Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. The Lord would make known
the fact that he has hid the truth from the wise and prudent
and revealed it unto babes. For here in Capernaum we see
the Lord recognizing the gift of faith which he bestowed upon
a Roman centurion to be greater than any faith he had found in
Israel. When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him and
turned him about and said unto the people that followed him,
I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. The occasion for his declaration
came as the centurion recognized his lordship over all things.
Even the sickness which had laid his beloved servant low, as he
said, wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto
thee. But say in a word, and my servant shall be healed. For
I am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers. And
I say unto one, go, and he goeth, and to another, come, and he
cometh. And to my servant, do this, and he doeth it. He demonstrated
humility by understanding his own unworthiness to come into
the presence of the Lord. He demonstrated faith in Him
who had the power to heal. He demonstrated an understanding
of the authority and headship of Christ. None of these things
were demonstrated by the Jewish leaders. We learn that He has
power, not just as a demonstration which can be observed by the
flesh, but that He speaks as one who rules in the army of
heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. It is this power
or authority which can only be gloried in by those who are caused
by sovereign grace to fall at His feet, worshiping Him in spirit
and truth. He speaks of this authority when
he said, and other sheep I have which are not of this fold, them
also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall
be one fold and one shepherd. My sheep hear my voice, and I
know them, and they follow me, and I give unto them eternal
life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them
out of my hand. All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I will in no wise
cast out. We see him demonstrate this authority
when he said, Come unto me, all you that labor and are heavy
laden, and I will give you rest. Some would consider this to be
an invitation to a broad spectrum of humanity who may or may not
respond. Yet the reality is that this
is a command from the lips of Christ to a particular people
who will hear his voice and to whom he will give eternal life.
And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified
the word of the Lord, and as many as were ordained to eternal
life believed. We see him demonstrate his authority
when he instructed Judas to do that which the Lord had appointed
him to do. Then said Jesus unto him, That
thou doest do quickly. These things must come to pass.
Thus he commanded it to be so. We see him demonstrate his authority
over the natural elements of the world when he commanded them
to be still. We see him command death to release
its grip when he said, Lazarus, come forth. And then to see his
deliverance complete as he commanded the men to loose him and let
him go. We see him demonstrate his authority
to teach his children such things as they need to know when he
commanded his disciples to follow him. He taught Peter his weakness
when he commanded him to come to him on the water as the waves
crashed around. Peter quickly learned that he
could not walk on water. In like fashion, Peter declared
his willingness to die for the Lord, but the Lord made a commandment
which caused Peter great humility. Jesus said unto him, Verily I
say unto thee, that this night before the cock crow, thou shalt
deny me thrice. Some would say that the Lord
merely predicted the future, but the truth is that the Lord
designed this trial to teach Peter that he could not stand
in his own power. One of the grandest of displays
of his authority over all flesh came as the company of men led
by Judas came to arrest him in the garden. They asked if he
was Jesus of Nazareth, and he said, I am. They immediately
fell backwards as dogs cower before their master. Then he
commanded them to let his disciples go. Some see this as a request,
but it is clearly a command which they were powerless to disobey.
Yet the most glorious of all of his commandments was spoken
in the weakest of moments as that one who gave his life for
his sheep. He decreed, it is finished, and
then breathed his last breath exactly as he determined. None
can bring any of his sheep into condemnation, nor can any accuser
ever stand to bear witness against them. For he hath made him to
be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness
of God in him. Do you bow before him? For a
free CD containing 15 of these radio broadcasts, send an email
to forthepoor at windstream.net.