially prepared for) would be thrown into outer darkness. Jesus speaks of a place of weeping, gnashing of teeth, darkness and torments. What a stark contrast! Gentiles hanging with Abraham, Isaac & Jacob and Jews burning in a lake of fire. Understand this; there will be gentiles in hell and Jews in Heaven, and visa-versa. But it all boils down to faith… Faith in Jesus Christ.
John 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Eternity is summed up in those verses. Faith in Jesus is required for salvation. Rejecting Jesus results in eternal torments The choice is yours, Jesus said in John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth and the life and no man comes to the father except through me.” The Centurion had faith and was rewarded. He had a burden and he went to Jesus with a concern for a loved one. Jesus heard his plea and answered his prayer. The servant’s life was changed as a result He had a faith that impressed Jesus… DO YOU???
Do you have a burden for your lost loved one? Do you really believe in a place called Hell? Do you have faith that Jesus can save your loved one? Then go to Him on their behalf, and see what He can do! If you have never trusted Him yourself, today could be the day that your life is changed forever!
