Fear No Fear

(All scripture from the NET, netbible.org, all rights reserved)

That is why I did not presume to come to you. Instead, say the word, and my servant must be healed.
Luke 7:7 (emphasis added)

What do we hear when someone speaks? A series of vibrations? A collection of syllables? Hopefully words in our language. We have to take these sounds, these words, and arrange them in our minds – again, hopefully in the order they were given – and then deduce their meaning. It seems easy and obvious, but it is not always so. What you say is not always what they hear. What they hear does not always translate to the action that you want to see happen. Almost all of us have had this experience.

I had a worker once that was helping me close out a warehouse that we had vacated. I told him to sweep a section of the building. I came across him fifteen minutes later helping the other guys. I looked at his section and it was still dirty. I asked him to please sweep ‘all’ of it. He cheerfully went off. Fifteen minutes later, there he was again. The floor was still dirty again. I asked him to sweep ‘ALLLLLL’ of it. Everything off the floor but the floor. Cheerfully he went. I tracked him down twenty minutes later. I put my arm around his shoulder and placed him at the border of his area and a very clean area. I pointed to his. ‘Make that’ I said. ‘Like this’ I said, pointing from one to the other. Cheerfully he went off again. This time, he got it right. He heard me. But he did not hear what it was I was saying.

How often does this happen with us? Often. Ever have kids? It never ceases to amaze me (not in a frustrating way) that what I say does not equate to what they hear. And what I hear does not equate with what they are saying. If I had a dime for every time I was explaining what I meant and heard, ‘OOOHHHHhhhhhhh THAT’s what you meant’, I would be a very rich person. Every time it does it highlights the difference between communicating and actually communicating.

We’ve dealt with this Centurion before. We know that he was a man who respected Yahweh. That he had built a synagogue for the Jews and was well liked by the community. We know that he had an understanding of how Jesus had authority because He was backed by the might of Rome. He had a knowledge of Jesus’ ability to heal. He had heard the stories. And now in today’s verse he is asking Jesus to act according to all he had heard and heal his servant from afar.

This man was relying on the WORDS he had been told. This man was going to rely on the WORDS Jesus would say – but he was going to rely on them without having heard them himself. Jesus and this Centurion never met. One group of messengers to get Jesus. Another to prevent His coming. Now that SEEMS like unbalanced faith. But it isn’t. The first group got the attention of a Jew toward a Gentile. The second group thanked Jesus for coming, but asked for the words only since the Centurion was not worthy to have a Jew like Jesus in his house (he was probably aware the Jews kept themselves separate and didn’t want Jesus to feel soiled – though Jesus NEVER would have).

What level of trust do you need in someone to truly believe and eagerly expect the result you are asking for simply by that person’s word? In the famous Christmas parable A Christmas Carol, the main character Scrooge was considered so wealthy by all that he could sign his name to any piece of paper in the trading exchange and it was assumed he would pay for it. That he was capable of it. By this we know he was obscenely wealthy. THAT is the level of trust the Centurion had in Jesus. You may say of course he did, this was Jesus we’re talking about. But I have witnessed this level of faith in a different way.

Recently one of my young ones turned five. They asked for all SORTS of things throughout the year leading up to the birthday. Always changing their mind. But a week or so before, the requests became firm. They knew what they wanted. They were convinced that they would get all the things simply because they asked for them. No thought to expense. No thought to difficulty. No thought to how far we’d have to go. They asked. They would receive. Why? Because I would do it. Period. No matter what. That is certainly. That is TRUST.

WE are called to that same trust. But that trust is in vain if we don’t hear what is said. If I had heard the wrong colour or the wrong item or the wrong food that was requested, the birthday would not have gone as well. There would have been disappointment. Easy to work through, but unnecessary if I just listen. So I did. Carefully. And took notes. Simple things asked for. Simple things delivered. We’re told by the Lord to be like this. “He called a child, had him stand among them, and said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn around and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven!” (Matthew 18:2-3). Trusting like a child. Communicating simply (not stupidly) like a child. That was what the Centurion did. Just say, and it will be so. Done deal.

What are you hearing when Jesus speaks? What words are you hearing? Are they the words He wrote down through His Spirit? Or are you hearing the opinions of men backed up by nothing than their hot air? Test EVERYTHING (1 Thessalonians 5:21). And keep what’s good. The Word of Adonai is good. Jesus USES it. He quotes it. He stands on it. Holy Spirit reminds us of it. Every word. All the communication of the Kingdom goes through the Word. Us to the Throne, the Throne to us. All through the Word. The WORD IS the Will of the Father.

This is IMPORTANT. “Consequently faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the preached word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). If we aren’t HEARING, then we are not properly TRUSTING. We don’t want to trust in the wrong thing because it is so important. We TRUST that Jesus is our Saviour and Lord. We continue TRUSTING in order to continue toward righteousness (Romans 10:10). “For the scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame”” (Roman 10:11). TRUSTING the Word. HEARING the Word – whether we LIKE it or not is inconsequential. We aren’t called to like it. We’re called to obey it

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If we listen like a child does when you read to them. If we trust like a child does when you tell them something is so. If we keep trusting like a child certain of their gift before it’s given. If we can have faith that shines like a child as we polish our trust in the words we are clearly hearing. Read the bible more than once if that is what it takes. Look up words in a dictionary. Ask your pastor. Do what you need to until you are SURE that you are hearing EXACTLY what Adonai is speaking to you.

Daily Affirmation Jesus IS Messiah: Psalm 22:15

“The roof of my mouth is as dry as a piece of pottery; my tongue sticks to my gums. You set me in the dust of death.” Messiah would thirst. Would be so thirsty that it pained Him. It happened to Jesus in the desert. It happened to Jesus on the cross. Both times He was tormented. In the flesh and in the spirit. The first was a prelude. A first test. The second was terrible. All the promises of the first, but many times over. “After this Jesus, realizing that by this time everything was completed, said (in order to fulfill the scripture), “I am thirsty!”” (John 19:28). Jesus begged for a respite, but held on for us. For you and for me. He suffered for US. Jesus IS the Messiah!

Your Daily Confession of Jesus/Yeshua’s Identity:

Yeshua is the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Matthew 16:16b