St Matthew, Chapter 8, verse: 9, The Centurion's Faith.

We continue our paragraph topic:  (The centurion's faith) Part 3. 

The centurion now speaks to Christ telling him of his beliefs.  He tells Christ, "I too am a man subject to authority"   The centurion is indicating his beliefs in authority.  He is telling Christ he recognizes that Christ  is an authority figure and he believes that when Christ speaks by his authority it will be done. 

The centurion knows about authority.  He knows that when a person with authority speaks that one can believe that action will take place.  He knows this because he is a man of authority.  As a man of authority he gives orders and they are carried out.  As a man of authority he carries that power upon himself.  He tells a soldier to go and he goes.  He tells a soldier to come and he comes.  He tells his servant to do this and it gets done.  So as a man of authority he knows that Christ has the power to get things done.  As a man of authority he knows that if Christ says that it will be done then it will happen. 

It is amazing to read this paragraph today that happened over two thousand years ago.  A man of great influence acknowledges the authority of Christ over his life.  How times have changed today.  The presence of Christ has little to no influence in the world today.  The authority of Christ is mocked, denied, expressed as unreal, claimed as irrational, trampled upon, rejected and abused in every way imagined.  People in the world today live as though there is no God.  People work and play, laugh and cry, live and die, without seeking to know the true authority of God.  His words are discarded as something that has no value, to be thrown in the trash.  The world has created its own authority.

People today live by the world's authority.  They live by what is seen on the television.  They live by what is read in the newspaper.  They live by what they read in social media.  They live by what is published by the media as being the authority on life principles, whether it is Doctor Spock, Doctor Joyce Brothers, Desperate Housewives, Hellcats, or Oprah Winfrey.  The world has defined today how we should live, how we should work, how we should play, how we should think, how we should be in our hearts.  The authority of Christ lives in the churches but in many instances it stays in the church and is not taken out into the world and practiced.  

We go to church at our designated times and perform our religious duties and return to our life in the world.  We wear our church clothing in the church and take them off when we leave the church.  We wear our church masks in church and put on our world masks outside in the world.  The authority of Christ has no impact on our lives and our hearts.  It is a duty that we perform just as eating and sleeping.  We have no concept of what it means to take Christ with us everywhere we go.  We have no belief in the authority of God to live with us daily.  We miss the concept of being aliens in this world and living for Christ. 

When Christ is in us, we are not in the world.  When Christ is in us, we are in the kingdom of heaven.  When Christ is in us we operate on his authority and his power.  When Christ is in us, we are in him and he is in the Father.  When Christ is in us the Holy Spirit is in us and no demonic stronghold can prevail against us.  When Christ is in us his protection is all around us and he provides for us.  Who's authority do you operate under?  Is it the world's authority or is it the authority of Christ?  



    

St Matthew, Chapter 8, verse: 8, The Centurion's Faith

We continue our paragraph topic:  (The Centurion's Faith) Part 2. 

The central theme of this paragraph comes to the statement in this verse: "Lord, I am not worthy.....but only say the word, and my servant will be healed." 

The centurion expresses his repentance in stating his unworthiness.  At the same time he pleads with Christ to heal his servant.  These last two paragraphs have been tremendous examples of faith.  The leper states in his confession, Lord, if thou wilt.   The centurion states, Lord I am not worthy.  Such simple expressions go far beyond their simplicity of statement and exemplify deep, sincere, heart felt pleas to God Almighty for his help.  Lord, I am not worthy, so why would you help me.  Lord, I am a sinner so why do you care about me.  Lord, I am a addict, a pornographer, a hooker, a deceiver, a luster, a greedy person, a selfish person, a liar, a vain person, but I realize my mistakes.  Lord  I ask for your forgiveness from the depths of my heart. Lord please forgive me and heal my servant.  Lord please forgive me and heal my brother.  Lord please forgive me and heal my mother.  Lord please forgive me and heal my son/daughter.  Please forgive me Father.

It is you Father that I recognize as the only one that can heal them.  I have tried all of the worldly ways.  I have tried the doctors.  I have tried the specialist.  I have tried the cutting edge treatments.  I have tried the new medicines.  I had tried everything except you and now I realize that you are the one.  Help me Father.  The centurion being a man of authority certainly had to have tried all other measures before coming to Christ.  He certainly had to know the physicians of the time.  He certainly had to know of cutting edge technology that was taking place during his age.  He certainly had to believe that there was some way to save his dear servant that he loved and needed.  So he came to Christ.

