One of the great differences between Jesus and the rest of us is that we are amazed at completely different things. We were amazed when Jesus did a miracle, and Jesus was amazed when the unbelief of man prevented a miracle.
“But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.” (Matt. 9:8).
“And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching” (Mark 6:6).
The word rendered marvelled is the same word in both instances — thaumazo. We are amazed when Jesus can do a miracle, and Jesus is amazed when He can’t. We are amazed at His faith, and He is amazed at our unbelief.
Water to wine. Calm the wind and the waves. Feed the multitudes. Heal the lepers. Cast out demons. Raise the dead. We are blown away. We doubt that Jesus can do such things. He is blown away.
There is one other time when Jesus is amazed, and that is when someone did have great faith.
So many of the things that Jesus said seem so paradoxical… it just illustrates the backwardness of our own earth-bound mindsets.
Yep, Jesus was amazed at the faith of the Centurion. An officer in a gentile occupying army. ‘Wonder what seminary the Centurion went to?????????
An observation that I have internalized frequently. I find it interesting that Jesus seems to correlate “great faith” with a clear demonstration of a ready understanding and submission to authority and chain-of-command. “For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in… Read more »
“Christians” don’t have “reflexive antipathy to authority”, they like their own “authority”! ; – )
It’s a hard habit to break, unless one has been part of an organization that breaks the pattern, by introducing a greater, and better authority, like the military for instance!
Or a really Christ Centered Church!
“Christians” don’t have “reflexive antipathy to authority”, they like their own “authority”
Perfect! Disappointed that I missed the fundamental point.
Very much like those who “do not use commentaries”.
Except for the one in the mirror.
Luke 22:25, and similar in Peter and elsewhere: Christians are to serve one another in love (Gal, NIV?), not emphasizing authority. Not saying this excuses rebellion, but if teaches an attitude that doesn’t necessarily think authoritarianism ideal.
No worries andy, I don’t have authority over you, and you don’t have ahuthority over me. God has authority over us.
God is the One we have to obey. That’s what He told us to do.
There was also the woman who negotiated for “bread crumbs falling off the table.” It doesn’t exactly say Jesus was amazed at her, but the context lends itself to that.
Jesus said, “Woman you have great faith ! Your request has been granted!” She had great faith, just like the Centurion!
My own disbelief sometimes astounds me too. Not disbelief in Jesus Christ, but if an angel were to appear or a bush to start speaking, I’d faint. It’s one thing to believe in theory, from a great difference, but up close and personal, our brains can hardly process it.
What if we saw that plants are & have been speaking all around us, and instead of fainting we’ve just been tuning them out? — Jesus saw daisies proclaiming His Father’s love from seed through blossom and then especially going to seed again, at which point Jesus asks you to see this as speech directed to you about how much the Father loves you.
Somewhere at the beginning of the Book, He said that the moon & all are signs to us, speaking every day. They’ve become white noise.
Yes, precisely. Many times God has put something lovely in front of me and do I just receive it as if to say, “thank you Lord, for this special gift intended just for me?” Of course not, I doubt, I try to dismiss it, I blather on about “coincidences.” Ah, but the few times I have managed to get it, that is what He meant for us, that is what He intended. We ourselves fail to see and do try to render everything as white noise.
So repent of cessationism?