3 Reasons the Centurion's Faith Amazed Jesus

In Matthew 8:5-13 Jesus offered to come and heal the Roman centurion's servant.

The centurion responded: “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home.” He said it would be enough for Jesus to simply speak the healing.

“When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to the crowd, he said, ‘I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all the land of Israel.’” (8:10). Imagine having faith that amazed Jesus!

Our present culture would probably have rebuked the Centurion for his low self-esteem…told him he needed to first love himself before he could love others…told him to focus on his own worthiness...told him he deserved to have Christ come to his home.

Our present culture's focus on self probably amazes Jesus too, but not in a good way.

The Centurion:
1. Humbled himself, knowing anything God did was an undeserved gift.
2. Focused on the needs of others (his servant).
3. Believed Jesus could do whatever He said He would do.

AND JESUS WAS AMAZED!!
copyright 2012, Gail Burton Purath, BibleLoveNotes.com

As a follow up to this devotion, you might want to check out "Just Say it Jesus!" It's a 1-minute devotion that highlights the centurion's attitude toward authority.
And for more insights on self-esteem, check out this archive: "Biblical Self-Esteem."
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