Who’s the Boss?
The Centurion
The centurion recognized authority when he saw it. At least, that’s what he told Jesus. As a career military member, the centurion had always followed authority and as a centurion, had many soldiers follow his authority.
I have always liked this story. The centurion needed help for his servant. In Jesus, he saw someone that could help him. This Roman soldier was able to see something in Jesus, a spiritual authority, that the religious rulers in the Temple failed to recognize. What did this Roman see that others overlooked? How did this Roman soldier have such an incredible faith in Jesus ability, a faith even the men around Jesus did not display?
The centurion showed respect for the authority he saw in Jesus. As a man of authority, he recognized Jesus power and understood what Jesus could do with just a word. The centurion showed a respect that was lacking in all the other people Jesus was trying to help.
The faith shown by the centurion is incredible even centuries later. Many of us struggle to have faith in difficult situation. To have such strong, unquestioning faith is even more uncommon.
How can we fail to recognize the authority of Jesus over every aspect of our lives, the good and the bad? With prayer and Bible study (and devotions like this) we can strengthen our faith until we can say with confidence, “Only speak the word and it will happen!”
Discussion Questions
1. Are there areas of your faith where you and your family have trouble recognizing Jesus’ authority?
2. What causes your doubts? Is it a lack of faith in Jesus or a lack of faith in YOU?
3. What steps can you take to strengthen your faith in these areas?
4. How can you surrender to His authority?
5. How can you help your children surrender to His authority?
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