Nameless Leader

READY:

“When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, 'Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.'”—Matthew 8:10

SET:

Notre Dame football team, Penn State football team, and New York Yankee baseball team. What is common among these teams? These teams did not (or do not) have a name on their jerseys. Why? No name? The teams believe that by putting names on the shirts, you are placing unnecessary attention on individuals rather than the team.

In the Bible, several individuals are praised by God and are well-known figures in the scriptures. Abraham (Genesis 22:1–18), David (Acts 13:22), Solomon (1 Kings 3), Peter (Matthew 16), and... there's another individual mentioned in today's reading of God's word. Jesus emphasized, 'Truly, truly,' and praised this individual as having such great faith that had not been seen in all of Israel. And the name of this person is... nameless.

The name of this person, who perhaps exhibited the highest level of faith in Israel, is intentionally concealed. The Bible only speaks of his role as a centurion. The Bible doesn't provide detailed accounts of his actions.

Only one episode is mentioned, and Jesus has awarded the MVP title in the realm of faith in Israel. He looked after his people (v. 5), knew his place (v. 8), and understood the power of a single word from an authoritative figure (v. 9). He was the leader. If we were to view his role in the sports world, he was a coach. He seems to have little interest in his name being revealed, and the Bible also doesn't explicitly mention his name.

Because we don't even know his name, we are more interested in the group he belongs to. "How awesome the team must be with such a leader?" "How much more amazing a leader must that superior be?" Team Jesus. As our name is hidden, our team attracts even more attention. And don't worry. God knows you by your name, even if nobody knows.

GO:

• Do you agree with the saying, “No one is greater than the team.” Why? Or why not?
• What does your name mean in your team?
• Do you believe God who made the universe knows you by your name? What does it mean that fact that God knows my name?

WORKOUT:

Matthew 26:6-13; Matthew 15:21-28

OVERTIME:
“My Father, who knew me before I was formed, thank You for remembering me by my name. It is more than enough to be a part of Your glorious team. I’ll gladly wear the jersey of Team Jesus. In Your name I pray, amen.”

By Steve Ko