“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:
Susan is married to
Mark, and co-leads an in-home small group. She serves as a mentor to young
women, and is a member of Oakwood’s Peace Team, helping people work through
conflict.
