“When Jesus returned to Capernaum,
a Roman officer came and pleaded with him, “Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.” Jesus said, “I will come and heal him.” But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, Do this,’ they do it.” When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, “I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel! And I tell you this, that many Gentiles will come from all over the world - from east and west - and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven. But many Israelites, those for whom the Kingdom was prepared, will be thrown into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Then Jesus said to the Roman officer, “Go back home. Because you believed, it has happened.” “And the young servant was healed that same hour.” Matthew 8:5-13 The faith of this Gentile is unbelievable. He probably did not know the written Word of God, the Law or witnesses to it, yet he recognized His sovereign power. Jesus responded by saying the promise was his; he would have access to the Kingdom of God, which was created for God’s chosen people, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I wonder if the Kingdom that Jesus speaks of is the city of New Jerusalem that sits at the top of Mount Zion? Faith over fear is to be revered “for the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God.” For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.” Romans 3:19-20 The Roman Officer, upon seeing Jesus, knew that he did not come “to a physical mountain, to a place of flaming fire, darkness, gloom, and whirlwind, as the Israelites did at Mount Sinai.” He did not hear the awesome trumpet blast and a voice so terrible that he would beg God to stop speaking to him." Hebrews 12:18-19 The Roman Officer did not stagger back under God’s command: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.” Hebrews 12:20 The Roman Officer was not like Moses who experienced God’s voice - “so frightened at the sight that he was left terrified and trembling.” Hebrews 12:21 Instead, the Roman Officer saw Jesus, and the Love of God. With a heart of faith, produced from God’s spiritual DNA, which only is birthed through the divine Holy Spirit, this Roman Officer, a Gentile, came to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering; to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven.” Hebrews 12:22-23 The Officer came “to God himself, who is the judge over all things; to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect; to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel.” Hebrews 12:23-24 We must remember what the Apostle Paul said, “We are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law. After all, is God the God of the Jews only? Isn’t he also the God of the Gentiles? Of course he is. There is only one God, and he makes people right with himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles.” Romans 3:28-30 “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28 “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth had disappeared, and there was no sea anymore. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It was prepared like a bride dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Now God’s presence is with people, and he will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them and will be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death, sadness, crying, or pain, because all the old ways are gone.” The One who was sitting on the throne said, “Look! I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this, because these words are true and can be trusted.” Revelation 21:1-5
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