BELIEF & DISCIPLESHIP
BELIEF WITHIN A PERSON'S HEART IS REQUIRED UNDER GOD'S NEW COVENANT
The records in the holy scriptures show us examples of how Jesus Christ taught his disciples to grow up spiritually to become imitators of him, here on earth, both while Jesus was physically present in his earthly ministry, and after he ascended to resume his heavenly ministry. In Jesus' preparation of his disciples to go out in the world to preach and teach in his name, the Promise of the Father (Acts 1:4, 2:33; Gal. 3:14), and the Kingdom of the Heavens (Mat. 3:2, 4:17, 7:21, 11:12, 12:28, 23:13-14, *Luke 17:20-121), we can clearly see and learn the various subject matters Jesus taught his disciples. And we can clearly see and learn what Jesus taught his disciples to do to practically apply the key knowledge he gave them which the religious leaders withheld (Luke 11:52; Rev. 3:7), as they went out into the world to take part in the ministry of God, the Ministry of Reconciliation (Acts 6:4; 2 Cor. 5:18).
From the very first verse in Mat. 1:1 Jesus is shown to be the promised "son of David" who would come and bring God's prophesied new covenant (Ezek. 11:16-20; Isa. 59:20-21; Jer. 31:31-34; Joel 2:28-32; Amos 9:11-12; Zech. 6:12-13, 9:9; Rom. 11:26-27; Heb. 8:8, 13, 12:24), a new covenant unlike the old Mosaic law covenant. God's prophesied new covenant would come to pass through Jesus' shed blood (Mat. 26:27-28), his death and resurrection. Apostle Paul refers to these two covenants as the Law of Works, and the Law of Belief, respectively (Rom. 3:27, 10:17; Heb. 11:1, 6). Under the old covenant the children had to do all of those various works to keep their end of the covenant bargain with God; kill this animal, shed that blood, burn that fat, and so on. All those works needed to be done by the children of Israel to keep their end of that old covenant bargain God made with them.
Under the new covenant is Jesus' shed blood, to which Paul refers to as a covenant based upon the Law of Belief, all of the "works" of the old covenant, the Law of Works, have grown old, and have now passed away into near invisibility (Heb. 8:13); and all of that "work" has been replaced with one single requirement, the new covenant requirement to believe God's Word. All of the physical works requiring all of that physical motion to kill this animal, shed that blood, burn that fat, etc., has all been replaced with what we must now do in our own heads, in our brain, in the mind and heart of our being, in ours and God's new "tent" (Amos 9:11-12; Acts 15:16-17; 2 Cor. 5:1, 12:9; Heb. 8:1-2, 9:11; 2 Pet. 1:13-14; Rev. 21:3), which is believe God's Word. That's the foundational requirement to which we must comply to take part in God's new covenant, to receive any of its great and precious promises (Heb. 11:1; 2 Pet. 1:4), and to be pleasing in God's sight (Heb. 11:6)! We are not born into this world with belief in our hearts of God's Word. Belief must be built into our minds through the study, apprehension, and comprehension of the knowledge of God's Word, especially about God's promise and purpose for his son, Christ Jesus (Rom. 10:17).
This is how Jesus introduced the new covenant to the children of Israel in all of the records in the gospel books of the holy scriptures. This is the new foundational "law" with which anyone must comply to enter into and take part in God's new covenant in Jesus' shed blood. ALL of the great and precious promises (2 Pet. 1:4) which God has now made available under his new covenant bargain with mortalkind, are apprehended and received into a person's life through doing what, through having BELIEF in God's Word; his word about himself, his word about his son, Christ Jesus, and his word about his promise, the gift of his holy Spirit which was prophesied (Mat. 28:19), and began being poured out on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2).
All through the gospel records Jesus required belief in the heart of any and every individual who wished to receive from God his promised mental and physical healing, and deliverance from demon spirit oppression, through his son Jesus (Isa. 53:4-5). Belief in a person's heart was required then, and it still is. Belief is the only way to apprehend anything God has to give to us under his new covenant in Jesus' shed blood. If you don't believe, you don't receive. That's it, simple and straight forward. That why Heb. 11:6 states that without belief it is impossible to please God. That's why we are urged in Rom. 10:17 to study God's Word to build our belief in our own hearts. In Rom. 12:2 were are urged to be transformed from unbelief to believe through us deliberately renewing our own minds to the knowledge of God's Word. This is the first mandate Christ gave to any and all, for the beginning and continued discipleship of his own disciples, and to anyone who needed anything from God, especially healing.
Discipleship to Christ Jesus and the Kingdom of the Heavens (Mat. 13:52), healing, salvation and wholeness, any and every benefit God has given to us under the new covenant in Jesus' blood, is doled out to us based upon what a person does in his or her own head, in his own mind and heart, which is to believe or not to believe. And then secondly, it becomes a question of how much belief has a person built into his or her own heart. As we have seen so far in this study, BELIEF is the only thing that apprehends anything from God under his new covenant.
After belief, the next thing Jesus taught his disciples was how to practically apply their belief out in the world where they would be preaching and teaching over the sake of the names of God and his son Jesus, and about the Promise of the Father, his gift of holy Spirit, the new birth above. Before Jesus' disciples ever went out to begin practicing, in practical application, what they heard, saw and believed in their hearts, Jesus taught them to recognize and address demon spirit activity, and to move it out of their way. For them to practically apply their own personal discipleship to him, Jesus taught them to recognize and address demon spirit activity, and to throw them out when they were encountered. The authority Jesus gave his disciples to start them out into the world in the work of the Ministry of Reconciliation for his Father, the God, was to recognize and throw out demon spirits who were interfering with the ministry to which they were called, so that the Word of God could be effectively moved throughout the world without spiritual hindrance from the devil. Modern "Christianity" has abandoned this as well!
In all of the records in God's Word of the examples which we are to learn and follow -
- to become saved, to become sons of God through a new birth above in his gift of holy Spirit, i.e., made whole,
- to participate in God's new covenant for us which Jesus put through for us in his own blood,
- to begin our own discipleship to Christ Jesus,
- to begin our own sonship to our heavenly Father,
- to begin our own personal ministries through taking part in the Ministry of Reconciliation, to preach and teach the Word of Reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18-19), to which each and every part of the body of Christ has been called aloud (1 Cor. 1:26; Eph. 1:18, 4:1; 2 Thes. 1:11; 2 Tim. 1:9; 2 Pet. 1:10),
The first part of the overall lesson in these examples is subjective, they were required to believe God's Word; both to be pleasing in his Sight, and subsequently to receive anything from him available to us under his new covenant.
The second part of the overall lesson in these examples is objective, they were required wait around Jerusalem until the day of Pentecost to receive into them and then to manifest outwardly the power of God's gift of his holy Spirit which Christ Jesus placed within them, on that wonderful day (Acts 2).
Jesus' disciples were to first obtain a comprehensive and in-depth knowledge of God's Word to build belief in their hearts toward God, his written Word, and his son Christ Jesus, and God's new covenant through Jesus' shed blood. And then with that belief they were to receive the new birth above in God's gift of his holy Spirit, which gift began to inherently empowered them to actually carry out the Ministry of Reconciliation to which they were called, the preaching and teaching of God's new covenant through the shed blood of his son Christ Jesus, and about wholeness through God's gift of his holy Spirit, deliverance and wholeness for all mortalkind, for whomever who chooses to believe upon Jesus' name.
The power of God's Spirit upon them (before the day of Pentecost) and in them (after the day of Pentecost) was the objective part of the lessons Jesus taught his disciples, to empower them to recognize demon spirit activity, and throw out demon spirits, and to heal all those who believed their preaching and teaching. This is how they were to apply, in practical application, all of the lessons Jesus taught them as his disciples, which lessons are all for us also, to both learn and do, as imitators of Christ Jesus, and our heavenly Father.
This study on belief gathers many of those gospel records in God's Word about the importance of belief under God's new covenant; of how Jesus healed those who fulfilled that qualification of belief, and how with belief Jesus and his disciples did the work of his heavenly Father.
Obviously the records in the gospels occurred before the day of Pentecost, technically during the age of the Law of Works, the Mosaic Law, but yet under that old covenant a person's belief in his own heart of God's Word was still required then, to be more or less righteous and pleasing in his sight.
HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW AND BELIEVE?
While upon the earth Jesus Christ qualified the different levels of belief he found in the mortals he encountered. Keep in mind about the records which are recorded in the gospels, that during this time period it was still before the day of Pentecost (25-28 AD) and Israel was still under the law. And since the law was still in force for Israel, and Jesus Christ had not yet shed his blood and died for all mortalkind, righteousness could be imputed or counted (elogisthē) only in measures, from no belief whatsoever, to little belief, to so much belief, to great belief. These various levels of belief determined the various levels of righteousness of God they were allotted. Jesus Christ said to various children of Israel, when they were trying to operate the Law of Belief as their forefather Abraham did, "...down (according to) the belief of you, let it come to pass to you (Mat. 9:29)".
When Jesus went around teaching and healing, as recorded in the gospel records, he discovered people with various levels of belief in their hearts toward him and God's word, into which Jesus categorizes for us at least four levels of belief in a person's heart, ranging from unbelief to great belief. In the following examples from the text, Jesus Christ qualifies levels of belief ranging from unbelief, in which case a person has no belief whatsoever in his heart for God's Word, to great belief, in which case a person's heart is full of the knowledge and belief of God's Word.
1. People who have unbelief (apistian)
2. People with little belief (oligopistos)
3. People who have so much belief (tosautēn pistin)
4. People who have great belief (megale pistis)
The following textual records reveal to us that those who had unbelief and little belief received nothing from God. God's Spirit and power, which was inherent in Jesus Christ, was withheld from those with unbelief and little, and subsequently God through Jesus was unable to heal anyone in whose heart their was not enough belief toward God and his word.