He came to Christ and acknowledged him as the source when he called him Lord.  He acknowledged him as the authority when he humbled himself and said that he was not worthy.  He broke himself down when he asked Christ to speak the words to heal his servant.  Do we acknowledge our unworthiness today?  Do we accept Christ as the healer of last resort?  Do we believe that he can heal all?  Do we have the true faith to speak the words to him, asking for his help?  The centurion did.  He came.  He acknowledged.  He humbled himself.  He believed.  He accepted.  He had the faith.  He left in trust knowing that all will be well.

It is not an easy thing to come by such faith that allows one to act upon a belief.  It is not a common thing to transform oneself into a trusting soul.  It is not stroll through the park vs an obstacle course that allows one to truly accept that Christ can perform miracles before our eyes.  We see it on TV programs, in conferences, and in revival gatherings.  Sick people are miraculously being healed.  Is it real?  Is it a joke?  Is it fake?  Do we believe?

Miracles happen everyday and yet the masses are not transformed.  How is it possible to create, to posses, to have, to know, to get such a faith?  Does it take a tragic event to transform ourselves to the point that we reach a level within, where we are able to make a plea, to cry for help, to acknowledge the one source that can perform that miracle?  Or, can we learn through daily practice and patience to, through a instantaneous spiritual spark deep within ourselves, see ourselves transformed into a person that has faith.  To then take that spark, nurture it into a flame, and fan it until it becomes sufficient to burn on its own.  To then feed that flame with spiritual fuel until it matures into a full blown fire that drives us with confidence and hope in what Christ has in store for us.  Finally, having that flame within us, we walk in trust and knowledge that our heavenly Father is with us at all times.  Can this be the outcome of a mature faith?  Can this be the path that we are to walk in life?  Lord, I am not worthy, but only say the words and I will be healed.  Transform me Father into that which you will.
     

St Matthew, Chapter 8, verses: 5-7, The Centurian's Faith.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The centurion's faith) Part 1.  

We begin a new topic today as Christ begins to move around in the country preaching, and teaching, and making miracles, proving his authority.  He enters Capharnaum and a Centurion approaches him saying,  "Lord, my servant is lying sick in the house, paralyzed, and is grievously afflicted."   Christ says to him, "I will come and cure him.”   Christ has just given us an example of the leper who, with great courage and faith, asked Christ,  "Lord, if thou wilt."   And now a soldier comes to him and asks for help.  St Matthew in his writing tells us that the Centurion came to Christ in the first place.  After he had tried other means, after he had consulted the physicians of the day, after he had tried all of the remedies known to him, he came to Christ and laid his problem at the feet of the Lord.


The Centurion begins by acknowledging that Christ is Lord.  Here is a man who humbles himself by having compassion for his servants.  Here is a man who throws off the trappings of office and honor and dignity to show his love for those who serve him.  This is his servant, not his wife or son or children, or relative but his servant that he pleads for.  His servant is paralyzed, sick in bed, grievously sick on the verge of death and his heart is grieved.  His soul is pained.  His mind is bereft of the thought of loosing one so dear to him.  And yet Christ is there for him.


Christ says, I am ready.  Christ says, I will come.  Christ says, I feel your pain.  Christ says, I know your hurt.  Christ says, I will cure him.

Often times we do not get to plead for our loved ones before they die.  The thief comes in the night and takes them away without notice and we are left with an empty hole that cries out in pain.  Often times it is only after they are gone or during the most dire conditions that we plead with God to save a family member, or a loved one.  In most cases we do not plead for a co-worker.  We do not plead for those who serve us, the postman, the garbage collector, the meter reader, the store clerk, the cashier, the repairman, the soldier, or anyone who provides service to us today.  Yet here is a man of high stature, a centurion, who pleads for his lowly servant that he loves and cares for.  It shows a level of humility and compassion that goes beyond title and position.  It shows a basic recognition of who we are as human beings, children of God, created in his image.  Do you have compassion for your fellow man?  Do you have the sensitivity and the humility to care for others or is your world all about you?  Christ said, I will come.  Will he say the same to you?