Have you ever wondered why Jesus was impressed with the level of some people’s faith? The Bible records in two particular occasions that Jesus marvelled at someone’s faith. Can you imagine what it must be like to have Jesus marvel at your faith? What exactly are the things that might have made Jesus marvel and declare that a person had ‘great faith’? In this blog, I would like to share my thoughts on this, as well as how we too can have and demonstrate such great faith.

One example of a person who demonstrated faith that caused Jesus to marvel was the Roman Centurion*. We read about this story in Luke 7:1-10 (BSB).

“When Jesus had concluded His discourse in the hearing of the people, He went to Capernaum.  There a highly valued servant of a centurion was sick and about to die. When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to ask Him to come and heal his servant.  They came to Jesus and pleaded with Him earnestly, “This man is worthy to have You grant this, for he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.”

So Jesus went with them. But when He was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends with the message: “Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy to have You come under my roof. That is why I did not consider myself worthy to come to You. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell one to go, and he goes; and another to come, and he comes. I tell my servant to do something, and he does it.”

When Jesus heard this, He marvelled at the centurion. Turning to the crowd following Him, He said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith.” And when the messengers returned to the house, they found the servant in good health.” (Some translations say “completely healed”).

There is so much to unpick from this passage, but I will try to focus on some key points. This Roman officer was not a Jew. As such he probably would not have learnt or heard about the coming of The Messiah right from his childhood. He did not have ancestors who had seen the wonders of God and passed on this knowledge from generation to generation. He probably was not expected to know God the way the Jews were expected to. And yet, he called Jesus “Lord!” Isn’t that amazing? He believed in Jesus’ ability, even when some with greater knowledge of scripture doubted. Jesus Himself hinted at something similar in John 20:29 (NIV) when talking to Thomas, “Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” This Roman centurion may not have ‘seen’ or ‘heard’ the way the Jews would have, yet he believed.

The second point is that he humbly recognised his unworthiness in the presence of God. Bear in mind that when the Jewish elders introduced the centurion to Jesus, they did so on the basis of his works: “This man is worthy to have You grant this, for he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” But what did the man himself say? “Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy to have You come under my roof. That is why I did not consider myself worthy to come to You.” That in itself is a powerful act of humility and an acknowledgement of God’s holiness. He already knew not to come to God on the basis of his works, long before verses such as Ephesians 2:8-9 and Romans 9:16 were written. No wonder Jesus was amazed!

The third point is His understanding of the concept of authority, and more importantly, His acknowledgement that Jesus was Lord over all, and therefore had authority over all things. He knew Jesus did not even have to be physically present to heal, He had authority over time and place. Bear in mind that there were not many recorded instances at this time of Jesus not being physically present in a place to heal someone. As such, asking for this in itself was amazing. But it also demonstrated His firm belief in the authority and Lordship of Jesus. This is so important because sometimes we may say Jesus is Lord, but not act like we understand what that means in reality, or indeed act like He is actually Lord. This Roman centurion did though, and it came across in his prayer and his actions. This was enough to get him his miracle instantly, even though Jesus was sent first to the Jews.

The second person to demonstrate this great faith was the Syrophoenician woman. Her story is found in Matthew 15:21-28 (BSB):

“Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. And a Canaanite woman from that region came to Him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is miserably possessed by a demon.” But Jesus did not answer a word. So His disciples came and urged Him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”

He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

The woman came and knelt before Him. “Lord, help me!” she said.

But Jesus replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”

“Yes, Lord,” she said, “even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”

“O woman,” Jesus answered, “your faith is great! Let it be done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.”

Again, lots of parallels with the first. She was not a Jew either, and so was not among “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” Jesus was initially sent to. And she knew and acknowledged that. We know she accepted that she was not deserving of a seat at the table because she responded to Jesus’ statement with “Yes, Lord”. This response in itself was a display of humility, and an acknowledgement of Jesus as Lord. She even physically demonstrated this by kneeling down before Him.

She also showed humility by not taking offence at Jesus’ words, illustrating the importance of “always striving to have a conscience without offense toward God and men” (Acts 24:16, NKJV). Again, this is a fruit of humility. It is hard to take offense at someone when you are humble. It is so much easier when you are proud, because then you inevitably start to have thoughts like ‘who do they think they are?’ Or, ‘do they know who I am?’ Not exactly humble thoughts are they? Especially seeing as such thoughts don’t acknowledge that we, as well as those we relate with, are who we are because of God.

Instead of taking offence, this woman amazed Jesus by going along with His metaphor and using it to illustrate why her daughter could still receive healing from Him.

And what was His response? An acknowledgement of her great faith. Consequently, He proclaimed a word of healing over her daughter, and her daughter was healed that very hour!

