TITLE: WE DON’T DESERVE JESUS’ GOODNESS, BUT HE GIVES IT THROUGH FAITH.
TITLE: WE DON’T DESERVE JESUS’ GOODNESS, BUT HE GIVES IT THROUGH FAITH.
SCRIPTURE:
“When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people who were listening, he entered Capernaum. 2 There a centurion’s servant, who his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. 3 The centurion sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. 4 When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, 5 because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” 6 So Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to tell him, “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. 7 That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8 For I myself am a man under authority with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and that on, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this’, and he does it.” 9 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” 10 Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.” (Luke 7:1—10 NIV)
OBSERVATION:
Jesus expressed astonishment upon hearing the centurion’s confession of faith and trust in Him. The centurion appeared to possess an understanding of Jesus that eluded both the crowd and the Jewish leaders. Numerous instances arise in which we, as believers, resemble the crowd and the Jewish leaders in following Christ without possessing a comprehensive understanding of His true nature.
Jesus arrived in Capernaum where the Centurion’s servant, held in high regard, was gravely ill and near death. The Centurion sent a group of elders to ask Jesus to come and heal him. The elders earnestly pleaded with Jesus, elaborating on the Centurion’s noble character. They explained how the Centurion loved Israel and had funded the construction of their synagogue. They conveyed to Jesus that this man had done good for their people and therefore deserved His attention.
Jesus was in close proximity to the Centurion. The Centurion appears to have experienced a change of heart. He dispatched a second group of friends to communicate to Him, “Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I do not consider myself deserving of having You come under my roof. That is the reason I did not even deem myself worthy to approach You. At the very least, the Centurion recognized the distinction. The Jewish leaders earnestly implored Jesus, stating that this good man deserves to be acknowledged.”
The Centurion, upon recognizing the true nature of Jesus, felt unworthy to approach Him, stating, “Lord, please do not trouble Yourself, for I do not deserve to have You come under my roof.” The reality is that none of us merit or have earned any favor from Jesus. We do not approach Jesus to assert our own goodness or the commendable nature of our deeds as a basis for deserving to be heard.
Many believers fail to recognize that we do not earn anything from Christ. Instead, everything we possess is granted to us through our faith, not on the basis of merit. Jesus was astonished by the faith demonstrated by the Centurion, who grasped the true nature of Jesus. He understood that Jesus possesses the power and authority to make things happen at His command.
Jesus embodies the power to create, heal, and perform the miracles we seek. Thus, we shouldn’t have to plead with him or recount our good deeds to deserve his attention. He stated to the crowd, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith, even in Israel.” Our faith should rest in Christ, not just in his capabilities. We inherently deserve nothing from Jesus; his generosity flows from his grace and mercy, particularly towards those who possess genuine faith in him. Faith and knowledge of Christ are intimately connected, and ultimately, faith in Jesus alone is what we truly need APPLICATION:
Today, I realized I don’t deserve anything from Christ; nonetheless, He generously gives as He deems fit. I choose to walk humbly and deepen my trust and knowledge of who Jesus is. He is the Creator, all-powerful and all-knowing, and will act according to His will for me. I don’t need to present Him a list of my good deeds; instead, I must trust humbly in His goodness, knowing He is already aware of my needs. This year, I will trust Him daily.
PRAYER:
Father, strengthen my faith. Help me to recognize your power and understand who you are. I ask that you share your word with me each day and guide me in following it. I turn to you this year and do not take your grace lightly. I know I do not deserve your goodness and mercy. I request daily guidance in your word and the ability to follow it. I commit to walking in faith with you throughout this year. Thank you, Lord, for your unmerited gifts. calling and love in my life, Amen!
