Andy Belknap
How is it that a Roman centurion was regarded by Jesus as someone with more faith than anyone in Israel (cf. Matt 8:5-13)? Is that not an odd thing to say, as there were many faithful people in Israel at this time, including His own disciples? Or why is Rahab, a Canaanite prostitute, highly commended for her faith (cf. James 2:18-25) and included in the “Hall of Faith” (cf. Heb. 11), where many other faithful Israelites are not mentioned?
While we know this Roman centurion was a generally upright man (cf. Lk. 7:4-5), he did not personally know Jesus or witness any of His miracles. Luke 7:3 says, “When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant.” Although the centurion had not witnessed the power of Jesus with his own eyes, he trusted and had faith in Him based on what he had heard about Jesus. He believed Jesus had full power and authority to heal his servant with only a word.
Rahab also had not seen the power of God with her own two eyes. She tells the Israelite spies, “For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction. And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the Lord your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath” (Josh. 2:10-11). Although she had only heard reports about God and what He had done, her belief in those reports convicted her and led her to action in response to that knowledge.
By contrast, many individuals who had much greater exposure to truth and His miraculous deeds failed to believe and obey the Lord (Jn. 12:36b-40). Those who had much more evidence and reason to trust Him often did not. Even some of the apostles at times are rebuked by Jesus for having “no faith” or “little faith” (cf. Mk. 4:37-40; Matt. 14:28-31).
The amount of faith someone has is not measured by how long they have been a Christian or by what level of Biblical knowledge they may possess. It is measured by how one responds and obeys in proportion to whatever amount of knowledge of God that they may have. The reason Rahab and the Roman centurion are so highly commended for their faith is because of how boldly and confidently they acted despite their limited knowledge of who God and Jesus were.
To those who have spent much time studying the Scriptures, seen God work within their lives, and witnessed His continuous providential care, much is to be expected! This concept is highlighted in Luke 12:35-48. In this passage, Jesus tells a parable where He describes servants waiting for their master to return. The faithful servant stays ready and does his job, whereas the unfaithful servant assumes his master is delayed and becomes careless. At the end of this parable, Jesus said, “Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.” Jesus is teaching a principle that we will be held accountable in proportion to what we have been given and understand.
With this in mind, a subtle but dangerous mindset may emerge. One may think, “If greater knowledge brings greater expectation and responsibility, perhaps it is safer not to grow.” This attitude fundamentally misunderstands faith. Faith is not a burden to avoid; it is the very means by which we please God (Heb. 11:6). To resist growth in knowledge is to resist growth in faith itself. It also ignores God’s call to maturity. We are not meant to remain spiritually shallow, but to embrace and grow in both understanding and obedience. Avoiding knowledge does not remove responsibility; it reveals a reluctance to trust. The problem is not knowing too much, but not doing what we should with what we know.
Consider your own faith. Think about all the Scriptures you have read and studied that have taught you who God is, His character, and what He has done for you. Think about when God has healed you, when He helped you through those many difficult times that you have forgotten about, and all the ways He has provided and sustained you in answer to your prayers. Think about not only the evidence within His Word, but within nature itself in that, as we continue to learn more about the complexities of this universe, we see more clearly the evidence of a powerful and wise Designer. With all that you have been given and with everything that you know, how great is your faith?