Of the apparent four various levels of belief toward God, unbelief and little belief qualifies a person to receive nothing from God. The other two various levels of belief in a person's heart qualify those to receive a letting go of the penalty for their sin, as well as healing for whatever need they had. Those who had so much belief and great belief were able to receive great things from God, and were able to do great things for God.
What's very interesting to note is that before Jesus came into the cosmos, and before it was available for mortalkind to believe upon that name, the precious name of Jesus, God counted righteousness to a person based upon that one's own level of belief in his heart toward God. The level of righteous God counted back to a person was commensurate with that one's own level of belief toward God. But now, since Jesus Christ has come, and we have that wonderful name upon which to believe, and under the conditions of that new covenant in Jesus' blood, all those who believe upon that name are made 100% righteous in God's eyes. Those believers are pardoned from the penalty of their sin 100%, and God remembers their sin no more (Isa. 43:25; Jer. 31:34). For those believers the records are wiped clean from that moment going forward, and for as long as those believers continue to believe and remain pleasing in God's sight. And if we do sin, it's never too late to repent and then continue to fellowship with our heavenly Father and his son Christ Jesus.
For the people who may fall into the category of having unbelief or little belief, they receive nothing from God. They need to work harder in gaining a broader and more in-depth knowledge of God's Word, which knowledge builds belief in a person's heart (Rom. 10:17). They need to build their own belief. Get busy. Build, build, build! People need to take responsibility for themselves for building their own belief. One or two hours a week sitting in a pew in church is no where near good enough. The level of the bar of discipleship, of personal responsibility to God and his Word, is much higher than that, according to God's Word. However absent God is from working in a person's life, that is that person's own choice. For those who may fall into any of the other two categories of belief, so much belief and great belief, they all have made their own hearts eligible to receive from God whatever they may need.
In all of the following examples of people receiving something from God for their needs, they all received deliverance from the penalty of their sin, and healing of some kind or another. And subsequently, God remembered their sin no more!
1. - Unbelief (apistian)
From the point of view of God the heavenly Father, based upon the subject matter in his Word, with the exception of only a relative handful of mortals, virtually all of the world lies in utter unbelief. In Jesus' time on earth this included virtually all of the religious leaders, even though they dressed and confessed to be Abraham's children and believers in God. Jesus rightfully epitomizes them in John 8, as to who and what they truly were, children of the devil. Even in Jesus' own area of birth, Nazareth, his Fatherland (Mat. 13:54-58), almost all were filled with unbelief, even though news came from all over Israel about the one going about doing miracles, healing the ones blind, the ones lame, the ones paralyzed, and delivering those holding evil demons from the demonic bondage being imposed upon them through their own physical bodies. It's God's intention to live in our bodies. The demon spirits must go!
Mark 6:1 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) [the Jesus, v5:36, RE] came out (exēlthen) from there (ekeithen).
And (kai) he causes himself to come (erchetai) into (eis) the (tēn) fatherland (patrida) of him (autou), and (kai) the (hoi) disciples (mathētai) of him (autou) follow (akolouthousin) him (autō).
Mark 6:2 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) of it having caused itself to become (genomenou) [a] sabbath day (sabbatou), he caused himself to start (ērxato) to teach (didaskein) in (en) the (tē) synagogue (sunagōgē).
And (kai) many (polloi) hearing (akountes) were being knocked out1605 (exeplēssonto), saying (legontes), “From where (pothen) [came, AE] these (tauta) [teachings, RE] to this (toutō) [Jesus, v5:36, RE]!?
And (kai) what (tis) [is] the (hē) wisdom (sophia), the (hē) [wisdom, RE] given (dotheisa) to this (toutō) [Jesus, v5:36, RE], and (kai) the (hai) inherently powered works (dunameis) like these (toiautai) coming to pass (ginomenai) through (dia) the (tōn) hands (cheirōn) of him (autou)!?
Mark 6:3 (LIT/UBS4) Is (estin) this (outos) [Jesus, v5:36, RE] absolutely not (ouch) the (ho) woodworker (tektōn), the (ho) son (huios) of the (tēs) Mariam (Marias), and (kai) [a/the] brother (adelphos) of James (Iakōbou), and (kai) of Joses (Iōsētos), and (kai) of Judas (Iouda), and (kai) of Simon (Simōnos)!?
And (kai) are (eisin) absolutely not (ouk) the (hai) sisters (adelphai) of him (autou) here (hōde) toward (pros) us (hēmas)!?”
And (kai) they were being scandalized (eskandalizonto) in (en) him (autō).
Mark 6:4 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) the (ho) Jesus (Iēsous) was saying (elegen) to them (autois), that (hoti) “[A] prophet (prophētēs) is (estin) absolutely not (ouk) [a] dishonorable (atimos) [prophet, RE] if (ei) not (mē) in (en) the (tē) fatherland (patridi) of him (autou), and (kai) among (en) the (tois) genera together with (sungeneusin) him (autou), and (kai) in (en) the (tē) house (oikia) of him (autou)!”
Mark 6:5 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) he was absolutely not being inherently powered (ouk edunato) there (ekei) to do (poiēsai) but absolutely not one (oudemian) inherently powered work (dunamin), if (ei) not (mē) to [a] few (oligois) arrested ones (arrōstois) he gave therapy (etherapeusen), he having put upon (epitheis) [them, AE] the (tas) hands (cheiras)!
Mark 6:6 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) he was being amazed (ethaumazen) through (dia) [the sake] of the (tēn) unbelief (apistian) of them (autōn).
And (kai) he was going around (periēgen) the (tas) villages (kōmas) circularly (kuklō), teaching (didaskōn).
According to God's Word, according to the holy scriptures, when any mortals suffer with diseases and illnesses of any kind, it is because they do not have enough belief toward the Father and his son Jesus Christ to receive healing. The presence of Jesus Christ is not necessary, but the presence of belief in our hearts toward him, and his name upon our lips in thanks to God for him, is necessary. These mortals of Jesus' own fatherland spoke justly so of themselves, because how could any good thing come out of them, who were filled with so much unbelief. How could any good thing go into or come out of them? God, working in and through Jesus, would not heal those with unbelief. Those with unbelief, no matter how often they attended the temples and holy places of worship, no matter how well dressed they looked in outward appearance, to God's eyes their hearts we still naked of belief toward him.
The religious leaders in Jesus' time looked so well dressed, they all talked so religiously, and all appeared to be so pious and earnest in their daily lives, they seemed to be present in the temples and holy places more often than in their own homes, appearing to help, shepherd, guide and instruct the people to be more pleasing to God, but who in reality were literally sons of the devil (John 8:44), serpents, and ones generated of vipers (Mat. 12:34, 23:33) according to Jesus Christ. John the Baptist had the same opinion, and he told them the same thing (Mat. 3:7; Luke 3:7). Those men of God were absolutely not deceived, and neither is the God when he looks into people's hearts searching for belief in them.
Jesus Christ taught that those with even a little belief, belief only the size of a grain of mustard seed, that mountains could be removed. That's a figurative hyperbole, meaning that even if there's only a tiny little bit of belief in a person's heart, God will see it; and on account of it God can and will do great things. God hasn't changed, and neither have his new covenant rules and injunctions He's put in place, which are required to be followed to receive anything from God. Belief in a person's heart is the first and most important thing anyone can offer to God, without which it is impossible to please him (Heb. 11:6).
2. - Ones of Little Belief (oligopistoi)
oligos, little (Strong's # 3641), as opposed to polus, much (Strong's # 4183).
In this record Jesus teaches the disciples' about their (or our own) little belief in God's ability to supply mortalkind's physical needs.
Mat. 6:30 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) if (ei) the (ho) God (theos) thusly (houtōs) enrobes (amphiennusin) the (ton) fodder (chorton) being (onta) of the (tou) field (agrou) today (sēmeron), and (kai) tomorrow (aurion) it is being thrown (ballomenon) into (eis) [an] oven (klibanon), [shall he] absolutely not (ou) [enrobe] you [humas) much (pollō) more (mallon), ones of little belief (oligopistoi)!?
Jesus Christ was speaking to those who had too little belief in their hearts toward God for him to work in their lives to help them acquire their own basic necessary needs. Jesus told them how to build their belief toward God in their hearts:
Mat. 6:33 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) search (zēteite) first (prōton) for the (tēn) Kingdom932 (basileian) of the (tou) God (theou), and (kai) the (tēn) righteousness together with (dikaiosunēn) him (autou), and (kai) all (panta) these things (tauta) shall be added (prostethēsetai) to you (humin).
If God clothes the field where the food is grown, then why wouldn't God clothe the ones for whom the food is grown? God considers the ones for whom the food is grown, to be greater than the food. This is an example of how Jesus interpreted the wonder of God's creation as a witness of his heart's desire for mortalkind. Apostle Paul also speaks of this (Acts 14:17; Rom. 1:20); the gift of holy Spirit within us is to us a witness also of God the heavenly Father (Acts 15:8; Rom. 8:16; 1 John 5:10).
In this next record Jesus teaches his disciples (and us) about spiritual cowardice, concerning the little belief they had to face and command the "natural elements". In modern Christianity Christians are paralyzed by peer pressure generated by the psychiatric experts, whose opinion is that one who talks to the wind, and/or talks to demon spirits to command them to cease and desist from their harmful activities, qualifies to be certified as a lunatic. Subsequently, so called Christians can't make up their minds (or maybe they can, and have) whether they wish to risk being known and called publicly a lunatic, or to simply remain frozen in their pews every Sunday being spoon-fed more mortal-made theological pig swill, and absolutely not take charge of their own personal discipleship to Christ Jesus to grow up into a complete man or woman, into the measure of the fullness of the maturity of Christ (Eph. 4:11-13)! Maybe all those people should tear all those passages out of their bibles which talk about discipleship to Christ Jesus, so they don't need to carry around so much weight, and they can remain spiritually helpless newborn babies the rest of their lives. That way they can still carry the gold-embossed black leather covers of it to keep up outward appearances.
