A PRAYER TO START

Faith is begotten in recognizing and remembering who God is, most clearly in Jesus Christ. Pray this prayer of faith today given us by John Ballie, and join in the saints who have eyes to see what we have in Jesus…

God, immortal, eternal, invisible, I remember with joy and thanksgiving all that you have been to us:

Companion of the brave;

Supporter of the loyal;

Light of the wanderer;

Joy of the pilgrim;

Guide of the pioneer;

Helper of all whose work is heavy;

Refuge of the brokenhearted;

Deliverer of the oppressed;

Strength of the victorious;

Ruler of rulers;

Friend of the poor;

Rescuer of the perishing;

Hope of the dying.

Give me faith now to believe that you can be all in all to me, according to my need, if only I renounce all proud self-dependence and put my trust in you.

Forbid it, O Father, that the sheer difficulty of honoring you in my life should ever tempt me to despair or give up trying. May I always keep in my mind that this human life was once divinely lived; that this world was once nobly overcome; that this physical body, which so sorely troubles me now, was once made into your perfect dwelling place.

Show your loving kindness today, O Lord, to all who are in need of your help. Be with the weak to make them strong and with the strong make them gentle. Cheer the lonely with your company and the distracted with your solitude. Prosper your Church in the fulfillment of its mighty task, and grant your blessing to all who have worked hard today in Christ’s name. Amen.

GETTING THOUGHTFUL

Was it a little strange to read Jesus’ response to the centurion in Matthew 8:5-13? To read that Jesus himself was surprised is, well, surprising! Yet Jesus “marveled”, was literally astonished, at his exchange with an officer of the oppressing force ruling Israel at this time. What was so amazing to take the Son of God aback?

Was it that a Gentile sought out Jesus for the sake of another, demonstrating a selflessness and compassion that many thought such brutes could not possess? Was it the fact that Jesus already said he would do for the centurion what he wanted, yet this man of power felt himself unworthy to entertain the authority of life of itself in his home? Could it have been the soldiers astute awareness of the nature of Jesus’ place in God’s kingdom, though himself not one with kingdom heritage? Perhaps the answer is simply, ‘all of the above’.

Certainly the crowd would have been astonished, if not a bit offended, that a despised outsider would be treated with such favor by Jesus, and would dare refer to Jesus with such reverence as “Lord”; putting himself under the one he was meant to keep underfoot. In-turn, to hear from the lips of Jesus such accolades for the God-honoring faith of an enemy, and rebuke for the supposed insiders whose hope was for the enemy’s destruction not taking their seat at table. Perhaps faith is something more than religious history and behavior. Perhaps faith has more to do with recognizing Jesus and acting with humility and courage in our recognizing (for ourselves and others); than with how we grew up or who we associate with.

It is curious that half of the mentions of faith in Matthew’s story will be found in chapters 8-9, and involve people who we would least expect to demonstrate this life altering belief, as well as those we’d assume already have it demonstrate how “little” they actually possessed. What could it be that the Spirit in and through Matthew desires you and I to ascertain from interactions such as this one?

Could it really be that the most profound insights on the nature of God in Christ come from those outside of the religious circles we most align? Could Jesus really be demonstrating a proclivity to draw out faith that sees him so clearly from those most would presume are blind or at least outsiders to the things of God?

REFLECTION

Read Matthew 8:5-13, twice. Put yourself first in the midst of the Jewish crowd watching and listening as Jesus affirms and confronts various ideas of faith. Then put yourself in the shoes of the centurion, an outsider to the history of faith, but who sees something in Jesus that humbles you and compels you seek him out. As you read from the two different perspectives, ask the Spirit to give you eyes to see clearly your own faith, and the faith Jesus is drawing out.

Use these questions to help you prayerfully reflect individually and/or discuss as a DNA group

Considerations from the crowd’s perspective: Have you ever been challenged by the faith of someone who you thought was faithless? Describe.

How did that make you feel?

In what ways did that make you think differently about God, how he works, and who gets to be a part of his kingdom?

When you hear Jesus’ response to the centurion, are you encouraged, frustrated, confused, or angry? Why?

Considerations from the centurion’s perspective: Have you ever recognized something about following Jesus that differed from the way “religious” people saw Jesus, and acted on that you recognized? Describe.

When have you had faith and courage to seek Jesus on behalf of someone else?

How would Jesus’ response compel you live after such an encounter?

ECHO

This poem titled, “We Call it Faith” by Indian poet Preet, reminds me of Psalm 77 and the grace that comes when the present collides with faith and time. May these words echo in your mind, your heart, and your courageous actions this week.

The dust settles and past has been locked
Roads are empty where you once walked
The veiled songs of when you were young
Never seem to be back on your tongue.

Something’s changed, yet somehow it is the same
Stuck in a rut of time, yet the clocks’ hands tick away
Too afraid to let the past spill on the canvas of today? -
Just look up at the sky
And he will show you the way.

Images unpleasant, your conscience will decay
You’ve saved the hurt for a rainy day
Changing the photo on the photo frame
Your misplaced life you’re trying to reclaim.

The rain is lashing down hard, yet the sun is bright
The past re-plays before your eyes
The script is re-written and you’ve come clean
Metamorphosed routine-a role has been essayed
He has shown you the way.