What is True Faith?
“And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, ‘He is worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue.’” — Luke 7:4-5
In the opening passage of Luke 7, we find a compelling juxtaposition of two approaches to Christ. Desiring the help of Christ to heal his servant, a Roman centurion sent the Jewish rulers of his town to appeal to Jesus. When they came to Him, the elders thought to compel Jesus with these words- “He is worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue.” But as Jesus approached the man’s house, the man himself came out to Him, saying, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof.” So- “He is worthy…” is set against the man’s confession, “I am not worthy…” And Jesus says of this man, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.”
What about you? Are you willing to confess before Christ, “I am not worthy of you.” Indeed, nothing we have done or could do must serve as the basis for our approach to Christ. We must not think to compel Him to help us by anything we have done. We must plead for His saving ministry on the basis of His grace and mercy and our urgent need. And by confessing our unworthiness, we make it clear that we are coming to Him in true faith, relying fully upon His grace.