According to the holy scriptures, the first thing Jesus taught his disciples to do as he sent them out into the world for the first time, to begin the harvest, was for them to manifest the power of God's Spirit upon them to throw out unclean demon spirits (Mat. 9:37 - 10:1). Prior to that Jesus demonstrated to them how to address the prince of the power of the air himself, the devil, to stop him from misusing the natural elements to steal, kill and destroy. The devil tested Jesus, and the devil failed the test!
Mat. 8:23 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) he (autō) having embarked (embanti) into (eis) [a] ship (ploion), the (hoi) disciples (mathetai) of him (autou) followed (ēkolouthēsan) him (autō).
Mat. 8:24 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) behold (idou), [an] earthquake (seismos) caused itself to become (egeneto) great (megas) in (en) the (tē) sea (thalassē), and so (hōste) the (to) ship (ploion) to be covered (kaluptesthai) under (hupo) of the (tōn) waves (kumaton)!
But (de) he (autos) was down sleeping (ekatheuden).
Mat. 8:25 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) having come to (proselthontes) [him, v24, RE] they awoke (ēgeiran) him (auton), saying (legontes), “Lord (kurie), keep [us, AE] whole (sōson), we cause ourselves to be lost (apollumetha)!”
Mat. 8:26 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) he says (legei) to them (autois), “Why (ti) are you (este) cowardly (deiloi), ones of little belief (oligopistoi)?”
Then (tote) having been awoken (egertheis), he epitomized (epetimēsen) the (tois) winds (anemois) and (kai) the (tē) sea (thalassē), and (kai) it caused itself to become (egeneto) a great (megalē) calm (galēnē).
Jesus cleverly uses a figure of speech, where a question is asked and the answer is given all in the same short sentence, to emphasize the results of their lack of belief, which is cowardice. Because of their lack of belief toward God within themselves they were too cowardly toward the winds and the sea to try commanding them to become peaceful. Later, as they grow in belief and courage, they shall discover that the demon spirits obey them (Luke 10:19-20).
How did Jesus epitomize the devil and the demon spirits? What does the word "epitomize" mean? To epitomize someone is to tell them exactly who and what they are, and what they amount to, if anything, compared to the standards of righteousness given in God's Word. In John 10:10 Jesus epitomized the devil, whom he referred to as a thief:
John 10:10 (LIT/UBS4) The (ho) thief (kleptēs) absolutely does not cause himself to come (ouk erchetai) if (ei) not (mē) in order that (hina) he may steal (klepsē), and (kai) he may sacrifice (thusē), and (kai) he may destroy (apolesē) [the sheep]!
Jesus spoke to the winds, and the sea, to epitomize them. But I believe that apostle John's reference to the "winds" and the "sea" is a figure of speech, the winds and the sea being put for the spiritual power which was the cause behind their fomentation (f. of. s. metonomy), which cause is the prince of the power of the air (Eph. 2:2; John 12:30-32, 16:5-11), the devil. Jesus spoke to the devil and his little demon spirits, the ones who were the cause behind the dangerous disruption of the earth, water and the wind, the ones who were trying to use them to steal, sacrifice, and destroy the lives of Jesus and his disciples on the ship.
This is the lesson Jesus taught his disciples of how to stand up against the devil, and he shall flee from you (James 4:7). Jesus taught his disciples, before he sent them out for the first time, how to throw out demon spirits, including the devil himself (Luke 10:17-20)! Jesus knew his disciples would need to have more than a little belief in God and his Word, and in himself, if they were not going to be cowardly while out in the world speaking and teaching about the God, his son Christ Jesus, and God's gift of holy Spirit, the "promise of the Father" (Mat. 28:19), which according to their time frame then would very soon to be available for all mortalkind, beginning on that wonderful day of Pentecost (Acts 2).
How does one grow beyond unbelief, or little belief?
If you believe that through Christ Jesus' sacrifice God has placed his gift of holy Spirit in you, which gives you the ability to now become more than a conqueror (Rom. 8:37; 2 Cor. 2:14; Eph. 6:13-18; Phil. 4:13; Col. 1:27; 1 John 4:4, 5:4-5), and if you're going to prove to yourself that you are not a Christian charlatan (2 Cor. 13:3-6) and you have that gift on the inside, then just start doing the things Jesus and his disciples did. Just start doing them! Isn't that's how you learned to walk when you were a baby? You just started trying, and eventually didn't you became better and better at it? That's how Jesus disciples learned from Jesus, just closely watching and mimicking him. The nice thing about when we were babies is that at that time we were too ignorant to have any fear of trying! Some things may seem easier to do when we were younger, but it's never too late to start learning, not until we die trying.
Why have fear now? "Oh no, I can't start trying to do those kinds of things that Jesus and his disciples did! People will think I'm a lunatick!" To those who back away from discipleship training, apostle Paul says they are ones unapproved of God (2 Cor. 13:3-6)!
In this next record Jesus teaches us about Peter's (or our own) little belief in God's ability to work outside of natural, physical laws for us.
Mat. 14:28 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) having been caused to make [a] decision (apokritheis), the (ho) Peter (Petros) enunciated (eipen) to him (autō), “Lord (kurie), if (ei) you are (ei) you (su), order (keleuson) me (me) to come (elthein) to (pros) you (se) upon (epi) the (ta) waters (hudata).”
"to come" - Peter and the other disciples wanted to determine whether they were watching a demon spirit or if it was really Jesus. Peter asked Jesus to order him 'to come' to him. Peter concluded that if what he saw, which looked like Jesus, was not a demon spirit, that Jesus would respond to him and ask him to come to him.
Mat. 14:29 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) the (ho) [Jesus] enunciated (eipen), “Come (elthe)!”
And (kai) having stepped down (katabas) from (apo) the (tou) ship (ploiou), the (ho) Peter (Petros) walked around (periepatēsen) upon (epi) the (ta) waters (hudata), and (kai) he came (ēlthen) to (pros) the (ton) Jesus (Iēsoun).
"come" - If what Peter and the other disciples saw was not Jesus, it would not have said "come" to Peter. Day after day Jesus had been steadily teaching his disciples to believe in God the heavenly Father to work in them. Jesus had been demonstrating how God the heavenly Father was working through him through his belief toward God his Father, and demonstrating his belief through manifesting signs, miracles and wonders. Jesus had reproved them earlier (Mat. 8:26) for being too cowardly toward trying to manifest the power of the measure of holy Spirit which was in them. Since being reproved for being cowardly, Peter and the others had grown in their belief, and Peter now had the courage to try to operate the measure of the power of holy Spirit in him, based upon the measure of his belief toward God and his son Jesus.
When Peter heard Jesus' voice say "come" to him, Peter knew that Jesus was telling him that he could do it, that he had enough belief to do it. Then he climbed out of the ship and actually tried to walk upon the water. And he did, until he started thinking it through, thinking about what was coming into his mind through his five senses. This was still before the day of Pentecost, and therefore they had not yet received the gift of holy Spirit, the Spirit of inherent power (2 Tim. 1:7). But yet under the old covenant of law, a measure of holy Spirit relative to a believer's belief was available to whomever could believe in God. And that measure of holy Spirit in Peter was still sufficient enough to cause Peter to override a natural law of physics, gravity, and walk upon the water.
Mat. 14:30 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) looking at (blepōn) the (ton) strong (ischuron) wind (anemon) he was caused to be in fear (ephobēthē).
And (kai) having caused himself to start (arxamenos) to sink down (katapontizesthai), he cried out (ekraxen), saying (legōn), “Lord (kurie), keep me whole (sōson me)!”
Mat. 14:31 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) straightaway (eutheōs) the (ho) Jesus (Iēsous), having stretched out (ekteinas) the (tēn) hand (cheira), caused himself to take hold (epelabeto) of him (autou).
And (kai) he says (legei) to him (autō), “One of little belief (oligopiste), into (eis) what (ti) did you doubt (edistasas)?”
Jesus teaches Peter, and thereby the other disciples, and hereby us, that our failure to receive supernatural wholeness in our life, when all the physical/natural circumstances that we sense around us may cause us to conclude our wholeness as an impossibility, that our doubt is what hinders our belief in God's Word, and therefore hinders our ability to manifest the power of the gift of holy Spirit. So from where does doubt come? Verse 30 says Peter saw the strong wind. his eyes were the primary portal into his mind to let in the 5 senses natural circumstances.
I'm certain he saw the rough waters which lie before him, onto which he must place his steps. I'm certain he felt the invisible wind upon his face and skin. The natural conditions he sensed with his five senses caused him to doubt the Word of the Lord. This is the classic method the devil and demon sprits use to go after believers, through their five senses, especially the senses of sight and sound, to distract their minds away from the promises of God's Word and toward the five senses circumstances the devil and demon spirits orchestrate. I cover this subject in detail in my advanced study 'We Are Wrestling Not Against Blood And Flesh But Spirit', under the Appendixes section.
In this next record, Jesus' disciples had too little belief to throw out a demon spirit.
Mat. 17:14 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) they having come (elthontōn) to (pros) the (ton) crowd (ochlon), [a] mortal (anthrōpos) came to (prosēlthen) him (autō), falling upon the knees1120 (gonupetōn) of him (auton) and (kai) saying (legōn),
Mat. 17:15 (LIT/UBS4) “Lord (kurie), have mercy (eleēson) [on] the (ton) son (huion) of me (mou), because (hoti) he is moon-exercised (selēniazetai), and (kai) he maliciously (kakōs) suffers (paschei).
Because (gar) many times (pollakis) he falls (piptei) into (eis) the (to) fire (pur), and (kai) many times (pollakis) into (eis) the (to) water (hudōr).
Mat. 17:16 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) I brought (prosēnenka) him (auton) to the (tois) disciples (mathētais) of you (sou), and (kai) of him (auton) they were absolutely not inherently powered (ouk ēdunēthēsan) to give therapy (therapeusai)!”
