SESSION 9 Faith Demonstrated Jesus has authority over all His creation. DATE OF MY BIBLE STUDY: 91
A CLEARLY RECOGNIZED CHAIN OF COMMAND LIES AT THE ORGANIZATIONAL HEART OF MILITARY LIFE. JUST AS GOD S SPOKEN WORD HAD AUTHORITY TO CAUSE THE CREATION OF ALL THINGS, SO GOD S LIVING WORD, JESUS, HAS AUTHORITY OVER ALL CREATION. Various symbols of the authority include gestures like snapping to attention in the presence of one s superior and offering a crisp salute. Recognition of authority can be heard in the language that carefully addresses those of higher rank with Yes, sir or No, sir. Recognition of authority makes the mechanics of the military run smoothly when commands are given and obeyed. Inherent authority resides in Jesus as the incarnate Son of God. His authority is expressed in commands that caused nature to obey, demons to flee, and illnesses to disappear. God s extended authority resides in inspired Scripture, which reveals truth, evidences the Spirit s breath in its origin, and has life-giving power when received in heart trust and life obedience. Just as God s spoken word had authority to cause the creation of all things, so God s living Word, Jesus, has authority over all creation. Jesus authority was clearly seen in His dealings with a Roman centurion s request that He intervene when a servant became paralyzed with his life in danger. 92 EXPLORE THE BIBLE YOUNG ADULTS
MATTHEW 8:5-13 5 When He entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, 6 Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, in terrible agony! 7 I will come and heal him, He told him. 8 Lord, the centurion replied, I am not worthy to have You come under my roof. But only say the word, and my servant will be cured. 9 For I too am a man under authority, having soldiers under my command. I say to this one, Go! and he goes; and to another, Come! and he comes; and to my slave, Do this! and he does it. 10 Hearing this, Jesus was amazed and said to those following Him, I assure you: I have not found anyone in Israel with so great a faith! 11 I tell 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 thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 13 Then Jesus told the centurion, Go. As you have believed, let it be done for you. And his servant was cured that very moment. Think About It Observe how the centurion s understanding of Roman military authority informed his faith in Jesus authority. Session 9: Faith Demonstrated 93
UNDERSTAND THE CONTEXT Matthew 8:1 9:34 After the Sermon on the Mount, the Gospel of Matthew records a number of Jesus miracles. This series of miracles begins with the healing of a man with a serious skin disorder (8:1-4). This is followed by another miracle that forms the basis for this week s study, the healing of a centurion s servant (8:5-13). Leaving Capernaum and crossing the Sea of Galilee with the disciples, Jesus extended His authority into the realm of nature. In the midst of a storm He quieted the wind and the waves (8:23-27). Safely on the other side of the sea, Jesus used His authority to deliver a man from demons, the news of which resulted in a crowd gathering in a nearby town (8:28-34). Later, back in His own town, Jesus healed a paralytic, while exercising His authority to forgive the man s sins (9:1-8). Subsequently, He healed a girl who was near death and in the process healed a woman plagued with longstanding bleeding when she touched His garment (9:18-26). Following these miracles, He restored sight to two blind men (9:27-31) and cast out a demon that had rendered a man unable to speak (9:32-34). These accumulating testimonies to Jesus authority in Mathew 8-9 culminated in Him taking authority as Lord of the harvest to call upon His followers to pray for additional laborers to engage in ministering to human needs (9:35-38). 94 EXPLORE THE BIBLE YOUNG ADULTS
EXPLORE THE TEXT ASK WITH HUMILITY (Matt. 8:5-7) 5 When He entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, 6 Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, in terrible agony! After coming from the mountain where He gave the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus entered Capernaum. Upon His return to the city, a centurion presented to Jesus the urgent news about a servant who was paralyzed and in great agony. A centurion was a Gentile commander in the Roman army. Devout Jews of that day would have looked upon a centurion as ceremonially unclean because of his race and would have despised him because of his occupation. This centurion demonstrated commendable characteristics. The fact that he showed great concern for his servant suggests a man capable of genuine compassion for others. Being a man of