Year of the Bible: Part Eight of TwelveSample

The Outline for Great Faith

Roman centurions were military leaders selected for their intentional integrity and sound mind, but not so much for their strength and courage. In today’s reading, the centurion’s integrity and sound mind helped him understand his relationship with Jesus. Their interaction started in desperation; the centurion recognized Jesus as Christ and knew Jesus would help him. He humbly approached Jesus and went from commander to beggar in this moment of faith. These details outline how we should perceive ourselves in relation to God; by identifying our humility and desperation for Jesus, we can realize the magnitude of His supreme deity compared to our meek vulnerability.

The centurion knew he could do nothing to heal his servant’s debilitating condition. He recognized Jesus’ power from previous healings and was reassured. So, he trusted God’s ability even if he felt unworthy. He acknowledged that Jesus could just speak one word to heal the servant. This humble and desperate soldier knew that God had the authority and was not limited by distance.

The centurion’s faith was based on his self-denying submission. He was able to honor and relate to the concept of authority because of his military status. Jesus was amazed by the rare and pure faith of this Roman gentile and identified it as “great.” This was not a comparison to others in Israel so much as it was a highlight of this soldier’s abundant faith. Jesus was not impressed because he was caught off guard; rather, he took a prime opportunity to display the outline of “great faith.”

Questions: Do you have an outline for your faith? If so, how does it resemble the centurion’s?

Prayer: Express what you think about the centurion’s outline of faith and ask the Lord to reveal the faith He desires you to have. In gratitude, thank God for the opportunity to have “great faith."