Mat. 17:17 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) the (ho) Jesus (Iēsous) having been caused to make [a] decision (apokritheis), he enunciated (eipen), “O (ō) unbelieving (apistos) and (kai) thoroughly twisted (diestrammenē) generation (genea), until (hēos) when (pote) shall I cause myself to be (esomai) together with (meth) you (humōn)?
Until (hēos) when (pote) shall I cause myself to hold you up (anexomai humōn)?
Bring (pherete) him (auton) here (hōde) to me (moi).”
As it is written through the prophet Isaiah:
Isaiah 53:4 Surely our sicknesses he lifted up (nasa), and our pains he carried (cabal) them, but we esteemed him plagued, struck by God, and afflicted.
"Until when?" - How long will it take for mortals to start believing for themselves and grow up spiritually? Jesus Christ lifted up our sicknesses and carried our pains, all the while trying to teach them to BELIEVE God's Word, so they could start believing for themselves to receive their own sicknesses and pains healed, and believe to receive any other of their needs met by God the heavenly Father. This was the true cross Jesus lifted up and carried. Please see my advanced study, The "Cross" Jesus "Lifted Up" and "Carried".
The knowledge of God's Word is by far more valuable than silver and gold and precious jewels, because it builds BELIEF in God and his Word in a mortal's mind and heart (Rom. 10:17; Gal. 3:2-5)!
Mat. 17:18 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) the (ho) Jesus (Iēsous) epitomized (epetimēsen) him (autō), and (kai) the (ho) little demon (daimonion) came out (exēlthen) from (ap’) him (autou).
And (kai) the (ho) child (pais) was given therapy (etherapeuthē) from (apo) the (tēs) hour (hōras) of that (ekeinēs).
The whole purpose of God's plan of sending his son Jesus Christ into the cosmos was to give mortalkind the gift of holy Spirit from God the heavenly Father, which is a new birth above in God's paternal seed from himself(1 Pet. 1:23), so that with its power in us we could start using it to supply our needs for ourselves, so we could start kicking the devil and his demon spirit's butts out of our way for ourselves! The wholeness God sent, that Jesus bought and brought, is NOT just ageless life in the future, but life beyond whatever the devil can do to us NOW (John 10:10) as more than conquerors NOW (Rom. 8:37), using the power of God's gift of holy Spirit in us NOW (1 Cor. 12)!
Modern Christianity teaches that Jesus Christ and his apostles and disciples, the examples of their belief and conduct recorded in the Bible, are supposed to be the examples we are to follow now. Then they turn right around and teach just the opposite, that the power of holy Spirit is no longer available to function in believers, and the most we can expect to receive from God now is only future resurrection and eternal life. Modern mortal-made "Christianity" is so dysfunctional and anemic in the knowledge and practical application of this subject matter in God's Word. So-called religious "leaders" stand in the pulpits spoon-feeding their congregations in the pews that God's power in them is dead, i.e., God is dead, and no one sees any apparent contradiction to the holy scriptures whatsoever. That is because they really don't care. It's about social clubbing. They preach and teach exactly the opposite of what the holy scriptures teach, all through them! They and their theological theories replace God's Word with their lies! No wonder mortal-made Christianity is such a big ball of confusion, and a dysfunctional wreck.
Mat. 17:19 (LIT/UBS4) Then (tote) the (hoi) disciples (mathētai), they having come to (proselthontes) the (tō) Jesus (Iēsou) down on (kat’) his own (idian), they enunciated (eipon), “Through (dia) [the sake, AE] of what (ti) were we absolutely not inherently powered (hēmeis ouk ēdunēthēmen) to throw it out (ekbalein auto)!?”
Mat. 17:20 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) the (ho) [Jesus] says (legei) to them (autois), “Through (dia) the (tēn) little belief (oligopistian) of you (humōn).
Because (gar), truly (amēn) I say (legō) to you (humin), if perhaps (ean) you may hold (echēte) belief (pistin) as (hōs) [a] kernel (kakkon) of [a] mustard tree (sinapeōs), you shall state (ereite) to the (tō) mountain (orei), to this one (toutō), ‘Move (metaba) within (enthen) there (ekei)’, and (kai) it shall cause itself to move (metabēsetai)!
And (kai) absolutely not one (ouden) [word, AE] shall be inherently unpowered (adunatēsei) to you (humin)!
"you shall enunciate" - Notice that one of the elements of belief is to confess with your mouth, say it, what you desire to come to pass. See 2 Cor. 4:13 also. This is the same principle God (our heavenly Father) used when he spoke the cosmos back into being (Gen. 1).
"a kernel of mustard" - It must be possible for mortals to build their belief to the size of a kernel of mustard or Jesus wouldn't be teaching us how to do it! Building belief in one's heart is done through the study of God's Word, through transforming ourselves through renewing our minds to what God the heavenly Father has said, so we can progress from no belief, to little belief, to so much belief, to great belief in our spiritual growth and maturity.
At a certain point in a believer's spiritual growth in his own discipleship toward Christ Jesus and his Kingdom of the Heavens (Mat. 13:52), i.e., Kingdom of God, growth into the fullness of the maturity of Christ (Eph. 4:13), a believer reaches a tipping point in their comprehensive knowledge and subsequent belief of God's Word. At the point where a believer's belief has progressed from the level of being little belief into being so much belief, that believer then can start moving things in the spiritual realm through prayer to bring things to pass in the physical realm, things such as great and precious promises, through fellowship with the Father and his son (3 John 1:3). Jesus described this level of belief as being that of a grain of mustard seed (Mat. 17:20; Mark 4:30-32; Luke 13:18-19, 17:5-6). It is at this level of belief, according to the scriptural records, that believers begin to experience God's great and precious promises, under the new covenant in Jesus' shed blood, coming to pass in their lives. This is when the abundant life which Jesus spoke of (John 10:10), begins! This is the point at which a believer enters into the Kingdom of the Heavens (Mat. 13:31)!
3. - So much belief (tosautēn pistin)
In these examples of various measures of belief Jesus confirms these believer's level of belief, and they receive their needs met spiritually. Notice that in these records the believers are acting upon their belief, focusing upon Jesus Christ in expectation. They didn't condemn themselves for being sinners, and they didn't consider themselves unworthy to come to Jesus Christ with their needs. God the heavenly Father sent his son into the world for sinful mortals, to teach them to believe, and make them as righteous as God the heavenly Father is righteous, when they believe in Jesus' name.
Mat. 8:5 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) of him (autou) having entered in (eiselthontos) into (eis) Capernaum (Kapharnaoum), [a] centurion (hekatontarchos) came to (prosēlthen) him (autō), accosting (parakalōn) him (auton)
A centurion is a Roman soldier having 100 men under his command. In these records of believers having so much belief, we're now looking for how they demonstrated their belief to God, through his agent, Jesus Christ. These records are in God's Word so we also can learn how to approach God in humbleness and in belief, and so we can see what so much belief is, and determine if we have it, and how to demonstrate it. Let's look carefully at all of the things which the centurion did which demonstrated his humbleness and belief in his heart toward God.
Here in Mat. 8:5 the record says that the centurion came toward Jesus, calling him alongside. Coming to God through Jesus, gets God's attention. That is the way God now has his new covenant set up to work. With the advent of Jesus' earthly ministry, he having been sent by our heavenly Father, Jesus enunciates that "absolutely not one comes toward the Father if not through me" (John 14:6). God is calling all, all whom he has predetermined to have belief in their hearts toward him, to him, through his son Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:28-30). The centurion came to God and his son Jesus Christ. This is the centurion's first act of humbleness, repentance and belief in is heart toward God.
Mat. 8:6 (LIT/UBS4) and (kai) saying (legōn), “Lord (kurie), the (ho) child (pais) of me (mou) has been thrown (beblētai) in (en) the (tē) house (oikia), paralyzed (paralutikos), being terribly tormented (deinōs basanizomenos).”
Now the centurion asks God, through his agent Jesus, for his help, to heal his child. It is required that we ask God for what we need (Mat. 7:7-11, 21:22; Luke 11:9-13; John 14:13-14, 15:7, 16, 16:23-27; Eph. 3:20; James 1:5-6, 4:2-3; 1 John 3:22, 5:14-16).
A Roman centurion is a formidable foe. In order to become a centurion a soldier must first have a formidable physical stature of size and strength, and then along with it a will which can be focused to kill with great skill and efficiency. This made centurions desirable and fit to command and lead others, on account of their example. They were highly regarded, revered, and feared by all. This centurion humbled himself to the God and his son Jesus Christ, as a child humbles himself toward his elders (Mat. 18:3-4).
Now, God being in his son Jesus, and Jesus, have seen the centurion demonstrate his belief toward them through doing two things:
1) the centurion demonstrates his belief through coming to God (v5),
2) the centurion demonstrates his belief through asking God to help him with his need (v6),
At this point there is not any question over the centurion's obvious belief. his belief has turned the metaphorical light to green, and now it's a go as far as God is concerned, for him to heal the centurion's child! Jesus, on behalf of his heavenly Father dwelling IN him (God dwelling in his prophesied true "tent", the one not made with hands), immediately affirms it with the centurion!
Mat. 8:7 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) he says (legei) to him (autō), “Having come (elthōn) I (egō) shall give therapy (therapeusō) to him (auton).”
Mat. 8:8a (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) having been caused to make [a] decision (apokritheis), the (ho) centurion (hekatontarchos) shed light5346 (ephē), “Lord (kurie), I am absolutely not (ouk eimi) [a] suitable one (hikanos) that (hina) you may enter in (eisēlthes) under (hupo) the (tēn) roof (stegēn) of me (mou)!
Now the centurion reflects upon his life of sin, perhaps as having been a soldier, and perhaps having killed other men. But the centurion recognizes that he has a sin in his life, and he confesses to God and Jesus Christ that he does, and maybe too much for Jesus to wish to enter into the centurion's house. Now we see another indicator of the centurion's belief, in his humbleness, repentance, and confession that he has sin in his life. This is yet another indicator, a third indicator, of the centurion's belief in his heart toward God and his son Jesus Christ.
