Such Great Faith

Luke 7:1-10 - Riley Boggs

508 years and 2 days ago, something amazing happening in the city of Wittenberg, Germany. No, it wasn’t in invention of Halloween or trunk-or-treats. It was birth of the Protestant Reformation. It was the day where Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses on the door of the Catholic Church of Wittenburg. These 95 Theses were 95 statements showing how the Catholic Church had erred. That they had walked away from what God had commanded of His Church and continued down the path of bad doctrine and sin.

And while this day and that moment was the birth of the Protestant Reformation, it had been conceived in the minds and hearts of many before that. For Luther, there was a particular moment where the error of the Catholic Church became all too clear for him dismiss any longer. It was while he was reading Romans 1. This is what Luther writes about that moment. He says, “Then finally God had mercy on me, and I began to understand that the righteousness of God is a gift of God by which a righteous man lives, namely faith, and that sentence: The righteousness of God is revealed in the Gospel, is passive, indicating that the merciful God justifies us by faith, as it is written: ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’ Now I felt as though I had been reborn altogether and had entered Paradise. In the same moment the face of the whole of Scripture became apparent to me. My mind ran through the Scriptures, as far as I was able to recollect them, seeking analogies in other phrases, such as the work of God, by which He makes us strong, the wisdom of God, by which He makes us wise, the strength of God, the salvation of God, the glory of God. Just as intensely as I had now hated the expression ‘the righteousness of God,’ I now lovingly praised this most pleasant word. This passage from Paul became to me the very gate to Paradise.”

For Luther, he had long felt the oppression of his own sin and his inability to overcome it by his works. He had done what the church had told him to do. He had worked harder and he had behaved better, even to the point of becoming a monk. And yet, despite all he had done, the righteousness of God that he read about in the Bible felt unattainable. That is until he realized, here in Romans 1, that God grants the very righteousness of God on all those who place their faith in Jesus Christ. It isn’t our works or our good deeds. It isn’t even our obedience. It is our faith, that God gifts us, that is the channel by which we receive the forgiveness of our sins and the very righteousness of Jesus Christ. And it is from that standing before God, as the righteous sons and daughters of Him who saved us, that we live by faith.

So, because of the Martin Luther and his meddling friends, we stand here as a church that unapologetically proclaims that we are justified by faith alone. But, as Calvin would later point out, “We are saved by faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone.” In other words, once you have been justified by faith, your life will show the evidence of that faith. When we are saved, we don’t receive the stamp “Justified by faith” and then continue living like we always have. No, we then begin to live by faith.

This morning we are going to look at a story of a man who Jesus says has great faith. You can see that statement in verse 9. Jesus says, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” The question is, what makes this man’s faith so great? What about it makes it greater than any faith that Jesus had seen by His own people in Israel? Well, let’s look at the story.

Luke starts off by telling us that this man was a centurion. A centurion was a Roman officer, who who was a commander of roughly 100 Roman soldiers. Now when you think a man who held that might authority in the Roman army, you probably think of a very harsh character. And while that might have been the case for many centurion, the reality is that all the centurions mentioned in the New Testament seem to be men of good character. We see that this man is no exception to that rule very early in this text, as his desire to care for one of his servants is seen. We read that one of his servants had become very sick and was nearing death. Thankfully, the centurion learned that Jesus was nearby in Capernaum and sent the elders of the Jews to go and ask Jesus to come heal his servant. So, they do just that.

They go and find Jesus and plead with Him to come and heal this servant. They plead with Him by appealing to the good character of the centurion. They say, in verse 4, “He is worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue.” And when Jesus hears this, He goes with them. But, before he gets there, when he was not too far from the house, the centurion sends out some of his friends to stop Jesus from coming any farther. At first that seems strange, sort of counter intuitive, right? If you want Jesus to heal your servant, you shouldn’t stop Him from coming right? Well, let’s see the centurions reasoning. The friends get to Jesus, and they say this on behalf of the centurion, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof.7 Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. 8 For I too am a man set 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.” Jesus hears all of this, marvels at what the centurion has said, and turns to the crowd who has been following him and says, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” He then sends the friends back to the centurion house where they find the servant healed.

Let’s address that question I posed just a minute ago. What makes this centurions faith so great? What about the message that the centurion sent to Jesus caused Him to marvel? By the way, we only have 2 examples of Jesus marveling in the Scripture, and this is one of them. What is leading to that? What can we learn about great faith? I think there are 3 things. The first one is this.

1.) Great faith leads to humility before God

There is a story that many of you are likely familiar with. It’s the story of a young boy who others noticed had special abilities. The abilities, however, could be used for good or for evil. And because of that, once this little boy was noticed, he was taken under the wing of someone who had mastered these abilities to promote good, so that this young boy might grow up to do the same. The issue is that as these abilities were mastered by this now young man, the desire for more and more control grew. His mentor knew the danger of someone who is both incredibly powerful and had an insatiable desire for control, so he continued to urge him to suppress it. In fact, that’s what it meant to use these powers for good. But, after loss and heartbreak, it couldn’t be suppressed any longer. So, the young man gave in, went to the dark side in search of more power and ultimate control. Yes, this is the story of Anakin Skywalker, also known as Darth Vader.