It is interesting that in both cases, they were not seeking healing for themselves, but for someone else. However, I don’t think that was why Jesus commended their faith, as there were others who sought healing on behalf of friends and family, and He did not say this about their faith. (Examples include the man on the mat brought to Jesus by his friends in Mark 2:3-11, and the nobleman and his son in John 4:46-50). As such, seeking healing for ourselves does not preclude us from having great faith. It is also interesting that in both cases, the people who needed the healing were not present. This illustrates the power of intercession, and Jesus’ Lordship over time and space.

There were a few differences though. I know, you know, we know that Jesus is compassionate. But if I’m being honest, His response to this woman feels ‘somehow’. So what do I do when my feelings don’t tally with what I know to be true about God? I go to the Word of God again, and in this case, I try to better understand the context. From what I understand about that time period, there were cultural tensions in place that meant the approach of Jesus focusing only on the Jews was best. There might have been other reasons for Jesus’ silence though. For context, what happened beforehand? Jesus had just had an encounter with some Pharisees. Given that they were usually bent on trapping Jesus, I suppose that was enough to wind anyone up. Then His disciples displayed a lack of understanding about something He expected them to understand. In Mark 7:18, just before meeting the woman, He actually asked His disciples “Are you still so dull?” Ouch.

From this, you can tell that Jesus probably needs some alone time, and Mark 7:24 confirms that: “Not wanting anyone to know He (Jesus) was there, He entered a house, but was unable to escape their notice”. Have you ever needed a time out but you can’t seem to get a break? Have you ever been near fit to explode and realise you need to step away for a bit, but people just won’t leave you alone? If you have ever been there, you might understand Jesus’ possible state of mind prior meeting the woman a bit better. He was human after all. Thankfully He did not react the way some of us would. He kept quiet instead of taking out His annoyance on the woman.

This is another reason why it is important to keep our consciences void of offence. Sometimes, the way people react to us has very little to do with us and so much more to do with their state of mind, which is why being gracious in our dealings with others is important. This does not mean we let people walk all over us, because as I once read, even if you lie down for people to walk all over you, some people will still complain that you are not flat enough. It means that we are gracious to both ourselves and others. Jesus said “love your neighbour as yourself” (Mark 12:31), not more than yourself. I accept that my postulation regarding Jesus state of mind may be completely wrong, given that I was not there. It could merely be that there are nuances which admittedly, can be difficult to translate across languages, cultures and eras. However, I don’t think it is beyond the realm of possibility.

That said, what are the key points we can learn from these two stories?

One is the importance of the knowledge and acknowledgement (in thoughts, speech and deeds) that God is who He says He is, that He is Lord, He is all powerful and can therefore act in line with who He is. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6, NKJV). For instance, if we come to God for healing, we must believe that God is a healer, that He has the power to heal, and as a compassionate God, wants to heal. And this knowledge should not just be head knowledge, but heart knowledge. As R.C. Sproul notes “It is one thing to believe in God; it is quite another to believe God.” And James, in his classic forthright style, states “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!” (James 2:19, NKJV).

Sometimes as Christians, we get so used to the Bible, to church, that we are sucked into a complacent existence, ticking along and letting whatever wants to happen to happen. In some cases, it is even new believers, who, reading the Bible with fresh eyes, are hungry to see the present manifestation of the miracles and wonders they’ve read about in the Bible.

I recently read something a non-believer wrote, that Christians don’t believe in prayer, or if we do, we certainly don’t act like it. I had to pause after reading that for a moment of reflection, and I realised that in a lot of cases, it is sadly true. James 2:17 (BSB) says, “faith by itself, if it does not result in action, is dead.” When we pray, we also need to follow up with action in line with God’s word and direction from the Holy Spirit. And we must not doubt, “…But he must ask in faith, without doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:6-8).

How do we conquer our doubts? By going back to the Word of God again and again (Romans 10:17), by spending time with God, by listening to testimonies of what God has done or is doing in the lives of others, and recalling His wonders in our own lives in times past (Psalm 105:5). And how do we show our belief in God? By taking action, and by continuing to believe even when circumstances don’t expect us to believe. I love this story by Laverne W. Hall:

“The fields were parched and brown from lack of rain, and the crops lay wilting from thirst. People were anxious and irritable as they searched the sky for any sign of relief. Days turned into arid weeks. No rain came.

The ministers of the local churches called for an hour of prayer on the town square the following Saturday. They requested that everyone bring an object of faith for inspiration. 

At high noon on the appointed Saturday the townspeople showed up in masses, filling the square with anxious faces and hopeful hearts. The ministers were touched to see the variety of objects clutched in prayerful hands –Bibles, crosses, and rosaries were only a few of their faith symbols. 

When the hour ended, as if on magical command, a soft rain began to fall. Cheers swept the crowd as they held their treasured objects high in gratitude and praise. From the middle of the crowd, one faith symbol seemed to overshadow all the others; A small 9-year-old child had brought an umbrella to prove God’s faithfulness.”

