More than One Surprise

S - "When Jesus was going into the town of Capernaum, an army officer came up to him and said, “Lord, my servant is at home in such terrible pain that he can’t even move.” “I will go and heal him,” Jesus replied. But the officer said, “Lord, I’m not good enough for you to come into my house.  Just give the order, and my servant will get well. I have officers who give orders to me, and I have soldiers who take orders from me. I can say to one of them, ‘Go!’ and he goes. I can say to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes. I can say to my servant, ‘Do this!’ and he will do it.”When Jesus heard this, he was so surprised that he turned and said to the crowd following him, “I tell you in all of Israel I’ve never found anyone with this much faith! Many people will come from everywhere to enjoy the feast in the kingdom of heaven with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob . But the ones who should have been in the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. They will cry and grit their teeth in pain." Then Jesus said to the officer, “You may go home now. Your faith has made it happen.” Right then his servant was healed." Matthew 8 TS

O - Jesus’ response to this request was immediate and without qualification. He didn’t inquire into the officer’s religious practices, theological conclusions or political opinions. He did not ask about his life style preferences or off-duty activities. Neither did he attempt to lead him in a prayer or Scripture lesson. He did offer an unprecedented affirmation of the soldier’s faith followed by an observation which refutes all exclusive religious claims about participation in God’s kingdom. "Many people will come from everywhere to enjoy the feast in the kingdom of heaven …"

A -  The faith which inspired surprise was relational not theological in its origin and expression. It was, as the Greek term describes, a confidence in and reliance upon the person of Jesus. Relational authenticity will always be more important than informational accuracy or religious practice.Surprise! What a beautiful dynamic and invitation for the whole world God so loves.

P -  Dear Jesus,

I accept this beautiful dynamic and invitation to relational authenticity with you; you who are completely reliable. Confident in your person and your ongoing personal invitation to all I will follow you.

Steve