I know that’s a silly example, but it is a good example of what happens when power or authority goes to someone’s head. I’m sure you have all experienced this before in some capacity. Your rather humble friend or coworker is given some authority they once didn’t have, and now all of a sudden, they think they rule the world. This is a common thing amongst us humans because we are all prone to pridefulness and self-exaltation.

This centurion had a lot of power. The Roman Empire had set him over 100 soldiers. And not only had he been tasked with overseeing these soldiers, but he also was to make sure that the Jews that lived in his particular areas were living in subjection to the Emperor. The man had power. And yet, because of his faith, he was a humble man. We see this in all sorts of ways in this text. We see it in his care for his meaningful care for his servants. We see it in the way that elders of the Jews speak of him, a gentile, to Jesus. They speak well of him, pointing to all of the things that he has done on their behalf. He loves their nation, he’s helped build their place of worship, and because of this, even as a Gentile, they call him worthy to Jesus. Spurgeon said this about the centurion. He says, “Here was a Gentile, a Roman, a soldier clothed with absolute power and yet a tender master, a considerate citizen, a lover of God.”

But the clearest display of humility is when he sends his friends to stop Jesus from coming to his house. Remember, I posed the question, why would he do this if he truly wanted his friend to be healed? He does this because his faith has led him to radical humility before God. The message he sends to Jesus, starting in verse 6, is “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. 7 Therefore I did not presume to come to you.” This centurion has put aside his position and his power here. It doesn’t matter who he is or what he’s done. His faith has led him to humility before Jesus, displayed in the fact that he did not even go to Jesus himself but sent his friends, and in saying that he is not even worthy to have Jesus come under his roof. The centurion has humbled himself before God.

The leaders in our nation so often show a fatal lack of humility. They think and function as if the authority has been granted them by their own hands, and so they do with it what they please. But that is far from the case. We know that every person who has found themselves in a position of power, has been placed there by God Himself. And now, it is their duty to not walk in arrogance doing what they please, but rather to humble themselves before the living God, seeking to steward their position unto the glory of God. And so, if someone were to ask, “If you could say one thing to all the leaders in our nation, what would you say?” I would say repent of your sins, turn to Christ, and live by faith. Why? Because great faith leads to humility.

This is also why we should be wary of those who claim to be Christians, but walk in pride. Just last week, Jesus told his disciples that if we know God, we will bear the fruit of His Word in our life. Well the Word is abundantly clear that the call of the Christian is a call to humility. We’ve been called to walk in humility, no matter your position. And, we trust that God will exalt us in time, for He has promised to do so. True faith leads to humility before God because true faith acknowledges who God is and what He has done for us, and in light of that, we are driven to humility. We realize that we are nothing compared to the Almighty Creator God of the Universe, and yet He sought us in our sinfulness and granted us saving faith. And now, to live by faith, is to live in light of that and be walk humbly before God.

So we see that the centurion had great faith in that sense. But what else set his faith apart of the rest? Well, I think part of it is that his faith was great because he recognized the power of God.

2.) Great faith recognizes the power of God

This truth goes hand-in-hand with humility. Great faith leads to humility because we know who we are before God, but now, linked with that, is the reality that we can have great faith when we recognize the power of God. The centurion understand authority, he understood power, because he was a man who had it at his disposal. He says that about himself in verse 8. He says, “For I too am a man set 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.” Further, he knows that the power that he has is nothing compared to the power that Jesus has. He knows he cannot heal his servant, but he also knows that Jesus can.

This is why when the centurion catches wind about Jesus being nearby, he immediately sends people to him. He knows that Jesus has the power to heal those who are sick. He has heard the stories of him doing it already, and he has faith that He can and will do it again. So the message He sends to Jesus is, I understand authority, I have a lot of it. and because of that, I know that you have infinitely more. So much more, in fact, that you don’t even have to come to my house to heal my servant. All you have to do is simply say the Word, and He will be healed. In the same way that I tell a servant to go, and they go. If you, right where you are, say the word to heal my servant, he will healed. And he is right.

This is why Jesus marvels at this man. It’s why he says his faith is great; the centurion gets it. He understands that Jesus does indeed have that power, and because he understands it, his faith is bold. He doesn’t sheepishly ask Jesus to come and heal his servant. He says, “The only question is whether or not you will. It has nothing to do with ability. You don’t even have to step one foot closer to my house, for you have the power of God to heal.” This is what bold faith looks like. It comes as a result of recognizing that God is able, because all He has all authority. And so, if we want this kind of faith, we must do the same thing. If we want to have great faith, we have to recognize that God is truly able.

One way that I think we often fail in this, is in our search of things like joy and contentment. We try to white knuckle ourselves into having it. We believe the lie that says joy and contentment comes once the circumstances allow for it. We believe the lie that says this season of life doesn’t allow for joy, it’s impossible to have contentment. Once I have this thing or that thing or this problem no longer exists, then maybe, but not right now. But listen, you are not going to be able to foster joy and contentment on your own. And the harder you try, the more distant it might end up feeling. Because there’s always going to be something that you perceive as better right over the hillside, you just have to get to it. But, the truth is, if want true joy and contentment, we simply have to ask God.

