Matthew 8:5-13 A Gentiles's Faith

Jesus has healed at this point at least the leper. His sermon on the mount had gained attention and word of who Jesus is had spread even to the Gentile population. A couple of things about this. First, hostility between the Roman guard of which this man is a part was at an all time high. His act of going to meet Jesus could have caused a great deal of trouble for him.

But based on all the previous acts of Jesus, this centurion knew without a doubt that Jesus could heal his servant and to do so with a word. Second, we should know that this guard knew he was under authority of the Roman Empire, but he recognized Jesus as having authority over even the Roman Empire.

Jesus's reaction at this man's faith was more of a lesson for the apostles than it was actual surprise. The Jewish believers in Jesus still believed that only Jews would be saved, it was an attitude that despite this lesson was affecting their outreach to the Gentile nations.

This same attitude remained until the great public rebuke of Peter by Paul for refusing to eat with Gentiles when ‘certain’ Jewish Christians were present. These believers held a certain amount of power over Peter. But only because Peter allowed it. Peter was a flawed man, as we all are but he never claimed to be anything more than a fellow elder.

But Jesus makes the point of this outburst in the final verses. He's saying that these 100% Israelis, the sons of the kingdom will no longer be in favor and will be in Hell weeping and gnashing their teeth. These two words give us the attitude of those in Hell.

There will be the “weepers” those are the ones who weep eternally because they missed salvation by inches. The cultural Christians who grew up in church hearing about Hell but never taking it seriously. The progressive believers who refused to speak on sin, judgment because, love.

Then there will be the “gnashers” These will be those who are angry and will curse God forever. And Jesus makes the point that many from all corners of the world will sit down to eat with Him in the Kingdom long before any of the nation of Israel will.

Sadly, there is the demonically inspired teaching in many churches that being a faithful Jew today is like a second path to salvation. Many denominations teach that witnessing to Jews is a waste of time because God Himself will bring them into the kingdom at some later date, like at some point after the Rapture or during the Tribulation.

THIS IS A LIE! Outside of Jesus, there is no salvation. It doesn't matter that a person is a direct descendant of Abraham, Issac and Jacob, Peter knew it, but learned little from Jesus's words that day. Even the apostles had weaknesses. They were not ‘super saintly’ people with halos around them. They were humans, sinners saved by grace through faith.

Let's face it, it was a little racist of Peter and the other Messianic Jews to withdraw from fellowship with the Gentiles. It took a former Christian persecutor and murderer of believers saved by Jesus to teach these people how to treat Gentile believers.

How's our faith? Are there people we hesitate to accept into our fellowship? Former homosexuals? Former addicts? A Certain race? That's something we must deal with in our own lives. Pray that God will remove that hesitancy and place a burden on our hearts to reach them, to love them. A Gentiles’ faith gave them a lesson they weren't aware that they needed. And it gives us a glimpse into the humanity of the Apostles.



Matthew 8:5-13

[5] And when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, begging Him, [6] and saying, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, terribly tormented.” [7] Jesus *said to him, “I will come and heal him.” [8] But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. [9] For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and 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.” [10] Now when Jesus heard this, He was amazed and said to those who were following, “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel. [11] And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; [12] but the sons of the kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” [13] And Jesus said to the centurion, “Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment.