两个信心的典范
马太福音八章1至13节
1耶稣下了山，有许多人跟着他。
2有一个长大痲疯的来拜他，说：“主若肯，必能叫我洁净了。”
3耶稣伸手摸他说：“我肯，你洁净了吧！”他的大痲疯立刻就洁净了。
4耶稣对他说：“你切不可告诉人，只要去把身体给祭司察看，献上摩西所吩咐的礼物，对众人作证据。”
5耶稣进了迦百农，有一个百夫长进前来，求他说：
6“主啊，我的仆人害瘫痪病，躺在家里，甚是痛苦。”
7耶稣说：“我去医治他。”
8百夫长回答说：“主啊，你到我舍下，我不敢当；只要你说一句话，我的仆人就必好了。
9因为我在人的权下，也有兵在我以下；对这个说，‘去’，他就去； 对那个说，‘来’，他就来；对我的仆人说，‘你做这事’，他就去做。”
10耶稣听见就希奇，对跟从的人说：“我实在告诉你们：这么大的信心，就是在以色列中，我也没有遇见过。
11我又告诉你们，从东从西，将有许多人来，在天国里与亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各一同坐席；
12惟有本国的子民竟被赶到外边黑暗里去，在那里必要哀哭切齿了。
13耶稣对百夫长说：你回去罢！照你的信心，给你成全了。那时，他的仆人就好了。
信息分享
这个痳疯病人显然听过耶稣所行的奇妙神迹，唯一令他踌躇的是怕基督不肯帮他。他的话充满了信心和恳求：「主若肯，必能叫我得洁净。」我们几乎能听见他就近耶稣时，打从心底发出的哀求和盼望。
基督怎样回答呢？祂伸手去摸他。自从他患病以来，没有人这样做过！接着，基督还说了一句最令他感动的话：「我肯，你洁净了！」基督看见这个不幸的犹太人满有信心和盼望，便立即医治了他。
基督那天后来遇见的另一个人，不是犹太人，而是一个罗马长官，从离耶稣讲道地点颇远的迦百农来。他也是为了一个紧急需要来找耶稣──不过，不是他本人的需要，而是他的仆人。犹太人大都憎恨罗马人，但根据路加福音的记载，连犹太人的领袖都称许这个罗马长官，因为他为他们建造了一个会堂。这人也许有点像使徒行传十章的那个长官哥尼流，认识犹太人的神，却还未遇见基督。
两人在第8至10节的对答，对我们来说可能有点希奇。但作为一位罗马长官，那人知道他只要命令一下，就会被立即执行；所以，他说「我知道你也能下命令，不管离你多远，都会立即成就。」基督看见痲疯病人和罗马长官两人的信心，便立即应允了他们的请求。我们来到主面前祷告时，有没有带着信心呢？若没有，也许正是我们某些祷告不蒙应允的原因了。让我们今天好好反思这点吧！
TWO EXAMPLES OF FAITH
Matthew 8: 1-13
1 When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him.
2 And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”
3 Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
4 And Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them. ”Jesus Heals a Centurion’s Servant.
5 Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him,
6 saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.”
7 And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”
8 The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.
9 For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
10 When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!
11 And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.
12 But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour.
Message
This man somehow learned of the remarkable miracles Jesus had performed. His only hesitation was whether Christ would be willing to help him. There was faith and petition in his words, “Lord, if you want to, you can make me well again.” You can almost hear the sadness and the longing in his heart as he approached Christ.
Christ’s answer? He reached out and touched the sick man. No one had done that since the day he discovered his illness. Then came the wonderful words, “I want to. Be healed!” Christ recognized both the faith and the desire of this unfortunate Jewish man and immediately helped him.
The other man Christ met later that day was not a Jew but a Roman, officer from Capernaum some distance away from the site of Christ’s sermon. He also came with a serious need, not for himself but for his servant. Most Romans were hated by the Jews but in Luke’s account of this incident, the Jewish leaders spoke warmly of this man. For some reason or another he had built them a synagogue. It would seem he may have been like Cornelius, a man who knew the God of the Jews but had not yet met Christ.
The interchange of words in verses 8-10 may seem a little strange to us. As a Roman officer he knew what instant obedience meant. He was saying in effect, “I recognize that you too can give orders which are instantly obeyed, even at a distance from where you are.” Christ saw faith in both these men - the leper and the soldier - and the requests of both were granted. As we come to Christ in prayer, is our faith what it should be? If not, perhaps that is why some of our prayers are not answered. Let’s think about that today.