The position of faith is one of authority. You must be under (or completely relying on) a source of power. When you recognize your position resting in this power, you command things to change. Your ability to command things to obey you is based on your position in the source. Jesus marveled at the analogy given by the centurion who explains this position:
Matthew 8:8-10
“The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that you should come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this [man], Go, and he goes; and to another, Come, and he comes; and to my servant, Do this, and he does [it]. When Jesus heard [it], he marveled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.”
After Jesus spends time commanding healing in the beginning of Matthew 8, he meets the centurion. The centurion paints a word picture of how faith functions by explaining how his position allows him to command things. Because he is under authority, his position in regard to the source of authority and power forces people to obey him. It is not the internal power of the centurion that the soldiers fear; it is who he represents that they fear. For example, if the centurion was a farmer and tried to command soldiers, they would not obey him. This is because of his position.
Jesus marveled at this because it was a beautiful explanation of spiritual authority and faith. Jesus commanded demons, sickness, and nature to obey him because of his position with the Father (the source of power). Later in Matthew 8, Jesus is sleeping on the boat with his disciples and a storm comes. When they wake him up for fear they will die he rebukes them, saying, “Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. But the men marveled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!” Matthew 8:26-27
Why was Jesus able to do this? The centurion already explained it. Jesus was able to command the winds and the sea to obey him because of his position with the source of power. Jesus called it faith with the centurion, and then he rebuked the disciples for being “of little faith” when they didn’t command from a position of power.
PART 4
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