The Roman Centurion’s Realistic Faith That Moved the Heart of Jesus

 

The faith of the Roman centurion, who Jesus commended, was real and tangible.


Tangible faith moves the heart of Jesus.


Even though the centurion, stationed in Israel under Roman occupation, held immense wealth and power, he loved the people of Israel and built a synagogue. 

When his servant fell ill and was near death, he sent friends to plead with Jesus for healing.


This centurion, who had killed and plundered on the battlefield by the command of the Roman emperor, recognized that he was a sinner so profoundly that he felt unworthy to approach Jesus himself.


"Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof.

But say the word, and my servant will be healed."


Hearing this confession, Jesus was deeply moved:


"I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel."


Faith that acknowledges Jesus as the ruler of the world and the Almighty God is the kind of tangible faith that touches Jesus’ heart.


Possessing tangible faith builds a house of hope in the heart—the assurance that God will certainly act.


When you build a house of hope, you also build a house of faith, and it brings evidence of victory without fighting.


When you hold faith and hope in your heart, you build a house of love within, just like the Roman centurion who loved the people of a subject nation and provided a synagogue for them.


When you build the house of faith, hope, and love, you encounter Jesus Christ at the closest possible distance.


The Roman centurion observed up close the mockery, suffering, and even the death of Jesus on the cross, and he confessed:


“Truly, this is the Son of God, the fulfillment of Genesis 3:15, the Messiah Christ.”


In the battlefield of survival of the fittest, though he may have seemed to achieve temporary success through the power of Satan, the Roman officer—who had served idols in fear and anxiety and could find no way to prevent the coming wrath and judgment—possessed also a humble faith that truly understood his own situation.


Faith that is realistic—understanding fully the situation one is in, rather than seeking only miracles—is the kind of faith that moves the heart of Jesus.


When we possess this realistic faith that receives Jesus’ commendation, the Holy Spirit of God testifies within us that we are truly children of God.


Build a house of faith, hope, and love in your heart.

Then, God will call you, establish His covenant, grant you a land of the nations, and you will experience the righteousness of God fulfilling His Word. Amen!

(Luke 7:1–10; Mark 15:19; Matthew 27:54; Romans 8:15–17; Nehemiah 9:7–8)

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