When Jesus marvelled

The Bible records two distinct occasions when Jesus marvelled (θαυμάζω, thaumazō, meaning to wonder, to be amazed, to be astonished). These two instances stand in stark contrast, revealing what truly caught the attention of the Son of God.

To understand our own positions, it may be a good idea to take note of this.

1. At Great Faith (Matthew 8:10, Luke 7:9)
   
   

• Context: A Roman centurion, a Gentile, came to Jesus asking Him to heal his servant who was gravely ill. What astonished Jesus was not just the request, but the centurion's profound understanding of authority. The centurion stated that Jesus didn't need to come to his house; He only needed to speak the word, and his servant would be healed (Matthew 8:8). He reasoned that just as he, a man under authority, could command his soldiers and servants, so Jesus, being under God's authority, could simply command the sickness.

• Jesus' Response: "When Jesus heard it, He marvelled and said to those who followed, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!'" (Matthew 8:10, NKJV). Luke's account adds, "When Jesus heard these things, He marvelled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, 'I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!'" (Luke 7:9, NKJV).

• Significance: Jesus marvelled at the depth of faith in someone who was not a Jew, an outsider to the covenant, yet grasped the spiritual principle of authority and the power of Jesus' word more profoundly than many religious leaders of Israel. This demonstrated that true faith transcends cultural or religious boundaries.

2. At Unbelief (Mark 6:6)
   
   

• Context: Jesus returned to His hometown of Nazareth, where He had grown up. He began to teach in the synagogue, and while many were astonished at His wisdom and mighty works, their familiarity with Him bred contempt. They questioned His authority and dismissed Him because they knew His earthly family ("Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary...?").

• Jesus' Response: "He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He marvelled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching." (Mark 6:5-6, NKJV). Matthew's parallel account (Matthew 13:58) notes, "Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief."

• Significance: This is a sobering instance. Jesus, who performed countless miracles, was amazed by the sheer lack of faith in His own hometown, where they should have been most receptive. Their unbelief limited His ability to minister powerfully among them, not because He lacked power, but because their hearts were closed. This highlights the vital role of faith (or its absence) in receiving from God.

Let’s get practical

While harbouring unbelief isn't "bad" because it offends God or makes Him angry in a punitive sense, it is detrimental and counterproductive because it acts as a barrier to receiving and experiencing the full benefits of His lavish grace and the finished work of Christ. It's like having a treasure map to an inheritance that's already legally yours, but refusing to believe the map is true, thus never claiming the treasure.

Let's break down why harbouring unbelief is so contrary to a life lived in grace:

Firstly, it Undermines the Sufficiency of Christ's Finished Work:

• The Foundation: The core of grace is that Jesus has already done everything necessary for our salvation, righteousness, peace, healing, and provision. On the cross, He declared, "It is finished" (Τετέλεσται, Tetelestai) – a Greek term meaning "paid in full" (John 19:30). He became the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes (Romans 10:4). He perfected forever those who are being sanctified by one offering (Hebrews 10:14).

• Unbelief's Action: When we harbour unbelief, we are subtly, often unconsciously, implying that Christ's work wasn't entirely sufficient. We suggest that we need to add something (our efforts, our perfect behaviour, our constant striving - prying harder, doing more, living better) or that God might still be withholding because of our past or present imperfections. This effectively nullifies the power of the finished work of Christ (Galatians 2:21, "For if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain") because it places the burden back on us, diminishing the completeness of His sacrifice.

Secondly, it Stands Against Receiving What God Has Already Given:

• God's Generosity: Grace means God gives liberally and without reproach (James 1:5). His desire is to bless us, not to withhold. He "richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment" (1 Timothy 6:17).

• Unbelief's Barrier: Unbelief doesn't stop God's grace from being present, but it essentially stands against receiving the full package of our inheritance, accessing it or appropriating it. Think of it like a universal Wi-Fi signal (God's grace) that is always on and available. If your device (your heart/mind) has its Wi-Fi turned off or isn't trusting the password, you won't connect, even though the signal is strong and free.

• Biblical Example: Remember Jesus in Nazareth (Mark 6:5-6)? "He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He marvelled because of their unbelief." His power wasn't diminished; their unbelief closed the door to receiving that power. It's not that God couldn't, but that they wouldn't receive.

Thirdly, it Distorts God's Loving Character:

• Great Faith acknowledges the Grace in Real Love: Great faith is the unwavering acknowledgement of the finished work of Christ and reveals in our innermost being a picture of a loving, generous Father who freely gives and delights in His children. "God is love" (1 John 4:8), and His love was demonstrated by sending Christ (Romans 5:8).

• Unbelief Fosters Fear: Harbouring unbelief often stems from a distorted view of God – seeing Him as a harsh judge, a demanding taskmaster, or someone we constantly need to appease. This leads to a reluctance to draw near to Him because of fear, anxiety, and a feeling of unworthiness, rather than the peace and assurance that grace offers (Romans 5:1, 2 Timothy 1:7). It makes us shy away from His presence instead of running into His open arms.

Fourthly, it Creates Inner Instability (Double-Mindedness):

• As we explored with δίψυχος (dipsychos), the "two-souled" person in James 1:8 (see next post), unbelief creates internal division. One part of you might try to trust God for what He still needs to accomplish through His promises along with clinging to worldly wisdom, fear of lack, or self-condemnation whilst another part of you are fully aware of His complete finished work.

