Matthew 8 – What is faith?

Matthew chapter 8 is a series of narratives loosely based around the theme of faith.  First Jesus heals a man with leprosy who says to Jesus, “Lord if you are willing, you can make me clean.”  Then a Centurion comes to Jesus to heal his servant.  Jesus says to the Centurion, “I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.”  Then after healing Peter’s mother-in-law he heals many people brought to him.

Then two individuals come to Jesus and ask to be one of his disciples.  He tells the first that if he follows Jesus he will be homeless.  The second asks to go bury his father first, but Jesus says, “let the dead bury their own dead.”  Both of these disciples lacked the faith of those who had been healed.

Jesus then crosses the sea with his disciples.  While Jesus is sleeping there is a storm.  The disciples wake Jesus fearing for their lives.  Jesus says, “You of little faith, why are you afraid?” then he quiets the storm.  The disciples of Jesus are behaving in an opposite manner of the Centurion who came to Jesus for the healing of his servant.

Finally, Jesus casts demons out of two men.  Then the town asks Jesus to leave their region.  It’s amazing that we can witness something incredible but then chase away the one who did it because we do not understand them.

If any of us want God to do miracles then we have to have faith that God is capable of performing miracles.  Having faith does not mean that you get anything you want; rather, it means that you trust that God is capable of accomplishing  God’s will.  “Lord, if you are willing, you can…”

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