“When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith” — Mat 8:10 (NIV)
The Gospel according to Mathew 8:1-17 tells us that Jesus spent much of his time healing the sick. He was not just a popular healer. The sick, unbelievers and sinners seek Him because they know Jesus is very solid and willing to accept these kinds of people as they are. Jesus was full of compassion and solidarity. He wanted to talk to them. He would touch them occasionally, as part of His healing approach - 'He took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses'. This is perfectly seen at Calvary, when Jesus died for our sins.
Jesus praised the faith of the Roman centurion . His praise was unexpected - “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.” He praised the unique faith of a pagan, one who was considered irreligious. Jesus was amazed that a non-Jew could have such strong faith and held him up as an example. Here we see that the Roman centurion's faith rested in trusting and accepting the power of Jesus.
This praise of Jesus makes us ask ourselves: Do we have the same faith as the Roman centurion's? What exactly is faith? As religious people, how do we live our faith in everyday life? How do I let the power of Jesus fill me every day?
Reflection on Matthew 8:1-17 by Fr. Fransiskus Diaz, SVD
No comments:
Post a Comment