2. Full Faith.
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capacity for a full faith unless there be a full fellowship with the Lord. A professional Christian life is a dead weight. Too often, the church lives at & poor dying rate. The Lord responded to the faith of the Centurion; gave him the desire of his heart; his servant was healed with a word. 3. Fulfilling the Word (14-17). " T h a t it might be fulfilled." The third miracle was wrought in the home of Peter. Peter had a home; the Lord had none. Perhaps He made His home with Peter. Mark and Luke tell us that they besought Him for her. He never refused a call for help. Her condition touched His heart and moved with compassion, He touched her with His hand. Luke says He rebuked the fever. The word rebuke means to chide, as though some personality was instigating the fever, just as He re- buked the waves and the crouched at His feet (Mark IV:39). The fever fled and the woman acknowledged His mer- ciful ministry by serving. How happy, the home where Jesus is hailed as guest! He comes when bidden and brings a blessing. The evening saw a wonderful work. Demons were cast out, sick were healed. The Scripture must be fulfilled some time and now the words of Isaiah were verified (Isa. LIII:4). The miracles were wrought in anticipation of the atonement, as the Old Testament saints were saved in an- ticipation of the death on the cross. Surely He hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. This Scripture was but partially fulfilled, its full Ail- ment awaits the next dispensation. These three miracles are not recorded in chronological order by Matthew; the last one occurred first and early in the ministry of Christ—but there is a logical sequence in the order. The con- dition of the Jewish nation is repre- sented by the leper. Blessings were of- fered first to the Jews, afterwards to the Gentiles, as represented by the Cen- turion. Again it will be to the Jews and finally to the multitudes. Peter's house is typical of the rela- tionship of Jesus to the Jews. After the fullness of the Gentiles is come in, the Lord restores His own people, and drives out the fever, then the casting out of the demons and healing of all diseases will mark the millenial period. POINTS PRACTICAL. He is willing to cleanse those who will to be clean. The certificate of our soul cleansing
word. ' ' There is a marked contrast between the leper and the Centurion. The lat- ter was a man of high social position; he was a Eoman officer, with a sick ser- B vaut. He had become interested in the Jews; had built them a synagogue (Luke YII:4-5). His regard for his servant stamps him as a man of unusual sweetness of character. Luke tells us that the elders of the Jews came first to interview the Lord in his behalf; af- terwards, hé sent his friends to insist that it was unnecessary for Him to 11. trouble Himself to come to his house. Here is a remarkable type of faith—a lowly faith. He was conscious of his unworthiness and Said, ' 4 There is noth- ing worthy in me which should make me fit to receive Thee under my roof. " This is charming! A Pharisee invited Jesus into his house and failed to treat Him with common courtesy (Luke VU : 44). The Gadarenes invited Him to leave their coasts (Mark V:17). This man recognized the superiority of Christ, and shrunk from His coming to his home. His was a large faith. "While he -felt his own unworthiness, he also felt the deep need of his servant and believed that the Lord Jesus could speak the servant back to health. He believed in the Deity of the Lord Jesus (Luke IV:35-36-39, Mark IV:39), and he was right. The Lord was omnipo- tent, His Word, powerful (Psa. XXX I I I: 9-10-20). " H e spake and it was done, He commanded and it stood f a s t . " " H e sent His Word and healed t h e m" (Psa. CVII:20). We do not know by what means this man attained this wondrous faith, but we know that faith cometh by hearing (Bom. X:17). Christ marvelled at his faith: how refreshing it was to find it. He looked for it among the Jews and found it in the heart of a Gentile. Twice He marvelled; once at unbelief, in His own home in Nazareth, and here, at faith. Faith pleases the Lord (Heb. XI:6). Unbelief hinders (Matt XV I I: 20). All things are possible to him that has faith (Mark I X: 23-24). Great faith is commended (Matt. XV: 28). Little faith is deplored (Matt. VIII:26). Misuse and neglect of op- portunities results in a blighted faith. If not cultivated, faith fails and dies. A worldly atmosphere is not conducive to the cultivation of faith. We are in- fluenced by the company we keep, by the teaching we receive. There is no
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