When He entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, in terrible agony!” “I will come and heal him,” He told him. “Lord,” the centurion replied, “I am not worthy to have You come under my roof. But only say the word, and my servant will be cured. For I too am a man under authority, having soldiers under my command. I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it. Hearing this, Jesus was amazed and said to those following Him, “I assure you: I have not found anyone in Israel with so great a faith!” Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go. As you have believed, let it be done for you.” And his servant was cured that very moment. Matthew 8:5-11, 13
Jesus came to His hometown, and His disciples followed Him. He began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard Him said, “What is this wisdom given to Him, and how are these miracles performed by His hands? Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And aren’t His sisters here with us? So they were offended by Him. Jesus was not able to do any miracles there, except lay His hands on a few sick people. And He was amazed at their unbelief. Mark 6:1-6 selected
My words…
Praise
Jesus, You, who spoke creation into being, who watched as the first atoms formed molecules, and molecules formed cells that comprise a whiskered walrus and a whiskered man. You who witnessed the birth and death of dinosaurs. You who completely understands the intricate workings of the universe, from a magnetar to a dung beetle. You cannot be easily amazed, which compels me to sit up and take notice when I read of two instances when You were. What amazes You? Tenacious faith and startling unbelief. You as God expected it; You as man were stopped in Your tracks. A Roman ruler, raised in the shadow of pagan temples, called You Lord and believed You could do what had yet to be seen: heal from afar. Your disciples were both dumbfounded and attentive. Had they seen you that amazed? You made sure they did. In your hometown, unbelief oozed down the walls of the houses and meandered down the streets like lava. Your work was impacted by their overwhelming lack of faith in You and Your message. As God, You expected it. As man, You sadly shook the dust from Your feet. I wonder: How often are You pleasantly amazed by Your followers?
Prayer for me
Lord, I pray I will grow to possess an amazing faith, a faith put to action when I ask You to work in my life, and I am positive You will act. No hemming and hawing but a bold surety like the Roman centurion.
Forgive me
Pardon my sin, Lord, when I don’t respond appropriately to You as the Son of God. The people of Nazareth watched You grow up, and they couldn’t see You as anything but Joseph and Mary’s boy. Forgive me when You are more amazed at my lack of faith than the strength of it.
More praise
I hope You are constantly amazed, Lord. Amazed by Your followers the world over. You paid too dear a price to not be surrounded by a cloud of our confident faith in You. I don’t like to think of You as disappointed, sorrowful, or disheartened. Just amazed.
