“So great a Faith”...the Wayfarer

“So great a Faith”

“When Jesus heard it, he marveled, and said unto them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great a faith, no not in Israel.”

(Matthew 8:10)

Today, we take a look at the true meaning of faith, what the requirements for it are, and how it is actually evidenced in those who attain it.

Faith is as easy to attain as we allow it to be, and as difficult to maintain as we allow our weaknesses to be.

“And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit;

And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out: and they could not.

He answereth him and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? Bring him unto me.

And they brought  him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.

And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, of a child.

 And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us.

Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

And  straitway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

(Mark 9:17-24)

We will return to the scripture in Matthew shortly, but I call to your attention this history from Mark to amplify what we will find there.

Throughout His ministry there were many brought to Jesus for healing of both physical and spiritual maladies.

He was continually pressed and beset by those wanting something from Him, that they realized, He alone could give.

From cleansing lepers, restoring sight to the blind, curing fevers, and even raising the dead, His response to them was constantly and continually that to receive any of these things faith must first exist, and be exercised.

Now we return, briefly to Matthew once more:

“And when Jesus was entered into Capernum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him,

And saying, Lord, my servant lieth home sick of the palsy, grieviously tormented.

And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.

The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.

For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go and he goeth; and to another, come and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this and he doeth it.

When Jesus heard it, he marveled and said to them that followed ; Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great a faith, no not in  Israel.

(Matthew 8: 5-10)

This foreigner, this stranger, this man of great authority, came to Jesus for help, and the first realization that came to him was of his own unworthiness of that help!

 Having authority and power over physical happenings and the governance of a people that mostly hated him because of his position, he was humble enough to recognize that even the power he had was minuscule to that of Jesus, and that if he (the centurion) could make things happen by merely ordering it, Christ could make spiritual things happen merely by speaking it.

Both references I choose for today have important continuances, and I again ask the reader to take a moment from your day to read them for yourself.

 The thought I choose to leave you with is that we all have many weaknesses, we all have many troubles that beset us. The magnitude of those troubles is often amplified by that weakness.

Our lives are determined by choices that we ourselves make… influenced but not controlled by others.

We can choose to allow life to cast us into the fires and waters, and allow the torture to continue, or we can seek and find the solace promised through Christ.

Choosing faith and continuing in it enriches and glorifies our lives, as is the intent of the Creator.

Allowing that faith to be stolen by perceived problems darkens a path intended to be lit with His love for us and our love for one another.

In summation, I personally still must pray the same prayer of the father mentioned in Mark, and give the same credence to the power acknowledged by the centurion. I know in whom I have believed, and that He is still keeping me, this same simple sinner saved by grace through that faith and soldier in His service against the time when both weakness and trials will be done.

2 Timothy 1:12 King James Version (KJV)

¹² For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day

Amen and Amen
the Wayfarer