Faith And Fear

This devotional considers Luke 7:1-10.

During Jesus’ ministry he healed a Centurion’s servant. At first, Jesus responded to the Centurion’s request because Jewish elders pleaded on his behalf. They argued for his goodness to Israel as a gentile and highly regarded leader in the Roman military. They thought he was deserving of Jesus’ miraculous work in his life. This feels familiar, somehow. Often, we feel because of long, faithful service to the Lord, we deserve his gifts, blessing, and answer to prayer. Again, like the prodigal son’s brother who was upset because his father had never seemed to give him as much as he thought he deserved for unwavering, hardworking service, at times, we go to God with the wrong strain of entitlement. Still, Jesus went with the Jewish elders to fulfil this man’s request.

But what happened? On the way, the Centurion sent a message that Jesus didn’t have to come directly. Interestingly, this time, the Centurion didn’t send more Jewish representatives, he sent friends—people who truly knew him. Surely, his friends respected him, and knew of all his good works. Surely, they, too thought he was deserving. I wonder whether this second message was not his original intent, or even instruction. We don’t have this information. All we know is that he didn’t view himself as worthy of Jesus coming under his roof. This, along with his understanding of true authority impressed Jesus.

So far, we learn from this account that Jesus responds to requests even when they come imperfectly, though emphatically, and then especially when they come with self-awareness of our unworthiness and powerlessness. The Centurion didn’t view his unworthiness as disqualifying. That’s huge for us in today’s society that puts such value on earning respect and being qualified. 

We learn that Jesus responds when people who don’t know us intimately go to him on our behalf, and perhaps, more so when those closest to us represent our true faith and needs.

We learn that there are levels of faith—faith that we are each given a measure of, I believe, and faith that we grow into and exercise with increasing confidence because of life experience. 

What interests me the most, though, is what understanding of authority has to do with faith. Why was Jesus so impressed with him to say, I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel. Is it as simple as understanding who is in charge? An earth is the Lord’s and the fulness thereof faith? None of us is a Centurion, but there are ways to wrap our minds around this. There are relationships in our lives that help us to understand what it means to be obeyed, sometimes without question—to understand the surety of an outcome without a second thought. My first reference is being a mother. I know obedience is almost a bad word in some models of parenting, but I teach my children to listen and obey. It’s a daily trial for them and for me. With certain things, though, when I speak I don’t wait or look around for them to do as they’re told. It’s not meanness on my part. It’s knowing that my will for them is good; and for them, it’s trusting me as their biggest and at this stage (in their eyes), their sole advocate.

Many of you may be managers, leaders in various fields with various levels of power. But if you have any, and if you know how to lead well, when you give a directive, it is followed despite a person’s belief in their ability, or any disagreement about your methods. Aren’t these lessons in faith? If God is the authority of Heaven and earth, if he says go, come, do this, it is done. It’s not so much about us as it is about God. We don’t have to get right, measure up. There’s nothing we can do to be worthy of the command of God on our behalf. The Lord is God.

The Centurion by his life experience had a necessary understanding of the fear of the Lord. What would the Lord not have done for him? Solomon gained this wisdom, and what didn’t the Lord give him? The fear of the Lord is the heart of faith. And not just the faith for particular things to happen through prayer and supplication, but Christian faith. The fear of the Lord is the heart of The Faith. 

Lord, we ask you to deepen our faith by helping us today to see you as you are. Help us to revere you appropriately. Change our minds and the posture of our hearts to be like the Centurion’s. May we, too, understand the true order of things and submit to your authority in both our obedience and in our asking.

Amen.