Progression of Faith
The story of the healing of the centurion’s servant stands as an amazing and inspiring example of faith in action. There is another beautiful layer to this event though. This story reveals the progression of blessings. First of all, we are told of a servant or slave whom his master held dear. Because of his position, we can assume he gained the admiration of his master through faithful and well-executed service. We then are told of the Jewish elders coming to Jesus at the request of the centurion. This almost unheard-of friendship between Jews and a Roman came into being because the Roman officer built (or had built) a synagogue for the people. Also, his actions led the Jews to believe that he loved the nation and the people of Israel. Next, we have friends, presumably fellow Romans, who encountered Christ because their love for the centurion bid them go. This tells us that these friends felt the centurion was worth the “indignity” of begging a Jew for a favor (something socially frowned upon). Finally, the faith of this Gentile so moved Christ that the servant was instantly healed.
Our faith impacts the people around us and the children who come after us. This is a beautiful truth we see through scripture. Way back in Genesis 12:2-3, we are told, “And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who curses you I will curse; and by you all the families of the earth shall bless themselves.” Because of Israel’s special relationship with God, the world is blessed or cursed by their response to these people. Nations can be blessed by how they respond to those who belong to the Lord.
Psalm 128:1-4 shows us how blessings flow from believers to their families. It says, “Blessed is every one who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways! You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be happy, and it shall be well with you. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. Lo, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord.” For the sake of the faithful husband, the wife and children are blessed. Of course, the opposite also holds true. Proverbs 11:29-30 warns us, “He who troubles his household will inherit wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise. The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, but lawlessness takes away lives.”
Finally, we have today’s reading. The centurion walked in obedience and faith. He loved those who belonged to the Lord. He believed in the Son of God. Because of his righteousness, the city was blessed, his friends saw Christ, and his servant was made well. What kind of a blessing will our relationship with God bring to those around us? How can blessings flow off us to flood the ground? Let us not be like the fool who thinks only of themselves. Let us not hoard the blessings of God but rather, let our lives be a blessings and a beacon to everyone in our lives.
(Written by Keegan Harkins.)
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