1) through coming to God (v5),
2) through asking God to help him with his need (v6),
3) through his confesses that he has sin in his life (v8a),
Mat. 8:8b (LIT/UBS4) BUT (alla), only (monon) enunciate (eipe) [a] Word (logō), and (kai) the (ho) child (pais) of me (mou) shall be healed (iathēsetai).
Now the mighty, proud, and fearsome centurion warrior demonstrates his belief yet again, a fourth indicator, this time in God's ability to heal his child through the powerful Word of God simply being spoken on Jesus' lips! The centurion, even though he considers himself as having sin in his life, yet believes that it is still may be God's desire to heal his child, in spite of his sin! This centurion demonstrates courage and boldness to come to God. This is a huge lesson for us, because this is a huge indicator of God's love and compassion, and thusly his righteous glory, that yet while we are sinners he still loves us, and he absolutely desires to heal us in spite of our sin! As it has been written:
Psalm 103:10 (Darby) he hath not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
If you're believing that you are not worthy enough for God to heal you, then you're believing a lie from the devil. Because exactly for the reason that we are sinners is why our heavenly Father sent his son into the world to heal us (Isa. 53)! Those who are whole do not need a physician (Mat. 9:12)! But the centurion who needed a physician for he and his child, what has he done so far to demonstrate his belief and receive that healing?
1) through coming to God (v5),
2) through asking God to help him with his need (v6),
3) through his confession that he has sin in his life (v8a),
4) through his belief that it is God's desire to heal his child, even though he, the centurion, has sin in his life (v8b),
Mat. 8:9 (LIT/UBS4) Because (gar) I (egō) also (kai) am (eimi) [a] mortal (anthrōpos) under (hupo) authority (exousian), having (echōn) soldiers (stratiōtas) under (hup’) [authority] of myself (emauton).
The centurion had enough knowledge of God's Word to know and believe that Jesus was a mortal man as himself, and that Jesus was subordinating himself under another's authority as the centurion was subordinating himself under the authority of his commander (Mark 6:5; Luke 5:17; John 3:2, 5:19-20, 8:16, *29, 9:33, *10:38, *14:10-11, 28; Acts 2:22, 10:38; *2 Cor. 5:18-19; Eph. 3:16-19, 4:6; *Col. 1:19-20, 2:9; 1 John 5:20). The centurion apparently believed that Jesus had subordinates under his authority as the centurion had subordinates under his own authority, which is true, as Jesus has stated (Mat. 26:53). Under whose authority does the centurion believe Jesus is subordinating himself? I believe, from the evidence of this record, that the centurion believed Jesus to be the promised Christ, the son of the most high God. I believe that the centurion believed that Jesus Christ was under the authority of his heavenly Father, the one true God.
And (kai) I say (legō) to this (toutō) [soldier, RE], ‘Be caused to go (poreuthēti)’, and (kai) he causes himself to go (poreuetai);
and (kai) [I say, RE] to another (allō), ‘Cause yourself to come (erchou)’, and (kai) he causes himself to come (erchetai);
and (kai) [I say, RE] to the (tō) slave (doulō) of me (mou), ‘Do (poiēson) this (touto)’, and (kai) he does (poiei) [this, RE].”
This is yet another indicator, the fifth one, of the centurion's belief in God's Word, and his belief in the name of Jesus. So far what things has the centurion done to demonstrate his belief in God's Word, which belief is pleasing in God's sight (Heb. 11:6)?
1) through coming to God (v5),
2) through asking God to help him with his need (v6),
3) through his confession that he has sin in his life (v8a),
4) through his belief that it is God's desire to heal his child, even though he, the centurion, has sin in his life (v8b),
5) through his statement that Jesus Christ is a mortal man as himself, and that Jesus is under the authority of, and subordinate to, a higher authority than himself, as is he the centurion (v9)!
It's clear that the centurion didn't believe that Jesus Christ was the highest God. What is also clear is that Jesus Christ healed the centurion's child for his belief that Jesus was the son of the highest God.
Mat. 8:10 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) the (ho) Jesus (Iēsous) having heard (akousas), he was amazed (ethaumasen), and (kai) he enunciated (eipen) to the ones (tois) following (akolouthousin), “Truly (amēn) I say (legō) to you (humin), alongside (par’) absolutely no one (oudeni) have I found (heuron) so much (tosautēn) belief (pistin) in (en) the (tō) Israel (Israēl)!
"so much belief" - One with so much (tosautēn) belief (pistin) must have MORE belief than one of little belief (oligopiste), since the ones with little and no belief were not able to see or experience the power of God manifested to them in their lives, prayers answered, God's great and precious promises coming to pass for them, healing and wholeness, which is the banner (Isa. 53) of God's new covenant with mortalkind. But the centurion with so much belief, as he obviously demonstrated in at least five ways, was able to receive God's inherent power manifested in his life, and that of his child, to deliver them from demon spirit influence, and in the child's case, demon spirit possession, and receive healing.
Both Jesus Christ and the Roman centurion absolutely did not allow culturally bigoted issues such as racial or social classes to hinder their transaction with one another. According to the gossip among the children of Israel, Jesus was a supposed bastard child (John 8:41), which was the lie the religious leaders desired to be well known among the people. And the religious leaders accused Jesus of hanging around with sinners and publicans (Mat. 9:10-11, 11:19, 21:31-32), which they insisted equated Jesus to being no better than them. And they accused Jesus of holding a demon spirit (John 8:48), to account for the signs, miracles and wonders he did (Mat. 12:24; Mark 3:22; Luke 11:15), so they wouldn't look so much like phony religious leaders themselves, and demon-possessed ones themselves (Luke 11:19; John 8:44)!
The centurion put everything at stake to come to Jesus and his God (John 20:17), for their help. Every race is always bigoted against another, which is nothing more than ego-maniacal elitism, to say the least. In fact, it is human nature, or as I should say, the devil's nature in humans, to look for and find even the tiniest little things over which to hate someone else. If you don't believe that, read or listen to the news for a change. The centurion, among his own people, had a reputation, power and prestige, a military and social position of honor and authority. The vast majority of the Romans considered the Judeans, the children of Israel, to have a value no better than, or even less than that of the lowest-esteemed animal, a dog. And the children of Israel esteemed the Romans likewise, as "dogs". Jesus' transaction with this Roman centurion could have, and likely did, cause the devil to start gossip on both sides about them. You must have heard the old saying, "No good deed goes unpunished". The devil tries to make certain of that, if he can.
Rom. 10:17 says that belief comes through hearing God's Word. The centurion evidently must have heard enough of God's Word, through his own inquiries, gossip, folklore, or otherwise, to want to learn more, which caused him to grow in his belief in God's Word, and in the name of Jesus. his belief in his heart grew to the point of God drawing him to his son Jesus, where he demonstrated his belief which caused God to honor his covenant promises and heal the centurion's child. The centurion grew in his knowledge of God's Word, which subsequently grew his own belief in his heart, which belief finally brought him to the tipping point in his life to begin to see God's great and precious promises come to pass for him in his life.
This Roman soldier, a centurion, demonstrated a level of belief which Jesus described as so much belief, which was a level of belief acceptable to God (Heb. 11:6), and required by God for him to act in a person's life. This record is one example of the level of the bar of the required amount of belief one must have in his or her own heart, to be pleasing to God, and to begin receiving anything from God under his new covenant with mortalkind.
Mat. 8:11 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) I say (legō) to you (humin), that (hoti) many (polloi) shall arrive (hēxousin) from (apo) risings395 (anatolōn) and (kai) sinkings1424 (dusmōn) [of the sun, AE], and (kai) they shall be reclined up (anaklithēsontai) with (meta) Abraham (Abraam), and (kai) Isaac (Isaak), and (kai) Jacob (Iakōb) in (en) the (tē) Kingdom932 (basileia) of the (tōn) Heavens (ouranōn).
Jesus, with this statement, now implies that this Roman soldier, a centurion, fulfilled this ancient prophecy, a prophecy of gentiles from all over the world believing upon the name of Jesus to receive salvation, wholeness. The Roman centurion came from the West somewhere, which would be to Israel a land near into which the sun sinks far off over the horizon.
Jesus also implies that this centurion was demonstrating the belief of Abraham, who is the father of all of those who believe (Rom. 4). And we know from other records that all of those who believe after the kind of belief which Abraham demonstrated toward God are all those who are the new, true Israel, after the "seed" of Abraham.
Jesus also implies that this centurion has entered in the Kingdom of the Heavens now, where in the future he shall recline up with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Under God's new covenant through his son, through Jesus' shed blood, believers from all over the world are now invited to come to God through his son, and to enter into God's new covenant offer to mortalkind, for them to receive a new birth above in God's gift of his seed, of his holy Spirit, and for them to fellowship with he and his son Christ Jesus (1 John 1:3). The Roman soldier, the centurion, during his time on assignment in Israel, learned about the promised coming redeemer for the children of Israel, and he came to believe in the name of the one called Jesus, a Nazarene; one whose fame from doing signs, miracles and wonders had spread to his own ears (Mat. 4:24, 9:26, 31, 14:1; Mark 1:28; Luke 4:14, 37, 5:15).
Mat. 8:12 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) the (hoi) sons (huioi) of the (tēs) Kingdom (basileias) shall be thrown out (ekblēthēsontai) into (eis) the (to) darkness (skotos), the (to) outer one (exōteron).
