THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2011
“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.’ Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.” Luke 7:9-10
READ
The Jewish people had an incredible mistrust of those people who were not Jews. These people were called gentiles. Gentiles were not allowed in the temple or to be taken in marriage to Jewish people. So when Jesus began to expand His ministry to those outside the Jewish community, to the gentiles, He was highly criticized. So when a gentile Roman officer comes to Jesus for help to heal his slave, He takes the opportunity to teach an important lesson.
This gentile was not only a gentile, but a soldier of the occupying nation (the Romans), which meant that the Jewish people would have been particularly suspicious and hateful towards him. Also, there would have been an unspoken understanding that this man could not possibly be a man of God because he was not Jewish. So when Jesus makes the statement, “I have not found such great faith even in Israel,” He is making the point that faith belongs to anyone of any race. Faith is based on how a person relates to God. It is not based on their ethnicity or background or family history.
PREPARE
- Praise God for who He is
- Confess your sinfulness and need for cleansing
- Allow His Spirit to draw you near
- Listen as He speaks to you
PRAY
- Pray that God helps us to find the faith of the centurion
- Pray that God can show us who the Gentiles are in our lives
TRUST
- Thank God for hearing you
- Trust that God is at work to accomplish His will
FOLLOW
What’s happening around us?
Help to put together shoeboxes filled with toys, school supplies, hygiene items and more for children in desperate situations worldwide through the Operation Christmas Child (OCC) program. They make it clear that the gift you give may be the only gift a child receives. We are lucky enough in KW to live close to a collection centre – a great place to volunteer during the holidays! As well, any time of year, you can pack a virtual shoebox on their website.
http://www.samaritanspurse.ca/occ