Thursday, February 23, 2006
Marveled Only Twice
Matt. 8:10 Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled, and said to those who were following, "Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel.
Luke 7:9 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."
When Jesus heard the words of the centurion’s messengers, He marveled. In this passage we see Jesus in His condescension of becoming a man. Was this not the same Jesus that read the minds of those around Him? How could this be that He was taken back by the words of faith demonstrated in this man? Calvin translates marveled as “Jesus wondered.” He writes, “Wonder cannot apply to God, for it arises out of what is new and unexpected: but it might exist in Christ, for He had clothed Himself with our flesh, and with human affections.”
Upon hearing these words, Luke tells us that He turned and said to the multitude that was following Him. This was an opportunity to teach those following Him by the example of, not a Jew, but a Roman soldier as to the revelation of who He was. The Jews were anticipating the Coming One and He was before them, yet they were blind to the facts.
Jesus tells the multitude that was following Him along with the Jewish elders, “I say to you not even in Israel have I found such great faith." This was an indictment to God’s chosen race. Luke doesn’t elaborate because he is showing the Gentiles saving faith available to them that had come from the Jewish nation. Matthew on the other hand, continues this indictment toward his Jewish brethren. Before we continue, it is important to view the footnote that our authors have given us relating to this passage: Jesus’ dealings with a non-Jewish person such as this centurion were striking in view of His avowed purpose of limiting His ministry to the lost sheep of Israel (cf. Matt. 15:24). The immediate beneficiaries of His ministry, the Jews, would do well to learn from this Gentile.
Luke 7:9 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."
When Jesus heard the words of the centurion’s messengers, He marveled. In this passage we see Jesus in His condescension of becoming a man. Was this not the same Jesus that read the minds of those around Him? How could this be that He was taken back by the words of faith demonstrated in this man? Calvin translates marveled as “Jesus wondered.” He writes, “Wonder cannot apply to God, for it arises out of what is new and unexpected: but it might exist in Christ, for He had clothed Himself with our flesh, and with human affections.”
Upon hearing these words, Luke tells us that He turned and said to the multitude that was following Him. This was an opportunity to teach those following Him by the example of, not a Jew, but a Roman soldier as to the revelation of who He was. The Jews were anticipating the Coming One and He was before them, yet they were blind to the facts.
Jesus tells the multitude that was following Him along with the Jewish elders, “I say to you not even in Israel have I found such great faith." This was an indictment to God’s chosen race. Luke doesn’t elaborate because he is showing the Gentiles saving faith available to them that had come from the Jewish nation. Matthew on the other hand, continues this indictment toward his Jewish brethren. Before we continue, it is important to view the footnote that our authors have given us relating to this passage: Jesus’ dealings with a non-Jewish person such as this centurion were striking in view of His avowed purpose of limiting His ministry to the lost sheep of Israel (cf. Matt. 15:24). The immediate beneficiaries of His ministry, the Jews, would do well to learn from this Gentile.
# posted by Castusfumus : 5:12 PM