authority himself, the centurion revealed his humility in approaching Jesus to ask for help. A Gentile possessing compassion and humility stands in marked contrast to most of the religious leaders who confronted Jesus. As we read their words, see their actions, and get glimpses of their attitude toward Jesus, the Jewish religious leaders frequently come across as far less commendable than the centurion. Luke s account gives us some different details (see Luke 7:1-10). Luke, a physician, included the fact that the centurion s servant was at the point of death (Luke 7:2). Of even more significance is that the centurion sent a delegation of Jewish elders to request that Jesus come to the centurion s residence and save the life of his servant. The elders pleaded with Jesus to meet the need, going so far as to commend the centurion for generosity in building them a synagogue (Luke 7:3-5). The building of a Jewish synagogue caused the elders to ignore the usual hostility toward the Roman military and attempted to help the centurion. The notable point is that a Roman centurion that possessed significant authority was desperate. He humbled himself to ask help from Jesus. 7 I will come and heal him, He told him. Interestingly, the centurion himself did not present the news about the servant s desperate condition, although that was his unvoiced desire on behalf of his servant. Perhaps he was aware that Jesus apparently read in the manner of the message that the centurion wanted Jesus to do something. Or, more likely, Jesus was aware that the Jewish delegation had reported to the centurion His willingness to heal. So, he simply underscored his deep concern for his servant and the servants dire need of help. In any case, Jesus responded with a straightforward offer to go to the centurion s home and heal the servant. Jesus demonstrated a total lack of prejudice Session 9: Faith Demonstrated 95
KEY DOCTRINE: The Kingdom The Kingdom is the realm of salvation into which men enter by trustful, childlike commitment to Jesus Christ. against a Gentile. Furthermore, Jesus voiced a readiness to enter the Gentile s home, something the devout Jewish leaders would have refused to consider. What part of the verbal exchange between the centurion and Jesus gives the strongest evidence of the centurion s character? ACKNOWLEDGE HIS AUTHORITY (Matt. 8:8-9) 8 Lord, the centurion replied, I am not worthy to have You come under my roof. But only say the word, and my servant will be cured. HE REVEALED HIS BELIEF THAT JESUS COULD HEAL FROM A DISTANCE. As he did in v. 5, he once again addressed Jesus as Lord. The Gentile soldier most likely meant the term to carry the kind of respect that a present-day soldier would use in addressing a superior officer. The centurion felt unfit to have Jesus enter his house. In Luke s account, the delegation of Jewish elders pleaded for Jesus to help by praising the centurion, saying that he was worthy of Jesus granting his request (Luke 7:4) The centurion seems to have an awareness of the Jewish concerns about ritual uncleanness. In going to a Gentile s home, Jesus stepped over religious and social norms. The centurion went a step beyond declaring his sense of unworthiness by giving his strong expression of faith about Jesus authority. He seemed somewhat reluctant to ask Jesus to enter his house and deemed it unnecessary. He revealed his belief that Jesus could heal from a distance. Given the observation that no prior instance is recorded of Jesus healing from a distance, the centurion s faith was uncommonly strong. 9 For I too am a man under authority, having soldiers under my command. I say to this one, Go! and he goes; and to another, Come! and he comes; and to my slave, Do this! and he does it. The centurion gave an explanation of the basis for his confidence in Jesus. He compared Jesus ability to heal by a word to the authority residing in commands given by a military leader. The 96 EXPLORE THE BIBLE YOUNG ADULTS
centurion knew what it was to react to those who had authority over him, as well as what it meant to have those under him recognize his authority. Armed with his understanding of the authority inherent in his own spoken commands, the centurion transferred that understanding to Jesus. From what we know the centurion said, which part best portrays his confidence in Jesus ability? ANTICIPATE IN FAITH (Matt. 8:10-13) 10 Hearing this, Jesus was amazed and said to those following Him, I assure you: I have not found anyone in Israel with so great a faith! The centurion s insight on authority amazed Jesus, causing Him to compliment the man s faith. Such faith was not the usual expectation of a Gentile. Jesus amazement over finding that kind of faith was such that He turned from the centurion to voice His compliment to the crowd that had gathered. 