“He Marveled”
By Susan Klein
“Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled…”
Whenever I find myself in need of some “real” time with my
Savior, I know I can turn to the Gospels and find Him there. His presence is
visible upon the pages of God’s written Word. How like our loving heavenly
Father to provide us with this very personal gift to use over and over again to
fit our every circumstance.
When I am grieving, I can read Jesus wept (John 11:35), knowing He personally shares in my grief.
When I need counsel, I can read that Jesus
spoke to the multitudes and I can glean from His message to them. When I am
weary from life’s demands, I can learn from the example that Jesus withdrew to solitary places to be
alone with His Father for rest and refreshment.
Among other things, the Gospels tell us that Jesus:
rebuked
healed
performed
miracles
went
away (or departed)
forgave
raised
the dead
defended
prayed
All of these things have touched my heart in a personal way at a
time when I really needed them. All of these things Jesus did because He was
the Son of God and they were things He was sent here to do. However, there is
one thing Jesus did in response to what someone else did. He marveled. In context, the
above verse explains that Jesus marveled over the great faith of one man, a
Gentile, no less. Without the benefit of growing up memorizing Old Testament
Scriptures or sitting under the tutelage of esteemed Jewish leaders, a Roman
centurion heard about Jesus and beseeched Him to heal his paralyzed servant.
Jesus immediately understood the great faith this man placed in Him by humbly
presenting this request, and by believing it would be done. (You can read the
rest of the story in John chapter 8!)
As I glance back over my list, I realize these are things Jesus
did for me. To show my gratitude, I’d like to do something for Him. I’d like to
exercise my faith like the humble centurion did. I want to take all these
things to heart and gratefully, diligently and unquestioningly apply them to my
life in a way that brings Him glory and honor. And wouldn’t it just be ever-so-precious
if perchance, He were to marvel at
my faithfulness?!!
GOING DEEPER:
1. How can you spend intentional
time exercising your faith?
2. What are some weak areas in
your faithfulness that might require some attention?
FURTHER READING:
Matthew
9:20-22; Romans
1:17; James
2:14-23
Susan is a We Women Bible
Study Coordinator and one of its teachers. She and her husband Mark enjoy
tutoring and working with inner-city youth.
