The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Luke 7:6b-7a,
"Lord, don't trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you."
Here is a statement of true humility. What I find so compelling about this man's confession of unworthiness is that it came from someone who was spoken of in different terms by others. Others said of this man, "he loves our nation and has built our synagogue." Therefore, in their minds he deserved the Lord response to his request for a healing of his servant, "This man deserves to have you do this...".
Jesus made quite a statement about this man, a centurion. We read, "When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, 'I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.'" Luke 7:9. In the past I have often thought it was this man's understanding of the things of God relative to a chain of authority this man saw in the way Jesus Christ operated while here on earth, see verse 8, that amazed Jesus about his faith. Perhaps that may be so, however, I also recognize that the remarkable humility of this man may have been a part, maybe a big part, of the basis for Jesus' acknowledgement of the faith of this man.
It takes faith to recognize who it is when we think in terms of God and all that is his. Faith is the only vehicle we have to approach God, to see him, to know him, to understand what we can of him. The writer of Hebrews tells us, "Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water." Hebrews 10:19-22. It was this faith that brought such a humility to this centurion. A humility that was the result of a clear view of God that was made possible by his faith.
In any event, what is exciting to me is that it is faith that pleases the Lord. Exciting because faith is possible for me. I may not be able to do other things, but faith is something all are capable of. On my commute to work this morning I noticed a lot of folks crossing the Poplar Street Bridge that crosses the Mississippi River. We all exercised faith that the bridge would get us safely to the other side. Faith in a good bridge can get me across the river, but faith in the Son of God can bring me into the family of God. How wonderful is that?!
The good things people do are good only if those things express an inner faith in Jesus Christ. The spiritual disciplines anyone might engage in only have value if they manifest faith in Jesus Christ. If I show up in church on a Sunday, it only holds value if it expresses an inner faith in Jesus Christ. The gifts I may offer in the collection plate, the opportunities I take to share the gospel with others, any expression to please the Lord only holds value if it expresses a heart of faith for our Lord. James said, "I will show you my faith by my deeds." James 2:18b. I'm certain James did a lot of deeds. He was a great man of faith.
In Hebrews 11:6 we are told it is impossible to please God without faith. Many might seek to tell us otherwise. Certainly, in so many churches it is all about the doing. Not that doing isn't important, but the doing becomes worthless activity when it does not find its origin in the heart of faith. Today, I thank my God that he has decided that it is faith that brings me near him!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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