Yet, despite all the circumstances that went against him, this man was identified by the Lord as an example of faith. Our study this morning is one of a series focusing on accounts in the gospels that remind us of the heart and character of Jesus. Faith is an important subject. All of God's Word bears witness to that fact, and Jesus' words here emphasize the importance of the subject of faith. Faith is not a dry theological concept bound up in stodgy churchianity.
Faith is a risky, adrenaline-pumping adventure.
This morning we read in Hebrews 11 about how Abraham ventured out to a place he did not know, looking for a city that had foundations, taking adventuresome risks by trusting the Lord God. The best way to understand faith is to see it exemplified in a man or woman of faith, facing life as it really is. And a certain centurion's slave, who was highly regarded by him, was sick and about to die. And when he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders asking Him to come and save the life of his slave. And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.