"the sons of the Kingdom" - God's adopted children of Israel were the ones first in line to receive God's new covenant to them, along with the "promise of the Father" as Jesus called it, the new birth above in God's gift of holy Spirit. But they, with the strong help of the devil working IN and THROUGH their religious leaders (John 8:44), rejected that new covenant, and the one who put it through in his own blood, Jesus, as they rejected the precious knowledge of the ancient prophecies of their own coming redeemer, the "treasure" and "pearls" of knowledge about the promised coming messiah. And so now anyone's belief in that "treasure" , in those those "pearls", whether Judean or otherwise, causes himself to receive the "promise of the Father", the new birth above in God's paternal seed, his gift of holy Spirit, which has subsequently been offered to all the remainder of mortalkind, as has been prophesied (Mat. 12:18-21; John 3:15-16; Acts 2:17-21, 13:26; 2 Sam. 7:5-16; Isa. 59:20-21, 62:8-12, 66:1-2; Jer. 31:31-34; Ezek. 11:16-20; Joel 2:28-32).
There (ekei) the (ho) wailing (klauthmos), and (kai) the (ho) grinding (brugmos) of the (tōn) teeth (odontōn) shall cause itself to be (estai).
Mat. 8:13 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) the (ho) Jesus (Iēsous) enunciated (eipen) to the (tō) centurion (hekatontarchē), “Get underway (hupage).
As (hōs) you believed (episteusas), let it be caused to come to pass (genēthētō) for you (soi).”
And (kai) the (ho) child (pais) of him (autou) was healed (iathē) in (en) the (tē) hour (hōra) of that (ekeinē)!
All of those given in the record in Heb. 11, of the hall of fame of believers, they all received God's rescue, deliverance, and healing in their lives similar to how this mighty centurion, who humbled himself to learn and believe God's Word, received God's healing for his child. Please notice that the child's deliverance and healing was dependent upon it's parent's belief! Until a child comes to the age of accountability, accountable to learn God's Word and believe for himself, it is under the authority and belief of it's parent or parents. You look it up! This truth is throughout all of god's Word.
This Roman soldier, a centurion, coming from a far away place to be on assignment in Capernaum, while there acquired enough of the key knowledge of God's Word, especially the knowledge of God's promised coming redeemer, Jesus Christ, to build his own belief in his heart enough to enter into the new covenant with the God almighty, and thereby enter into the Kingdom of the Heavens, that day, along with his child, sooner than most (Mat. 12:28; Luke 11:20)!
If the Roman soldier would have been regularly attending religious services, put on by the religious leaders of the children of Israel, he would not have heard anything about this Jesus, a Nazarene, being the promised coming messiah for the children of Israel. They weren't preaching and teaching about that subject matter. They were telling people the very opposite, and compelling people to believe it or else, that Jesus was a charlatan, and a phony. This is how they were hiding from the people the key knowledge (Luke 11:52) of the ancient prophesies in God's Word about the signs the redeemer would do when he came, heal the blind, cause the lame to walk, stand up out of the grave after three days as Jonah came out of the belly of the supposed whale.
The precious knowledge of the ancient prophecies of God's promised coming redeemer are the "keys" of the Kingdom of the Heavens which Jesus said he shall give to Simon Peter (Mat. 16:19). Because it is one's possession of this "treasure" (Mat. 13:44), of these "pearls" (Mat. 13:45), and one's subsequent belief in his heart of this precious knowledge, which inherently empowers anyone to receive the new birth above in God's gift of his paternal seed, of his holy Spirit, which new birth above is the entrance into the Kingdom of the Heavens, or the Kingdom of the God, as it is called also!
Jesus Christ said the Kingdom of the God, i.e., Kingdom of the Heavens, is not over here, or over there, nor does it come with careful looking for it (Luke 17:20-21), as though it is something objective which one can look at with the eyes, and something which has a certain geographical location to where one can go. Jesus states it perfectly clearly that The Kingdom of the God is not an objective place or location. Jesus said the Kingdom of the God is within you (Luke 17:21)! If the Kingdom of the God is an objective place, how can that supposedly giant place, a place the size of the entire universe, be in someone as relatively small as a human being? How can it be in us? The holy scriptures tell us, those who have "eyes" to see and "ears" to here, God's gift of his holy Spirit working in us, it shall teach us, to help our minds put it together (Isa. 54:13; Jer. 31:31-34; John 6:45; Heb. 8:8-12, 10:16-17; Isa. 52:15; Rom. 15:21).
Because when you find the "treasure", the "pearls", the precious knowledge of the ancient prophecies of the coming messiah, along with the knowledge of how Jesus fulfilled those prophecies given in all of the new covenant writings, and then you subsequently believe upon the name of Jesus because of that knowledge, and then you subsequently receive the new birth above in God's paternal seed, his gift of holy Spirit, then God's Spirit is in you, along with the Spirit of Christ (Rom. 8:9-11). Both the Father and his son Christ Jesus come to homestead (Gk. oikeō, Strong's # 3611) in us. And they being in us is how we fellowship with them. And they working IN us and THROUGH us instrumentally, we as their agents, is how we carry out the Ministry of Reconciliation, for which we've been called-out.
Rom. 8:9 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) you (humeis) are (este) absolutely not (ouk) in (en) flesh (sarki), BUT (alla), in (en) Spirit (pneumati), if so be it (eiper) Spirit (pneuma) of God (theou) homesteads (oikei) in (en) you (humin)!
But (de) if (ei) anyone (tis) absolutely does not hold (ouk echei) Spirit (pneuma) of Christ (Christou), this (houtos) [anyone, RE] is (estin) absolutely not (ouk) of him (autou)!
Rom. 8:10 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) if (ei) Christ (Christos) [is] in (en) you (humin), truly (men), the (to) body (sōma) [is] dead (nekron) through (dia) [the sake] of sin (hamartian)!
But (de) the (to) Spirit (pneuma) [is] life (zōē) through (dia) [the sake] of righteousness (dikaiosunēn).
Rom. 8:11 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) if (ei) the (to) Spirit (pneuma) of the one (tou) having awakened (egeirantos) Jesus (Iēsoun) out (ek) of dead ones (nekrōn) homesteads (oikei) in (en) you (humin), the one (ho) having awoken (egeiras) Christ (Christon) out (ek) of dead ones (nekrōn) shall make alive (zōopoiēsei) the (ta) death-doomed (thnēta) bodies (sōmata) of you (humōn) also (kai), through (dia) the (to) in-housing (enoikountos) Spirit (pneuma) of him (autou) in (en) you (humin)!
In the holy scriptures both the one true God, who is God almighty, who is the highest God, is referred to as a King (Mat. 22:2, 7, 11, 13; 1 Tim. 1:17, 6:15-16; Rev. 15:3), and his son, Christ Jesus, is referred to as a king also (Mat. 2:2, 18:23, 21:5, 25:34, 40, 27:11; Mark 15:2; Luke 19:37-38, 23:3; John 1:49, 6:15, 12:13-15, 18:37; Acts 17:7; 1 Pet. 2:17; Rev. 17:14). God almighty, the King over everything, and his son Christ Jesus, is the king over the one body (Rom. 12:4-5) of himself, which is the new Israel (Rom. 9:6-8; Eph. 2:11-12), which is the raised up "tent" of David (Heb. 8:1-2; Exod. 26:7,14; Amos 9:11-12; Acts 15:13-19; 2 Sam. 7:11c-16; Heb. 8:3-13; Jer. 31:31-34), and they are IN us. A King homesteads in his own kingdom!
According to the holy scriptures, each of these kings has his own throne. The one, true, highest God, our heavenly father, has his throne, and Christ Jesus has his throne, the one that the Father gave to him, the throne of David, which is why Jesus is referred to as the Son of David; because Jesus is the heir to his father (according to the flesh) king David's throne, over the new Israel. Christ Jesus' throne is the "tent" of David which the God has raised up, and which he built with his own hand.
Now, if you can catch your breath, please notice in this next record God's requirement of belief in the heart of the one paralyzed.
Mat. 9:2 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) behold (idou), they were bringing to (prosepheron) him (autō) [a] paralytic (paralutikon) having been taken in [a] throe (beblēmenon), upon (epi) [a] recliner (klinēs).
And (kai) the (ho) Jesus (Iēsous), having seen (idōn) the (tēn) belief (pistin) of them (autōn), he enunciated (eipen) to the (tō) paralytic (paralutikō), "Have courage (tharsei) born one (teknon), the (hai) sins (hamartiai) of you (sou) are let go (aphientai)!"
"[a] paralytic having been taken in [a] throe, upon [a] recliner" - The holy scriptures often use the word "thrown" to describe the kind of treatment demon spirits often give to their hosts in which they are dwelling.
Here we see several believers demonstrating their belief, working together to get the need filled of one of them. In the text Jesus said the sins that the child had are let go, i.e., the wages for those sins shall not be paid. The child's sins may have been in what it thought and/or said, because since the child was paralyzed it obviously couldn't literally do them.
This verse presents a contradiction to a popularly held belief that children don't or can't sin. Obviously newborns and babes too young to talk are not yet old enough to even think sins. But older children can and do sin, especially sins of disobedience. Those who may believe this and have had children of their own know perfectly well that children begin to demonstrate disobedience at a very early age, and continue to be disobedient to some degree more or less throughout their life. We are all born with a sin nature from the moment we're born.
Literally, from God's point of view, until we receive a new birth above, there is no moment in our life when we are "innocent", no matter how young or old we are, since we have a sin nature from conception, and are declared to be without God and without hope on account of it (Eph. 2:11-13). According to the holy scriptures, and not mortal-made theologies, until one receives a new birth above, a baptism in God's gift of holy Spirit, that one is absolutely not a child of God, no matter how young or old the child is. Then through Jesus' shed blood we are made righteous with the righteousness of God. That's when we literally become innocent. Coming to new realizations such as this and letting them replace our old incomplete conceptions and confusion, and the lies of devils and mortal-made theological theories, is what is referred to in God's Word as renewing our mind (Rom. 12:2).
In these records in the holy scriptures these believers must have about so much belief, because as we have seen, little belief is cowardly, and it is not enough to receive anything from God under his new covenant, under the new Law of Belief.
