[Music]
all right we're gonna go a little bit
further a little bit deeper this time
into Matthew chapter 8 verses 5 through
13 Jesus healing the Centurions servant
it's so cool that we don't just have to
rely upon one account often times of
these fantastic stories but we have
other accounts and we can compare them
between the Gospel writers who record
them and oftentimes you find same
stories maybe 3 times maybe even four
times if John includes them but here's a
case where Luke tells the story and as
I've already mentioned he actually tells
us in detail that the Centurion himself
didn't come and make the request he sent
some Jewish elders on his behalf and
they said this is a good guy you ought
to do this for him and so Jesus begins
to make the journey to the house and of
course the Centurion is still at the
house himself and when he learns that
Jesus is closing in he quickly sends
another delegation he sends friends
again and listen I'm going to read you
from from Luke chapter 7 and verse
number 6 Lord do not trouble yourself
further for I am not worthy for you to
come under my roof for this reason I did
not even consider myself worthy to come
to you but just say the word and my
servant will be healed and so this guy's
got a you know a great deal of humility
for being a soldier who's in charge of a
hundred other soldiers you gotta be
impressed and you've got to be impressed
by his faith as was Jesus Jesus you know
complimented him highly by saying too
publicly I have not found such great
faith with anybody else anyone in Israel
compared to this Gentile and Jesus then
seize the moment and he foretold that
what he had just witnessed great faith
from a Gentile and lesser faith from
Jews in general was a kind of a
foreshadowing of what was going to
happen this Gentile centurion had no
idea of what he was forced
but Jesus you know certainly did and he
said the day is coming when many of the
sons of the kingdom to whom belongs you
know all of the inheritance that God has
prepared for them and they're going to
be cast into the outer darkness with his
weeping and gnashing of teeth okay so we
come now to Matthew chapter 8 and verse
number 13 Jesus says to the Centurion
now of course if you read in Luke's
Gospel he didn't actually speak it to
the Centurion he sent it to the friends
the Centurion and had sent but Jesus
said to the Centurion verse number 13 go
your way listen closely let it be done
to you as you have believed now remember
Jesus this is the second time that Jesus
has mentioned faith as being a key
component and ingredient of what's
happening here he complimented the men
the man for his faith publicly and then
he says now let it be done to you as you
have believed and we read the end of
verse number 13 and the servant was
healed that very hour if we if we look
at Luke's rendition of that same story
it says in Luke 7 verse number 10 when
those who had been sent returned to the
house they found the slave in good
health and so when we read when we read
in Matthew's Gospel he was healed that
same hour it's an expression really for
within minutes because when the when
she's was not far from the house the
Centurion sent the delegation to tell
him don't bother coming any further just
speak the word then they returned to the
house and they found him he was already
healed he was no longer in pain the
crisis was over so this is pretty close
to an instantaneous miracle praise God
and it was done not by Jesus touching
him not by Jesus praying for him laying
his hand upon him it was done from afar
he just spoke the word why because
that's what the Centurion believed and
we find that God honors people's faith
based upon what they believe will
eventually read a wonderful healing
story of a woman who had an issue of
blood a hemorrhage and she had spent all
her
on doctors have not gotten any better
and only grown worse and she heard about
Jesus and and she was making her way
through this crowd and and the Bible
says for she said to herself if I just
touched the hem of His garment I'll be
healed and so that was the moment that
she was going to you know release her
faith that's when I'll be healed when I
touch the hem of His garment and that's
a component of faith faith has to have a
moment of release when you say from this
point forward I am persuaded at that
point in time I'll have what I've asked
for you know we see in the book of James
for example James said if any among you
sick let him call for the elders of the
church let them pray or him anointing
the sick person with oil see there is
the moment the contact the point of
contact the release of the faith this is
when I say yes I believe that I received
my healing and this is exactly what
Jesus taught you know he said whatever
things you desire in prayer when you
pray believe that you have received them
and they shall be granted unto you
surely there's some mystery to all of
that but we see in evidence this man got
his servant healed when Jesus spoke the
word because that's what he believed if
he would have said Jesus come and touch
my servant because I know if you touch
him he'll be healed that's when his
servant would have been healed you see
that you know and so can you see that
the faith of the individual definitely
has a major major part to play in all of
this and I think it would be very wise
for those of us who are desiring healing
and who who doesn't desire healing who's
sick if we'd spend time meditating on
scriptures like these building up our
faith to say look Jesus without
hesitation granted healing for this
person he credited their faith because
of it and asked myself the question do I
have faith do I believe and don't get
mad at those preachers who like me would
encourage you to do this and say well
you know you're putting it all on me and
so forth well grow up man up or woman up
or whatever it takes to you know to grow
up and quit putting the blame on Jesus
and maybe think yourself well maybe just
maybe I'm not perfect yet and I need to
grow in faith amen
don't get all bent out of shape about it
rejoice this is Jesus were reading about
and he's the one who said it not me all
right good thanks so much for going to
me I look forward to being together with
you next time
[Music]