What a beautiful and practical demonstration of faith!

Another one, which should naturally flow from the first, is the crucial need for humility. 1 Peter 5: 5b-6 (NKJV) “And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, so that in due time He may exalt you.” Humility is not something that we are necessarily born with. We have to work at it. Peter describes it as clothing yourself with humility. In other words, wearing it like a garment. When we go out every day, we don’t just expect our clothes to magically appear on our bodies, we make an effort to put them on. That is how it is with humility. The more we worship and truly acknowledge God at work in our lives, and our own unworthiness before Him, the more humble we become.

There are so many other instances of people acknowledging their unworthiness before God and their need for His mercy, and consequently receiving what they asked for. In some cases, they even received more than they asked for.

The tax collector in Luke 18:9-14 (NLT) illustrates this so well.

“Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’

“But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.””

We see this again in the story of the criminal on the cross in Luke 23:39-43 (BSB):

“One of the criminals who hung there heaped abuse on Him. “Are You not the Christ?” he said. “Save Yourself and us!” But the other one rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same judgment? We are punished justly, for we are receiving what our actions deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!” And Jesus said to him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

The truth remains that on our own, we are unworthy. Isaiah 64:6 (BSB) says, “Each of us has become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.” Charles Spurgeon writes, “Brother, if any man thinks ill of you, do not be angry with him; for you are worse than he thinks you to be. If he charges you falsely on some point, yet be satisfied, for if he knew you better he might change the accusation, and you would be no gainer by the correction. If you have your moral portrait painted, and it is ugly, be satisfied; for it only needs a few blacker touches, and it would be still nearer the truth.”

That might make us wince, but it is true. It is only by virtue of Jesus’ death and resurrection that we are saved, not by our own doing (Ephesians 2:8-9). As R.C. Sproul said, “Why do bad things happen to good people? That only happened once and He volunteered.” Ephesians 3:12 (NLT) notes, “Because of Christ and our faith in Him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence.” This is also supported by Hebrews 4:15-16. In some cases, our good works may open doors for us, as in the case of the Roman Centurion, but having access to a room does not necessarily translate to getting what we want.

I need to emphasise though that this is not a call to put ourselves down in a negative way. It is simply a call to lift God higher. As Jesus Himself said in John 13:16 (BSB), “Truly, truly, I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.” As servants, our greatness is intrinsically tied to the greatness of our Master, and so, in a sense, is our rising.

Instead, it is a call to acknowledge and act like Jesus is indeed our Lord, and we can only truly do so if we are humble. Jesus is the worthy one, not us. If we have any worthiness, it is as a result of Him, and His grace and mercy towards us.

One more additional lesson, particularly from the Syrophoenician woman, is the need for persistence. I have written about this before in my blog ‘Keep On Asking‘, so I won’t dwell on it much in this post. But there is one verse I want to include that really struck me recently after watching a sermon on it (I would also recommend watching the sermon if you can). The background to this verse was Esau asking Isaac to bless him, and Isaac saying it was too late as he had already given Jacob the blessing. So he made some declarations over Esau, which, to be honest, sounded more like curses. “Behold, your dwelling place shall be away from the richness of the land, away from the dew of heaven above. By your sword you shall live, and you shall serve your brother; but when you grow restless you shall break his yoke from your neck.” (Genesis 27:40, ESV). It is that last line that really highlights the point. Other translations say when you rebel, when you can’t take it anymore.

There was a way out of that curse, and that way out involved becoming restless, rebelling against the laid down order of things. I think we can agree that the Syrophoenician woman displayed that – rebelling against the order of Jews first, and persisting until she received the answer she came for. Even the Roman centurion displayed that, by merely asking Jesus to heal his servant. For context, in those days, the Romans despised Judaism. They thought Jews were narrow minded to believe in only one God, seeing as they themselves had lots of gods and goddesses for different situations. As such, the centurion possibly risked mockery from his peers. Yet he was willing to bear that for the sake of getting his servant healed. When we truly become restless, we stop caring about what others think, and we ignore the voices of those telling us to leave God alone and stop praying about the issue. Instead, we persist and tarry in His presence. Like the Syrophoenician woman and Jacob, we do not let go of God until He blesses us (Genesis 32:26).

I pray that as we read this and reflect on these points, we will demonstrate a firm, unshakeable belief in God, understanding, praying and acting in line with our belief in God and our knowledge of Him as gleaned from the Bible. I pray that we continue to humbly acknowledge Jesus as our Lord, and that this will be evidenced in the way we live. May we persevere in prayer, holding firm to our faith and casting aside any doubt. May our faith cause God to marvel, for when God marvels, He moves. And so, may our God, whom we worship, trust and hope on, in His wondrous mercy, acknowledge our great faith and answer us speedily. Amen.

*A Roman centurion is a Roman officer responsible for a hundred men.

Image source here.