In today's chronological New Testament reading I was struck by the words of the centurion: "But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."
Matthew 8:10 says that because the centurion recognized Jesus' authority, "[Jesus] was astonished and said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith..." Then He said to the centurion, "Go! It will be done just as you believed it would." And his servant was healed at that very hour.
As I was reading it occurred to me that Jesus might still be saying today He has not found anyone in the church with such great faith. How many of us recognize the authority of Jesus and act on His words? Jesus said in Matt. 28:18, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."
Do we search the scriptures to see what Jesus says we are to do? Do we understand, as the centurion did, that when He gives a command it is to be obeyed?
Is Jesus really Lord of our lives? Why do we think we will go to heaven because we have made the declaration that we believe in Jesus? Didn't He say that even the demons believe? True belief is to realize we are under His authority and we are to do the things He did. When he says, Love one another, go into all the world, preach the gospel, heal the sick, cast out demons, raise the dead, take up your cross, deny yourself, etc. etc. do we go and do? Or do we make excuses, or worse yet not even listen?
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