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Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled at him, and turned and said to the multitude that was following Him, “I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith.”
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The ‘him’, the man that the Lord is referring to was a Roman centurion stationed in Israel. I marvel at the fact that Jesus marveled at the faith of a man who was not a Jew but a Roman soldier. Even going as far as to say that it was greater faith than He was finding in the people of God—Jesus marveled at their lack of faith! {Mar.6:6}

That centurion, a man who had significant power and authority there in the occupied nation of Israel, humbled himself in the sight of the Lord. {Jas.4:10} That soldier’s response to Jesus as He said He would come and heal the servant who was paralyzed, sick and was dying, was to say, ‘I am not worthy for you to come under my roof.’ Faith and humility—the formula for God’s power to be unleashed. Then, he said to Jesus that he was a man who understood authority, being under authority and having authority, so, just say the word and my servant will be healed. {Mar.7:7} Jesus did, and he was!

Those of us who have ears to hear and eyes to see will recognize that faith and authority are inexorably linked together, and you and I had better understand that. Remember that if you do not recognize God’s authority, wherever He has placed it, it will manifest itself as a lack of faith in the eyes of God. We have been instructed to make the good confession like Jesus did before Pontius Pilate. {1Tim.6:12-13} Pilate said to Jesus who stood in perfect peace as He was facing death on the cross, “Don’t you know I have authority?” The Lord answered saying that Pilate would have no authority unless the Father gave it to him. {Jn.19:10-11} The good confession is that our heavenly Father is in control and at work both to will and to work for His good pleasure {Php.2:13} in every situation!

We should know that because God had spoken through the prophet Isaiah long before about Jesus when He said, ‘But the Lord {YHWH} was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering.’ {Is.53:10} Jesus, knowing that, said that no one takes His life, but He laid it down of His own accord and He had been given authority by the Father to lay it down and to take it up again. {Jn.10:18} His faith came along with His obedience and desire to please the Father.

One place that God has placed His authority, and remember that to obey His authority is better than sacrifice, {1Sam.15:22} is with governing authorities. {Rom.13:1-2} That includes kings or governors {1Pt.2:13-14} and yes, horror of horrors, it includes traffic laws! If you are disobeying the speed limit, (pregnant pause) you are disobeying God. “He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much.” {Lk.16:10}

The penalty is far worse than a speeding ticket! Remember who is really in charge:

“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O Lord, and You exalt Yourself as head over all.” (1 Chronicles 29:11)

EVERY WORD OF GOD IS TRUE AND PROFITABLE