Faith in Jesus' Authority (Wednesday)

Matthew 8:5-13

5 When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, 6 “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.” 7 And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” 8 But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 10 When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel  have I found such faith. 11 I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, 12 while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 13 And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment.

The faith we get to see from the centurion in this story is incredible, one that Jesus marveled at and drew attention to as an example to be followed. As a Roman soldier and Gentile, this man should have been the least likely to have such depth of faith in Jesus. In fact, the centurion understood this and saw himself as unworthy of Jesus. In Luke 7:1-10, we get another version of this story, where we find out that the centurion originally sent Jewish elders to Jesus to intercede on his behalf. He believed he was unworthy for Jesus to come into his house, and he repeatedly called Jesus “Lord.” Everything about the way the centurion interacts with Jesus conveys a high level of respect and belief in Jesus’ divine standing.
 
This centurion knew well how delegation of power worked, and he recognized authority when he saw it. As a military official himself, he had seen his own commands and orders be obeyed just by giving the word. If his own earthly authority was that powerful, how much more powerful is Jesus’ supernatural authority. There was no question in the centurion’s mind that if Jesus gave an order of healing, it would be obeyed without fail. The centurion had full faith that Jesus had the power to command all things – near or far, seen or unseen – just by His word.
 
As we prepare to celebrate Easter, we can practice this same depth of faith in Jesus’ power and authority. Jesus has been given “all authority in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). There is no barrier to His incredible power. Wind, waves, sickness, and even death all obey His commands. And yet, at the cross, Jesus exercised His authority over sin and death to save us, even while we were unworthy. Now, we get to walk personally with the same Jesus who has the power to command all things.

How does recognizing Jesus’ power and authority over all things deepen your faith in Him?
 
What concerns or worries are you holding onto that you could entrust to Jesus’ authority?
 

Lord Jesus, I praise You for Your authority over all heaven and earth. May I deepen my faith in You and remember that there is no concern, worry, or situation that is beyond Your power. Thank You for showing Your authority over sin and death at the cross, even while I was unworthy, so that I can now walk and talk with You. Help me today to rest and trust in You and Your power to command all things. Amen.