11 I tell you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus pointed to the faith demonstrated by the centurion as the kind of faith required of those in His kingdom. In doing so, Jesus gave advance notice about others who would come to Him with such faith. His prophetic word that many would come from east and west meant that many Gentiles would be included in God s kingdom. He used the imagery of sharing a meal with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as a way of expressing the blessedness associated with inclusion in God s future kingdom. Jews would immediately associate the patriarchs with full participation in future blessedness. Anyone sharing table fellowship with them would be sharing their blessedness. The image of reclining at the table expressed the usual posture of participants in a formal meal, but also pointed to Gentiles full and equal involvement in the future heavenly banquet of the Messiah. Session 9: Faith Demonstrated 97
BIBLE SKILL: Use other Scripture passages to help understand a Bible passage. Examine passages where the Greek word for authority, exousia, is applied to Jesus. Read the following passages: Matthew 7:29; 10:1; 28:18; Mark 1:22,27; Luke 4:36; John 5:27; 10:18; Revelation 12:10. What additional insight do these passages reveal about Jesus authority? Noteworthy is the observation that Matthew, although written to a Jewish readership, pointed toward the future inclusion of Gentiles of faith joining the kingdom alongside believing Jews. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: God s authority and ability remain intact even when our faith is lacking or imperfect? Explain. 12 But the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. In contrast to the inclusion of Gentiles in God s kingdom was the sad observation that Jews, who should have been first in line as the children of the kingdom, would face a destiny of outer darkness by choosing not to receive Jesus as Messiah. The misery of missing God s kingdom is further described as joining a place where weeping and gnashing of teeth would be the dominating sounds of pain and distress. Jesus pronouncement no doubt came across to His Jewish hearers as a shocking revelation. It would have seemed impossible to them that any of their number could be excluded from God s kingdom of light. Jews of Jesus day put great stock in their ancestry. As descendants of Abraham, they relied on that ancestry as a guarantee of God s favor. 13 Then Jesus told the centurion, Go. As you have believed, let it be done for you. And his servant was cured that very moment. Having addressed the crowd with His compliment of the centurion s faith, Jesus turned back to him and told him to go, because what he believed had been done. Upon returning home, the centurion found his servant healed. The centurion s great faith in the powerful word of a person of supreme authority was vindicated. Without ever entering the Gentile s house, the spoken word of Jesus had been effective. Healing had occurred in the same moment that Jesus had spoken. 98 EXPLORE THE BIBLE YOUNG ADULTS
OBEY THE TEXT When we approach God with a request, we are to do so with confidence in His authority and at the same time with humility. We must mark well that God s authority and ability are not dependent on our faith. Jesus words remind us that faith in Him is the critical requirement for being a part of His kingdom. Reflect on the balance between trusting God to act and accepting His will. What situations are you facing that point to this balance? What are you learning from those situations? How might your group respond to a person who, in the absence of healing after having prayed earnestly for it, now says, I guess God could not perform a miracle because I do not have enough faith? Develop a response as a group. Consider how this passage addresses the need of someone struggling with their past. What could you share from this passage that could help them understand Jesus can give them a fresh start? MEMORIZE Then Jesus told the centurion, Go. As you have believed, let it be done for you. And his servant was cured that very moment. Matthew 8:13 Session 9: Faith Demonstrated 99
Use the space provided to make observations and record prayer requests during the group experience for this session. MY THOUGHTS Record insights gained and questions to discuss during the group experience. MY PRAYERS List specific prayer needs and answers to remember this week. MY MISSION Acknowledge ways you will obey God s Word this week. 100 EXPLORE THE BIBLE YOUNG ADULTS