Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-10-18

T, there came into that daughters heart
that peace which pasBeth understanding,
for the devil had fed at the Incoming
of the Spirit OF God.
:, That Canaanitish woman came to
Jesus the best way she knew how: she
came believing; and He did not cast her
out
THE cENTuR1oNs FAITH.
Some months before this In Caper-
naum another heather had come to
Jesus, lie was a Roman officer. a cap
tain over an hundred soldiers, During
his residence In Capernaum he had been
thrown with the religious element, He
had had craving after something high
or and better, He was rich man, and
had supplied personally the funds nee
eSsary TO erect a synagogue, where prob
ably others OF his friends might worship.
He was held In high regard by the Jews.
Ills servant was desperately i'll, 1T Is
possible that 1t may have been either
meningitis or loekjaw that had brought
him to the point of death, The centurion
was greatly distressed for him, Hearing
that Jesus was again in the city, he de-
sired His aid. He did not feel that he
had any claim upon Jesus, so he got
the elders OF the Jews to go for him to
ask aid of Jesus,
No sooner was the case stated TO
Jesus than Hit replied. Certainly l will
come and heal him.. But when they
were approaching the house, the centu-
rion felt himself unworthy. He was
but the captain of an hundred, while this
Man was the King of kings and Lord
of lords. He stopped Him. Lord, / am
not worthy that thou shouldest come
under my roof; but only say the word,
and my servant shall be healed" For
know what authority means in a small
way. know you have all authority and
have but to speak the word and your
servants will obey you.
Such faith from such a source excited
wonder and admiration in Jesus He
turned to those elders of the Jews about
Him, saying, Upon my word 1 have not
seen so great faith. no, not in all Israel.
And / tell you that in the kingdom of
heaven many shall come from all quar-
ters and partake of the feast prepared,
but the sons of the kingdom shall be
cast out for lack of faith.
The Centurion although outside of
the fold of Israel, a beathen man liv-
ing without the bounds of Israel, came
to Jesus believing; came with true hui
mility, recognized what he was, and
what Jesus was. He came the best he
knew how; and Jesus did not cast him
out
We are apt sometimes to think as
the Jews did, that the gospel was in
tended only for the Anglo-Saxon race,
and particularly for that portion of it
in America. But we might note in
stances where the heather, both in this
country and abroad. have come to Jesus
in the same spirit that these people
came, and He has not only cast them
out, but has received them They have
also manifested great faith in His serv-
ice. l recall now young Chinese stu
dent in the university, who during his
freshman year. personally dealt with
5000 souls, seeking to lead them to
Christ I think of the Korean carpen-
ter who subscribed 300 days to do evan
gelistic work. supporting himself and
his family on what he made the other
sixty-five days of the year. These men
are types; possibly outstanding types;
and yet they show conclusively that the
gospel was not to be kept in the fold
of the Anglo-Saxons of America, but to
be given to all men everywhere.
Surely if anyone had had any reason
to refrain from coming to Christ on
the plea that He would not receive
them the Syro-Phoenician woman and
the Centurion had. They had no claim
whatever upon Christ. In fact, they
were aliens to Him in religion, race and
residence. But they came, and He re-
ceived them. His promise has been
given, that him that cometh unto me,
/ will in no wise cast out" He has
never failed to keep His word! nor will
He fail you, If you come like the Syro-
Phoenician woman and the Centurion
did-the best you know how, and be-
lieving that He will receive you.