So why don’t we? Well because we don’t think it’s possible. We don’t think that God is actually able to make us think and feel that way given our situation. So, out of a lack of faith, we just try to make it happen ourselves. And we find ourselves in this slow spiral where the things we want feel more distant the harder we try. It’s elusive. But consider how a better understanding of faith, a great faith, might change our approach to these things. What if we asked God for joy and contentment, no matter our circumstances? What if we trusted that He has the power to grant these things?

The reason that Jesus marvels at the centurion, the reason that he says his faith is great, is because it has led him to humility and because it recognizes the power of God. Those are 2 marks of great faith, and so if we desire it, we must seek to establish those very things in our own life. Let it lead you to humility and let it rest in the power of God.

But some of you might be thinking, “Okay Riley. I hear you. I know what it takes to have great faith, but I just don’t think that’s realistic for my life. I mean, I have fears and doubts constantly. I want my faith to be great, but I don’t really see a way for that to happen, at least not to me.” Or maybe you’re thinking about someone you know. And, if you were to be honest, you don’t think that this person could ever have great faith. Maybe it’s a family member or a friend and you think, “Gosh if they were to even get saved that would be a miracle. For them to have great faith? I’m not sure that’s realistic.” If that’s you, I want you to look at verse 9.

In verse 9, Jesus responds to the centurion’s friends and says, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” What does He mean by, “not even in Israel?” What Jesus is saying here is that the centurion was an unlikely person to have this kind of faith. He was a Gentile. He didn’t grow up reading the Old Testament. He wasn’t raised in the ways of the Lord. And yet, Jesus says that among all those who had grew up reading the Old Testament and all those who were raised in the ways of the Lord; among all of Israel, he had more faith. Do you see what this is showing us? 

3.) Great faith is possible for all who trust Christ

No matter who you are, no matter what you might think stands in the way, if you trust Christ for salvation, you can have great faith. You can. The centurion was unlikely in every way for this, and yet the Lord saw fit to bestow upon Him a truly great faith.

Last week Shelby and I were given the opportunity to set up a booth at Eastern Elementary’s fall festival. We passed out candy and tried to connect with people, inviting them to come joining us one Sunday. And there was this one kid who kept coming back for candy over and over again. He wasn’t being shy about it either, he’d grab some little snickers bar, disappear around a corner, and be back in 5 minutes for another. Eventually we started to talk every time he came back and so I asked him what he wanted to do when he got older, and he told me that he wanted to be a mechanic. And I said, “That’s awesome. I wish I knew how to work on cars like a mechanic.” He looked at me and said, “You can do anything you put your mind to.”

Well, not only did he take 25 candy bars that evening, but he lied to me. I cannot do anything I put my mind to. I’m a finite, limited, so-often-lacking, human. I can put my mind to a lot of things that won’t actually come true in my life. That is even is true of great faith. I can’t make it happen for myself. It doesn’t matter how much I put my mind to it; I can’t make it happen for myself. But the good news is, we are not the author and finisher of our faith, God is. And God has shown us, here in this passage, that if we believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and trust Him, He can grant great faith to the most “unlikely” of us all. To the one who everyone, including themselves, might have thought otherwise. Why? Because their faith is in the one who gives it it’s strength.

      As I close, I want to address 3 different groups of people here this morning. Those who know Christ and would say they have a strong faith, those who know Christ and would say they have a weak faith, and those who don’t know Christ at all.

First, if you know Christ and would say you have a strong faith. If that’s you, press on. Continue to allow the power of the spirit in you grow your faith. Let it lead you to humility and let it rest in the power of God. Don’t stop where you are, but run the race ever harder.

Second, if you know Christ and would say that you have a weak faith. This group is those who find R.C. Sprouls comments to be true of themselves. He says, “Living by faith means that sometimes we hold on to a barren cliff with our fingernails with all our strength as we trust in an invisible God.” If you were honest, does that describe you? If so, my encouragement to you is to ask God to give you a stronger faith, and commit to seeking Him in His Word, in prayer, and with His people. Look at the promises that are true of you. Go to Him with your worries and struggles. And ask your brothers and sisters to lift you up and help you to grow in your faith. And if you doubt that, know that God brought you here this morning so that you might hear this specific passage, and that is no mere coincidence.

Lastly, if you would say that you don’t Christ, I want to plead with you to turn to Him. There is nothing in this world that can save you from your sins, other than the forgiveness found in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And He has said that no matter who you are or what you have done, if you turn from your sins and trust Him for salvation, He will save you. He will gift you saving faith, whereby you will receive the forgiveness of your sins and the very righteousness of God. Apart from doing this, there is no salvation. And if you do not have salvation, then the Bible says that when you die or the Lord returns, you will face the punishment for your sins for all eternity. But the good news is, you don’t have to. Jesus came, lived, died, and resurrected for you. All you have to do is repent of your sin and trust to Him. If you don't know Christ, turn to Him this morning, and He will save you.

https://lutheranreformation.org/theology/luthers-breakthrough-romans/