Mat. 9:20 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) behold (idou), [a] female (gunē) hemorrhaging (haimorroousa) twelve (dōdeka) years (etē), she having come to (proselthousa) [the Jesus, v19, RE], behind (opisthen) [the Jesus, v19, RE], she caused herself to take hold (hēpsato) of the (tou) hem (kraspedou) of the (tou) outer garment (himatiou) of him (autou),
Mat. 9:21 (LIT/UBS4) because (gar) she was saying (elegen) in (en) herself (heaute), “If perhaps (ean) I may cause myself to only take hold (monon hapsōmai) of the (tou) outer garment (himatiou) of him (autou) I shall be made whole (sōthēsomai)”.
"because she was saying in herself" - This shows that a mortal's believing confession to receive what they desire doesn't necessarily need to be spoken out loud, since God already knows our hearts, and therefore our needs before we ask (Mat. 6:8). But we must speak it, inwardly or outwardly. We are required to ask (Mat. 7:7).
Mat. 9:22 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) the (ho) Jesus (Iēsous), he having been turned (strapheis), and (kai) he having seen (idōn) her (autēn), he enunciated (eipen), “Have courage (tharsei) daughter (thugator), the (hē) belief (pistis) of you (sou) has made you whole (sesōken se)!”
And (kai) the (hē) female (gunē) was made whole (esōthē) from (apo) the (tēs) hour (hōras) of that (ekeinēs).
Again, this verse clearly indicates that receiving healing from the
Father through Jesus Christ is based solely upon our belief in our
heart. We must learn to operate within the Law of Belief.
And where the work needs to be done is in our mind. We must start
building our believing through building our accurate knowledge of God's
Word in our heads, renewing our minds to equip ourselves to operate the
Law of Belief. We need to dig for that "treasure", to find those
"pearls", and store that precious knowledge up in our mind, that
precious knowledge which builds our belief in our heart.
The Law of belief is operated by what we think and believe in our heads, and then confess with our mouths. While we're in the shower singing, instead of singing a song on the top 40 chart, why not sing something out of God's Word along the lines of a personal need. You make up the tune. You may not have noticed, but the world wants us to think and believe what it says. When is the last time a doctor told you to believe God's Word for your healing, to confess it with your mouth thanking God in the name of his son Jesus Christ? The true battlefield is in our minds, to either think, say and do what the world says or what God's Word says. Who's truly our master? Which one do we "serve" (Mat. 6:24; Luke 16:13). How valuable of a treasure to us is belief?
Mat. 9:27 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) the (tō) Jesus (Iēsous) leading aside (paragonti) from there (ekeithen), two (duo) blind ones (tuphloi) followed (ēkolouthēsan) him (autō), crying (krazontes) and (kai) saying (legontes), “Have mercy (eleēson) [on] us (hēmas) Son (huios) of David (Dauid)!”
Mat. 9:28 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) he having come (elthonti) into (eis) the (tēn) house (oikian), the (hoi) blind ones (tuphloi) came to (prosēlthon) him (autō).
And (kai) the (ho) Jesus (Iēsous) says (legei) to them (autois), “Do you believe (pisteuete) that (hoti) I am inherently powered (dunamai) to do (poiēsai) this (touto)?”
They say (legousin) to him (autō), “Yes (nai) lord (kurie).”
“Do you believe that I am inherently powered to do this?” - Please notice Jesus' use of the passive voice verb. How was Jesus Christ inherently powered to allow God's Spirit in him to energize IN and THROUGH him? He learned and believed God's Word, the same thing we are to do (Rom. 10:17), which shall cause us to gain the experiential knowledge of the son of the God, into us becoming a complete male, as we grow into the measure of the fullness of the maturity of the Christ (Eph. 4:13)!
Please note the time period again, here. It was before the day of Pentecost, before God's Spirit was poured out upon all mortalkind who believe, as was prophesied in Joel 2:28-32; before the new birth above (John 3) was yet available through a baptism in God's gift of holy Spirit (Mat. 3:11). But now, since the day of Pentecost, if we have been born above, baptized in the gift of holy Spirit from Christ Jesus, and if we now have God's gift of his paternal Spirit in us which he first gave to Jesus Christ, then we have in us NOW what holy Spirit calls Christ in YOU (Col. 1:27). So, if we believe that God's son Jesus Christ is powerful enough to do signs, miracles and wonders, and God's Spirit which was in Jesus Christ, which raised him from the dead, is NOW in US, through it being in Christ, then do we believe the "Christ in us" can do signs, miracles and wonders as well, IN us and THROUGH us, as we rise up into the fullness of the maturity of Christ?
We had better confess with our mouth 'YES!' if we're in agreement with and believing what the holy scriptures say. Or else we confess these truths to be lies, and we thereby agree with Satan and modern Christianity that God doesn't energize his Spirit in believers anymore, and that's exactly why so-called believers, Christians, are spiritually anemic, powerless, and ones UNAPPROVED by God (Rom. 1:28; *2 Cor. 13:5-7; 2 Tim. 2:15; Titus 1:16; James 1:12; Mat. 3:17, 17:5)!
Mat. 9:29 (LIT/UBS4) Then (tote) he caused himself to take hold (hēpsato) of the (tōn) eyes (ophthalmōn) of them (autōn), saying (legōn), “Down according to (kata) to the (tēn) belief (pistin) of you (humōn) let it be caused to come to pass (genēthētō) to you (humin).”
"Down according to the belief of you" - Here's the idiom down again, signaling finalization, summation, the "bottom line" so to speak, the real, true basis of fact. When we get right down to it, do we believe or do we not believe God's Word? You can't believe it if first of all you don't know it! Did the blind ones have a true belief in their hearts to get down to? (Mat. 9:29) Jesus asked them if they believed he could heal them. They confessed with their mouth "Yes Lord", that they believed he could. The blind ones addressed Jesus as "Son of David" (Mat. 9:27), which implies they had the knowledge of God's Word concerning the prophecy that the coming redeemer would be out of the house of David. Their reference to Jesus as "Son of David" portrays both their knowledge of God's Word and their belief that this Jesus was the promised coming messiah out of the house of David (Isa. 11:1-3; Jer. 23:5-6)! They signaled their belief in God's Word, and in Jesus name, to him loud and clear, as he being the Son of David, the prophesied and promised coming redeemer! These blind ones "saw" more clearly than most.
This is a wonderful example of how the blind ones prepared their hearts to believe, through putting on the knowledge of God's Word concerning Jesus Christ. Their hearts were prepared with the knowledge of God's Word, so that when Jesus arrived preaching, teaching and healing, they could determine that what he said and did fit with what the ancient prophecies predicted, and they were ready to believe in him (Isa. 35:4-6; 61:1-2; Mat. 11:5). This is what John the baptist tried to persuade all of Israel to do (John 1:23; Heb. 12:13), to prepare their hearts with knowledge of and belief in God's Word. This is a great example of how the knowledge of God's Word builds believing toward God and his son Jesus Christ, in a mortal's heart. Notice that the two blind ones were persistent in following Jesus over a period of time to be certain that it was him, and then they ASKED to receive what they needed, healing. Jesus recognized their belief, and then he promptly addressed their need and healed them of it. God and his son Christ Jesus look for commitment and steadfastness in following them, which is evidence of belief as well.
Mat. 9:30 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) the (hoi) eyes (ophthalmoi) of them (autōn) were opened up (ēneōchthēsan).
And (kai) the (ho) Jesus (Iēsous) was caused to snort-in (enebrimēthē) to them (autois), saying (legōn), “See that (horate) no one (mēdeis) knows (ginōsketō) [it].”
"snorted" - An idiom still used today in our English, meaning to say something emphatically out of pain and/or anger and/or joy, which comes out roughly due to excited breathing. Jesus was excited that the blind ones believed enough to receive their eye sight. In two usages in John 11:33, 38 Jesus snorts due to inner pain and sadness and/or joy. Apparently Jesus was a little overwhelmed at this point with his own compassion toward mortalkind. The blind receiving their sight was the fulfillment of very important prophecies, which fulfillment identified the one doing the healings as the promised messiah, the Christ (the eyes: Isa. 29:18, 32:3-4, 42:5-7,16, 43:8; Psalm 146:8; Mat. 9:27-30, 11:3-5, 13:22, 20:30-34, 21:14; Mark 8:22-25, Luke 4:18; John 9:1-7, 39, 11:37; Acts 9:17-18, 26:18; Eph. 1:17-18, 5:14; the ears: Isa. 48:8; Exod. 4:11; Job 33:16; Pr 20:12; Jer. 6:10; Mark 7:32-37, 9:25-26; Lu 7:20-23).
Of all of this writing in the ancient prophetic scrolls about what the promised redeemer would do when he came, how could those religious leaders in Jesus' time be so ignorant of it? They apparently enjoyed demon spirits working IN and THROUGH them (John 8:44) more than they desired God's Spirit, and the "treasure" and "pearls" of the knowledge of his Word. Jesus realized he was rapidly fulfilling the ancient prophecies daily, through the signs and miracles God performed THROUGH him, which should have identified Jesus to the children of Israel as their promised coming messiah.
I believe Jesus took the chilly reception he was given, as recorded in John 8, his confrontation with the religious leaders, as a statistical indicator as to how well the remainder of all mortalkind may receive him. I believe that Jesus' realization that only a relatively few would believe, caused him pain and sorrow. Simultaneously Jesus realized he was rapidly fulfilling God the heavenly Father's and his own love toward mortalkind to both bring mortalkind to the brink of their own wholeness from the oppression of the devil, and bring Jesus to the brink of his own staking, of sacrificing his own body and pouring out his blood as the last and true sacrificial lamb of God.
A major enemy of the children of Israel wasn't only the devil, or Roman oppression, but their lack of knowledge of God's Word (Hos. 4:6). This is the issue at the heart of the reason for our own oppression, now. This issue left them with a giant void of belief in God and his son Jesus Christ, the promised messiah. Their own unbelief in God's Word was their greatest weakness, and therefore their greatest enemy.
