Matthew 8:10, 26 (ESV)
[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.
[26] And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?”
Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.
What a contrast. A Roman Centurion comes to Jesus in desperation, humility,
and faith. Jesus heals his servant. Sixteen verses later his disciples, who
have heard his teaching and watched him cast out demons and heal the sick, come
to Jesus in desperation and fear. The Centurion is commended by Jesus as a man
of great faith. The disciples are chided by Jesus for their little faith. It is
one thing to know about the power of God. It is quite another thing to trust
the power of God.
Do we trust him? Do we trust him when our world falls apart? Do we trust him
when we can’t make sense of life? Do we trust him when every source of security
is taken from us? Several of the disciples were seasoned fishermen. They knew
how to handle a boat and they knew the sea, yet this storm was beyond their ability.
Their ability failed them at that moment. Do we trust him in those times?
The solution is not to screw up our faces, bite our tongues, and try to be
people of faith. That never works. The answer is in the humility of the Roman
Centurion. Jesus said that he would go to the Centurion’s home to heal the
servant. The soldier responded in verse 8, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you
come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.” He
recognized the authority of Jesus and humbly approached him with his request. In
contrast, the disciples were shocked and surprised by the fact that Jesus had
authority even over the winds and the sea; “What sort of man is this, that even
winds and sea obey him?” (Mt. 8:27). We too often call ourselves believers yet
fail to recognize the power and authority of Jesus.
That is the whole point of these stories. He taught as one having authority
(Mt. 7:28-29). He commanded demons as one having authority. He healed as one
having authority. He commanded the winds and the sea as one having authority. Yet
someone we believe that our troubles are too big for him. The old hymn comes to
mind.
Trust
and obey,
for
there’s no other way
to
be happy in Jesus,
but
to trust and obey.
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