June 9, 2023

The Bible Edge

Everyone needs an Edge, Believers can have a Bible Edge

Matthew 8:10

When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.

The second mention of the word “Faith” in the New Testament contains a lesson that is paramount to the Christian life.

As Jesus entered into Capernaum a centurion besought him to heal one of his servants. The Lord immediately said: I will come and heal him. (Matthew 8:7) Then the centurion said the most amazing thing recorded in Matthew 8:8. The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. To which our Saviour responded with today’s verse as recorded above. The Lord marvelled at the centurion’s comment. So much so that He said…Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. That which the man said took an unusually great faith in so much that the Lord marvelled.

Why? Why did the man have such great faith? Because he understood authority. A centurion was a Roman military officer that was over one hundred soldiers. Notice what this man said to Jesus. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. (Matthew 8:9) This Roman man of faith transferred his natural authority over his men, to the Lord’s authority over the unseen spiritual world. This officer would tell a man to go, and he would go. No doubt he had given thousands of orders that were carried out. Out of routine he knew that he did not have to go with the man who was given his order, he did not have to see it carried out, he knew it would be. The results of his men faithfully carrying out his orders was clearly seen. If it were not carried out, that could be seen (or known) also. He must have had a lot of men obey him. Now, he is transferring that kind of power to Jesus and His authority over the unseen world. This man took the faith in the natural world and transferred it to Jesus concerning the world that cannot be seen by the human eye.

That is called faith. Great faith. Today, throughout the world in general, there is a shortage of simple obedience to authority. It is rampant. Because of this there is a kind of “conditioning” that takes place. Few know what it is to tell someone to do something and then have that person fulfill that order. By experience we well know that Proverbs 25:19 is all too true. Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint.

But Jesus is not that. His orders in the unseen world are carried out without exception. Jesus did not have to go to the centurion’s house, did not have to be there in person, He could just speak it and it would be done. He did and it was. This is the way with faith in prayer and it is an edge for life; a Bible Edge.

William T. Howe, Ph.D.