Worthy-Unworthy (Luke 7:2-10)

Why do some people experience miraculous works of God in their lives and others do not?  Why can some pray and receive from God and others miss that experience?  The passage of the centurion reveals some qualities necessary for such to occur.

Before a miracle (an act that is the result of God's direct intervention) can occur, there must be a need.  We have been in situations like this many times in our lives involving financial, health, domestic and safety needs.  

What also is necessary is that there needs to be an absence of pride.  The centurion sees himself as unworthy, which is contrary to how others viewed him.  His view was not one of self rejection, pity or false humility, but a view that he fell short of meeting the mark for being worthy to face and ask Jesus for help.  Because we are in Christ and the Holy Spirit is in us, we should never see ourselves as unworthy with coming to Christ because Hebrews 4:16 tells us to come boldly to the throne of grace.  However, pride can take many forms.  It can be displayed by us resisting God and refusing to seek his help or it can cloak itself by praying to God for help and then beginning to try work out deliverance on its own.  

The final quality needed is faith.  Jesus recognized the centurion for his faith as demonstrated by his statement that Jesus only needs to speak the word and his servant shall be healed.  We too must walk in similar faith believing that God is able to deliver us from our plight and then just rest in him.  Remember when you came to Christ for salvation, you were in a struggle between working for salvation and trusting him.  When you finally settled the matter in your heart, refused to pridefully work for salvation and then called upon Jesus as Savior, you rested in the finished work of Christ on the cross.  No longer did you labor for acceptance with God, but rested in him and that you were accepted in the beloved.  This rest can and should be experienced by believers beyond their call for salvation.  God wants you to experience his rest as he continually delivers you from trials and struggles.