Jesus and ...: How God Works Through Ordinary PeopleSample

Partnering with Jesus to Find Faith in a Time of Unbelief

Luke 7 tells of a centurion who lived and served in Capernaum, a community that became the center of Jesus’ ministry. Although this centurion was respected by many in Capernaum because he loved the nation and had built the synagogue, he was still a representative of the oppressive Roman Empire. As a commander in the Roman army charged with the responsibility of keeping order, handing out punishments, and perhaps even overseeing executions, he was a man to be feared.

However, when Jesus heard about the centurion’s sick servant, He went to heal him without hesitation. Jesus responded how He always responded—in unmerited love. But this is not “just another miracle” (remarkable as it is); it is also a story of a Gentile with surprising faith, an outsider with insider knowledge. This same faith is open to every one of us—whatever our position.

The centurion’s simple faith is a challenge to all of us. Are we prepared to partner with Jesus and take Him at His word as this man did? Interestingly, we are not told how the centurion accessed his faith in the first place. However, there is a small clue in Luke’s narrative. It says that the centurion heard of Jesus. As we hear the truth, our ears become our eyes, and we are enabled to see. If we put ourselves in the position where we can hear the message, faith will come.

The centurion placed his trust in Jesus, understood the power of confession, and received faith from hearing the message about Christ. In other words, our faith is dependent on who we believe in our heart, what we say with our mouth, and what we hear of the message. Faith is an entrustment. What are we going to do with it? How are we going to act on it?

The story of the centurion should give us hope for change. Here was a man who would have had a typically pagan upbringing, yet didn’t allow his background to rob him of the possibility of a miracle. He lived in challenging times, yet didn’t let them take his hope. He wasn’t expected to believe, yet he did.

He may not have had as much faith as he thought he needed, yet he had enough to call for Jesus. And then, one word from Jesus was sufficient to heal his servant and change his life. You can partner in faith with Jesus in the same way.

Question to Ponder: God has given each of us a measure of faith, yet most of us think we need more. Where do you want to grow in faith so you can partner with Jesus in the work He has for you to do in the kingdom of God?

This plan is presented to you by Jesus and … by Robert Fergusson. To learn more about this book, please click here.