Holy Boldness

And yet it was essentially a simple observation. But in its simplicity, it touched the real issue of faith and that is recognizing that those who submit to authority and the chain of command can simply make a request and it will be done for them. “…the greatness of his faith did not rest in the mere fact that he believed Jesus could heal from a distance but in the degree to which he had penetrated the secret of Jesus authority…. This gentile penetrated more deeply into the the nature of Jesus’ person and authority than any Jew of his time.”26 Jesus went on to make a stunning prediction of His own. I say to you that many will come from east and west and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; 12 But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 8:11) This is a reference to the great banquet at the end of the age. Re clining at the table was a metaphor for salvation which most Jews assumed was the national right and privilege of Israel. But Jesus’ encounter with the Roman centurion and his clear and firm grasp upon the spiritual dynamics of faith caused Jesus to exclaim that the Jews did not have a corner on the market. Jesus spoke prophetically that foreigners would be prominent participants in the Kingdom and many Jews would find themselves displaced from seats of honor. This was a huge issue that the early Christians wrestled with. Why the Jews rejected Jesus would occupy a lot of time and space in the New Testament. But from the beginning, Jesus was under no illusions. He knew that even if His own people reject ed Him, people from the nations would embrace His message and engage the move of God. And Jesus said to the centurion, “Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed that very moment. (Matthew 8:13) According to the centurion’s faith, it was done to him. Faith is not difficult when it is seen as an act of submission and trust. People often try to “work up their faith” to see something happen. There was something in the presence of Jesus that carried the authority that made the centurion’s act of faith as easy as submitting to a command from a superior.

26

Carson, p. 202

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