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When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at the commander. Jesus turned to the crowd that was following him. He said, \u201cI tell you, even in Israel I have not found anyone whose faith is so strong.\u201d (Luke 7:9-10).

How does one get noticed by God? How does one get into his good books? When thinking about our own death, we tend to ask, \u2018How do I get into heaven?\u2019 Let us ask the question a different way, \u201cWhat pleases God?\u201d or to use the language of our text, \u201cWhat amazes God?\u201d

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Now, if you have been a Christian for some time, you probably have already given the standard answer to these questions, \u201cby grace through faith\u201d (Eph. 2:8). Of course, you are right, that\u2019s how we get into heaven. Yet, I wonder how committed we are to this. No, that\u2019s not quite what I\u2019m asking. Here is my concern: I don\u2019t think many Christians recognize how difficult it is to hold true to this answer.

When we go to funerals, we generally get a recitation of the deceased person\u2019s good qualities. Sometimes, it gets summed up like this, \u201cthey were an angel in this life, so of course God will let them in. Heaven has another angel.\u201d This morning in the newspaper I read such sentiments: if I do enough good in this world, I will get into heaven. It\u2019s difficult for us Christians to keep this sentiment from creeping into our worldview.

In our text for today, we meet a good person. He is a Roman military man, so not a Jew. He was wealthy enough to have helped the Jews build their synagogue in Capernaum. Moreover, he loves the Jewish nation. In this story, he sends some Jewish elders to Jesus because he has a dying servant, hoping that Jesus will do another healing. The elders advocate for him, \u201che is a good man, Jesus, he deserves this request.\u201d

For unknown reasons, Jesus begins the journey to his house. But on the way he is met by the man\u2019s friends with a new message, containing two things (7:7). First, \u2018I am unworthy to have you come; I am unworthy of your attention\u2019. He recognizes that despite having done significant good in this world, God owes him nothing. Can we say that? He did not even feel worthy of being visited by God\u2019s agent. Doesn\u2019t self-worth often subvert our faith? And we get angry with God because we think we deserve better than we are getting in life.

Second, the unnamed man believes Jesus has authority over illness, just say the word and it will be accomplished. He believed Jesus could heal by a simple sovereign word even at a physical distance\u2014a situation that applies even more today considering Jesus\u2019 presence in heaven. And he knew that Jesus cared enough to do so.

Such faith and humility in approaching God\u2019s power are what amazes Jesus. This faith isn\u2019t an abstract belief about God, or the learning of dogmas. It is the simple, clear belief that when Jesus commands that something be done, it will be done. Further, when God acts for our good, it is undeserved.

The gospels are full of stories in which the things Jesus does and speaks amaze people. But here Jesus is amazed. It was not the man\u2019s accomplishments, his good works, that amazed Jesus, but the man\u2019s faith in who Jesus is and in Jesus\u2019 power.

We are invited to consider our own faith. Do we believe this about Jesus? Here is a Gentile who understood who Christ is. This passage calls us to possess a similar faith. God owes us nothing, yet he extends his compassion to us. God honors us with his grace, not because we deserve it, but because he cares (1 John 4:9\u201310).

This passage invites us to echo another petitioner in the gospels, \u201cI do believe! Help me overcome my unbelief!\u201d (Mark 9:24).