June 3, 2010

Our Gospel Lesson for this upcoming Sunday comes from the Book of Luke, where we find Jesus in Capernaum. A Centurion who had built the city synagogue was looking "not only to [his] own interests, but also to the interests of others," (Philippians 2:4) His servant was sick, and because the Centurion was probably a gentile, he thought to send some Jewish elders from town to meet Jesus and ask for his help in healing his ailing servant. The elders found Jesus and tried to convince Jesus that this Centurion deserved his help. Jesus agreed to come, but before he made it, the Centurion had sent friends to Jesus to tell him not to come into his house for he wasn't worthy of such a visit. Through his messenger friends, the Centurion expressed unwaivering confidence that Jesus had the power to heal the servant. "But say the word, and my servant will be healed." (Luke 7:7b). 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." Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well. (Luke 7:9-10)

If you were to 'google' the phrase "greatest _______ ever," and you filled in the blank with terms such as: football player, actor, song, apple pie recipe, you would likely come up with conflicting results. Coming up with the greatest anything is a subjective process, the answer you get depends largely on who you ask. In our Gospel lesson for this upcoming Sunday, we find Jesus telling the crowd that he had found the person with the "greatest faith ever," or at least the greatest faith he had encountered up to that point in his earthly ministry. In Hebrews we are told that Jesus is, "the author and perfecter of our faith." (Hebrews 12:2a). The very author and perfecter of our faith would be the "greatest authority ever" on great faith. Jesus would know it when he saw it.

In this case, Jesus not only recognized great faith, he was amazed by it. In a couple chapters before our Lesson for this Sunday picks up, we find the story about how a paralyzed man was lowered down through the roof of a building to be healed by Jesus, and we are told how the crowd reacted after the healing, "Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God..." (Luke 5:26a) In our Lesson for this Sunday, we have the same elements and sentiments, just in a different order: God (the Son) was telling everyone that he was amazed and he gave praise to this Centurion for his faith. The one who had been amazing crowds was now amazed by one in the crowd! Amazing!

What made the Centurion's faith so great? How can we emulate this faith that even amazed Jesus?

So much of what happens in this world is cause and effect - it's based on formulas. If you do this, then this will happen. It's difficult to know exactly what the intent of the Jewish elders was when they pleaded earnestly to convince Jesus that the Centurion was deserving of Jesus attention - arguing that he was one of the 'good guys' who built their synagogue. But one thing we can be sure of is that too many people today follow the foe's fraudulent formula: if I try hard to be a good person, then God will love me and then I will deserve to go to heaven when I die. The Centurion realized that he was in fact unworthy and he recognized that it's not because of anything that he did or didn't do that would cause Jesus to love him. The "greatest formula ever" - the only formula that will matter as we take our final breath - one of the most familiar passages in all of Scripture can be found in John 3:16 "...whoever believes in him will not perish, but have eternal life." A person with great faith doesn't focus on themselves and their own performance, or lack thereof. Rather, great faith realizes that we need to (back to Hebrews 12 again), "fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith," (Hebrews 12:2a)

When, in great faith, we fix our eyes on Jesus, we find a God whose words and will have the "greatest power ever." A God whose words are powerful enough to create something out of nothing: "And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light." (Genesis 1:3) A God who has the power to destroy all life in the entire world: "...I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made." (Genesis 7:4) A God whose mighty hand has the power to change the direction of even the most stubborn powerful wordly figure "Then the LORD said to Moses, "Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country." (Exodus 6:1) A God who while on this earth in human form revealed his power through miracles. A God whose power calmed the sea with his words (Luke 8:24b) A God whose power fed five thousand out of 5 loaves and 2 fish (Luke 9:10-17) A God who displayed the "greatest power ever" by overcoming all the most powerful evil powers of this world, death and the powerful devil - a God who will be the last power standing. "I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. "(Job 19:25) Through faith, the Centurion recognized and tapped into the great power of God. "But say the word, and my servant will be healed." (Luke 7:7b)

We have a God who loved us with the "greatest love ever," and solved our "greatest problem ever" - (the effects of sin and the barrier sin creates). "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" (Romans 8:32) How comforting it is to know that it's not up to us human beings and our merit to earn God's love and favor - it's only up to the will of the being with the "greatest power ever" - the one who took care of our "greatest need ever." When we bring our requests to him in faith, and when they are his will - we will be given according to our needs - needs that our powerful God knows even better than we do. Knowing and believing this with all our hearts is the kind of great faith that even the "greatest authority ever" on faith is amazed by!