Mat. 9:31 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) the ones (hoi) [having been blind], having gone out (exelthontes), they made him thoroughly famous (diephēmisan auton) in (en) the (tē) whole (holē) land (gē) of that (ekeinē).
"they made him thoroughly famous in the whole land" - Their actions spreading Jesus name and fame throughout the land helped build Jesus into a popular figure, as the promised messiah to many, but as a popular social and political figure to others, and as a threat to the high priests and council, who were all more or less charlatans. Healing of the blind ones here, and others blind (Mat. 12:22; 15:31; 21:14; Mark 8:23; 10:51; etc.) was the coming to pass of key prophecies designed to absolutely identify the promised coming redeemer to the children of Israel (Psalm 146:8; Isa. 29:17-19; 35:5; 42:7).
But the devil at work in the lives and minds of Israel's spiritual leadership, the Sadducees, Pharisees and writers, had conditioned the children of Israel, through twisting the meanings of the prophecies, to expect a messiah who would be a warrior-like conqueror and lead them into battle against oppressive forces in the physical realm, not the spiritual realm where the causes are generated which produce the events which occur in the physical realm. God sent Jesus to address the root cause of mortalkind's separation from God the heavenly Father, the cleansing of their sin nature, AND to give mortalkind the inherent spiritual power within them to offensively and defensively conquer the forces of spiritual oppression in the cosmos.
So far we've seen that:
- Believers with unbelief (apistian) in them cannot receive anything from God the heavenly Father.
- Believers with little belief (oligopistos) in them cannot receive anything from God the heavenly Father, and neither can they do anything spiritually yet, because they have not yet built up their level of belief through the knowledge of God's Word to become effective.
- Believers with so much belief (tosautēn pistin) in them absolutely can receive gracious benefits from God the heavenly Father, because of the adequate amount of the knowledge of God's Word they have built into their minds, which belief in God's Word has built along with it (Rom. 10:17).
Now lets see and understand a record about a mortal with great belief (megale pistis), and how, because of her great belief, she received a great personal need met.
4. - Great Belief (megale pistis)
Mat. 15:22 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) behold (idou), [a] Canaanite (Chananaia) female (gunē) having come out (exelthousa) from (apo) the (tōn) boundaries (horiōn) of those (ekeinōn), she was crying out (ekrazen), saying (legousa), “Have mercy (eleēson) [on] me (me), lord (kurie), son (huios) of David (Dauid)!
The (hē) daughter (thugatēr) of me (mou) [is] maliciously (kakōs) demon-possessed (daimonizetai)!”
Mat. 15:23 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) the (ho) [Jesus, v21, RE] was absolutely not caused to make [a] decision (ouk apekrithē) for her (autē), [absolutely not, RE] [a] word (logos)!
And (kai) the (hoi) disciples (mathētai) of him (autou) having come to (proselthontes) [him, RE], they were inquiring (ērōtoun) of him (auton), saying (legountes), “Send her away (apoluson autēn), because (hoti) she cries (krazei) behind (opisthen) us (hēmōn)?”
Mat. 15:24 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) the (ho) [Jesus] having been caused to make [a] decision (apokritheis), he enunciated (eipen), “I was sent (apestalēn) absolutely not (ouk), if (ei) not (mē) into (eis) the (ta) sheep (probata), the ones (ta) having been lost (apolōlota) of [the] house (oikou) of Israel (Israēl)!”
Mat. 15:25 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) the (hē) [Canaanite female] having come (elthousa), she was bowing to4352 (prosekunei) him (autō), saying (legousa), “Lord (kurie), give help (boēthei) to me (moi)!”
Mat. 15:26 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) the (ho) [Jesus] having been caused to make a decision (apokritheis), he enunciated (eipen), “It is (estin) absolutely not (ouk) beautiful (kalon) to take (labein) the (ton) bread (arton) of the (tōn) born ones (teknōn) and (kai) to throw (balein) [it] to the (tois) puppies (kunariois)!”
"to the puppies" - Racial bias was alive and well in history, no less than today. The egotistical, false-believing Israelites, as led by their false believing, egotistical writers and Pharisees, considered mortals of any other ethnic group as "dogs", figure of speech Hypocatastasis, a superlative form of insult. In the east, a "dog" is symbolically considered the lowest form of four-legged creature, just the opposite as in the West where we consider them almost as our children. Jesus wasn't calling the woman a dog, or implying she was, but stating the foolish, mortal-made status quo, which racial bias virtually all mortalkind endorsed and approved. Her courage to come to Jesus, risking the chance of being "put in her place", demonstrated her humbleness and great believing that he wouldn't turn her away on the grounds of a foolish social status quo. Apostle Paul taught this (1 Tim. 2:1-6).
Mat. 15:27 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) she (hē) enunciated (eipen), “Yes (nai) lord (kurie), because (gar) the (ta) puppies (kunaria) also (kai) eat (esthiei) from (apo) the (tōn) crumbs (psichiōn), the ones (tōn) falling (piptontōn) from (apo) the (tēs) table (trapezēs) of the (tōn) lords (kuriōn) of them (autōn).”
"the puppies eat from the crumbs" - The desperate believing woman indicated she would accept being considered a little "puppy" of the "dogs" if it meant the healing of her daughter. She recognized who Jesus was, the son of God, and the power of God working in and through him to do signs, miracles and wonders. Jesus, in his great love for all mortalkind, cast aside the foolish cultural stigma against Canaanites and accepted her, based upon the grounds of her belief in him, and granted her request on behalf of his Father.
Mat. 15:28 (LIT/UBS4) Then (tote) the (ho) Jesus (Iēsous) having been caused to make [a] decision (apokritheis), he enunciated (eipen) to her (autē), “O (o) female (gunai), great (megalē) [is] the (hē) belief (pistis) of you (sou)!
Let it be caused to come to pass (genēthētō) to you (soi) as (hōs) you desire (theleis).”
And (kai) the (hē) daughter (thugatēr) of her (autēs) was healed (iathē) from (apo) the (tēs) hour (hōras) of that (ekeinēs).
The woman and her daughter were not
of the children of Israel, but she implied that Jesus was her Lord.
With the confession of her with her lips she demonstrated to Jesus her
belief in him was great. Although the promised coming messiah was
believed to be promised for the children of Israel, there were clues in
the old covenant writings that the coming redeemer would be a benefit to
all mortalkind. If this ethnic woman extrapolated this out of the
Israelite's old covenant writings, then her understanding of the holy
scriptures was great as well, much greater than the knowledge and
understanding of most of Israel's own religious leaders. Since her
belief was great, then her knowledge and understanding of God's Word
must have been great as well; because it is the in-depth knowledge and
subsequent understanding of God's Word which builds belief in a mortal's
heart (Rom. 10:17; Heb. 11:1).
A mortal's level of belief of God's
Word in his heart is always commensurate with his level of knowledge and
subsequent understanding of God's Word.
People can always look and sound like they have a great knowledge of
God's Word, because there are many, many actors involved in
Christianity. But just because people can quote holy scripture
means nothing in confirmation of the authenticity of their belief in
their hearts toward God's Word and Christ Jesus. What you need to
look for is whether great and precious promises of God, under his new
covenant in Jesus' shed blood, are coming to pass in a person's life.
Is that person obviously and genuinely blessed by God? If they are
upholding mercy and truth, if they are being more than conquerors in
their lives, especially in spiritual matters, if God is making them to
be the head and not the tail, if they are being healthy and prosperous
and doing good charitable works of love and compassion toward others,
then these indicators authenticate those people as true disciples of
Christ Jesus.
According to all of the records in God's Word, those who were building
their belief in their hearts toward God and his son Jesus Christ,
building it up beyond the level of unbelief and little belief, those
were the ones who received healing, which healing is absolutely a new
covenant great and precious promise of God.
Obviously, in the end of a person's
life, all people are going to die, because it has been appointed to us
to die once (Heb. 9:27). And along with that dying process
usually first comes sickness and illness as bodily functions begin to
fail, which failures ultimately lead to death. But in all the
records in God's Word of people receiving healing I know of not one
where repeated healings were constantly being given to an elderly person
to artificially prolong their life beyond the point of that one's own
natural time to die. Although, there may be such a record in God's
Word. There are records in God's Word where he promises to
preserve the length of our days upon the earth, to lengthen the life
span of those who believe, but not to preserve a person's life span
indefinitely, so that the first death, the one which has been appointed
to all mortalkind, absolutely does not occur.
Eternal life is promised to us after the first death and our subsequent
resurrection out of dead ones.
In this record in Mat. 15, because she, although not of the
children of Israel but a Canaanite woman, was ethnically considered to
be no better than a dog, demonstrated phenomenal belief in Jesus, God
working IN and THROUGH Jesus honored her request to heal her daughter.
Please notice how the woman's daughter is covered by her mother's
believing for her. This and other records in God's Word show that
until children have reached the age of accountability, when through
their own free will they determine whether to reject or accept God the
heavenly Father and his son Jesus Christ, or believe and receive them,
the parents are responsible through their own belief to apprehend God's
great and precious promises for both they and their children.
If the parents don't believe, then the children as well as the parents
are at risk to be stolen from, destroyed and/or killed by the devil (Rom.
10:9-10).
At a time subsequent to the time from of these occurrences recorded in the holy scriptures, sometime after the day of Pentecost has come, Cornelius and his household will believe upon the name of Jesus. And while apostle Peter is visiting and speaking to them the Promise of the Father (Joel 2:28-32), God's gift of holy Spirit is poured out upon them, by Christ Jesus in his heavenly ministry (Joel 2:28-32; Mat. 3:11; Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 2:33, 39, 19:4; Gal. 3:14, 22; Eph. 1:13, 3:6; Heb. 9:15). This is the first recorded occurrence of the coming to pass of those ancient prophecies that God would take out of the cosmos a special people for himself, not confining himself to only the children of Israel (Acts 13).