• This internal dispute (διακρίνω, diakrinō) makes you "like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind" (James 1:6). You become unstable and unable to consistently distinguish between the present and the past because your heart is not singularly focused on the complete sufficiency of Christ in His done deal.

Fifthly, it Prevents Manifestation and Growth:

• While our salvation is secure by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), the ongoing experience of God's blessings – healing, provision, breakthrough, wisdom, peace – often hinges on our active faith (Hebrews 11:6, "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him") instead of His active faith. This "pleasing" is not about earning, but about responding to His finished work with trust.

• Unbelief stunts spiritual growth ("growing into the full measure of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13) because it keeps us focused on the past, ourselves and our limitations, rather than on His Grace and the limitless power and provision in us.

Conversely, harbouring great faith isn't about mustering up a strong emotional feeling or achieving a certain level of performance to impress God. Rather, it's about a deep, confident trust in the absolute sufficiency of Christ's finished work on the cross and the unconditional, abundant grace of God that flows from it. It's not the quantity of our faith, but the object of our faith – which is the completed work of Jesus.

Here's why harbouring great faith is not just a good idea, but essential for living a thriving life in the New Covenant of grace:

Firstly, it Unlocks the Full Experience of God's Provision (Receiving His Already-Given Blessings):

• The Foundation: In the New Covenant, all spiritual blessings are already ours in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). Healing, provision, peace, righteousness, wisdom – these were secured by Jesus' blood and resurrection. They are not things we need to convince God to give, but realities we receive by faith.

• Faith as the Receiver: Just as unbelief acts like a closed hand preventing us from receiving, great faith is like an open hand, ready to take hold of what God has already provided by grace. It doesn't earn the blessing, but it accesses the blessing.

• Bible Reference: Jesus said in Mark 9:23, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." This isn't about our ability to make things happen, but about the unlimited possibilities of God when we abide in His Faith aligning it with His already accomplished will. We "draw from the well of salvation" with joy (Isaiah 12:3).

Secondly, it Brings Profound Assurance and Deep Peace:

• Peace with God: Because of Christ's finished work, we have been justified by faith and have peace with God (Romans 5:1). Great faith solidifies this truth in our hearts. We cease striving to earn acceptance or prove our worthiness, knowing we are fully righteous and accepted in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21, Ephesians 1:6).

• Rest in His Work: This deep assurance allows us to enter into God's rest (Hebrews 4:3) without strife. We stop being "tossed about by every wind of doctrine" or every anxious thought (Ephesians 4:14, James 1:6-8), because our hope is anchored in the unchanging reality of Jesus' perfect sacrifice. We find peace in knowing that "It is finished."

Thirdly, it Aligns Us with God's True Character as a Father, a Generous Giver:

• God's Heart Revealed: Grace (Jesus) reveals God as an overwhelmingly generous, loving Father who already gave all and delights in giving good gifts to His children. He didn't spare His own Son for us, so how could He possibly withhold anything else (Romans 8:32)?

• Unbelief Distorts: Unbelief often stems from a distorted view of God, seeing Him someone who is far away or keeping back His promises, thus as stingy, easily angered, or requiring appeasement. Great faith corrects this image, allowing us to approach Him with confidence and boldness (Hebrews 4:16).

Fourthly, it Empowers Effective Prayer and Spiritual Dominion:

• Asking in Confidence: When we have great faith, our prayers transform from begging to confident appropriation. We know that if we ask anything according to His will (which is perfectly revealed in His finished work), He hears us, and we have what we have asked (1 John 5:14-15).

• Speaking to Mountains: Great faith empowers us to speak to the "mountains" (obstacles, problems, sicknesses) in our lives, not out of our own strength, but out of the authority Christ has given us through His victory (Mark 11:23-24). We command situations based on what Jesus has already accomplished, trusting that His finished work accomplished what He said it would.

Fifthly, it Cultivates Stability and Consistency in Our Lives:

• Single-Mindedness: As contrasted with double-mindedness (δίψυχος, dipsychos – "two-souled") (see next post), great faith fosters a single-minded devotion to Christ and His sufficient accomplishment. This removes the internal conflict and instability that plagues a heart divided between grace and works, or between God's truth and doctrinal “truth” (religion).

• Firm Foundation: Our lives become stable, built on the solid rock of Christ, rather than shifting sands of circumstances or self-effort. This leads to consistency in our walk, our words, and our spiritual growth.

Sixthly, it Glorifies God and His Grace:

• Ultimately, harbouring great faith brings glory to God. It proclaims the vastness of His grace, the completeness of Christ's triumph, and the trustworthiness that goes hand-in-hand with this. It demonstrates to the world that God is who He says He is, and that His grace is truly sufficient for all things. "And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6, NKJV). This "pleasing" is not about earning merit, but about delighting in Him by trusting His character and His finished work.

What is left to say then?

So, Jesus marvelled at both the extraordinary presence of faith (of the centurion) and the astonishing absence of faith (of those in His hometown, Nazareth). These two moments underscore the profound impact that human faith or unbelief can have and that our free will to either believe or doubt is honoured by God, even as was the case Jesus when He walked this earth.