“When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, ‘I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.'” (Luke 7:9-10)
Here we see how Jesus healed the servant of the Roman centurion. This man serves as a excellent example of faith even though he was not a Jew. As a military officer he was used to giving orders and knowing that they would be obeyed without hesitation. He believed that Jesus had similar authority for he had probably heard that when He pronounced words of healing and restoration, what He said never failed to happen. He knew that Jesus just had to say the word and it was done. He did not have to petition Him over and over again, nor did He have to request a sign to increase his belief.
Jesus performed mighty miraculous signs and wonders that people actually saw. These often served to convince sinners of God’s love. Yet faith trusts that God will always do what He says even though we do not see the results or the proof with our own eyes. This extends to the greatest miracle of all, the one Christ extends to all, one which cannot be experienced or seen in the physical realm. Jesus forgives people their sins.
We may take the concept of forgiving sins a little too lightly for we are in the habit of forgiving people all the time for a wide range of offenses. Or at least we say we do but yet we hold grudges, or forgive with conditions or reservations, or continue to judge people based on their past actions. But Jesus actually forgives sins. He absolves people from guilt without any conditions. When He forgives, He knows the heart of the sinner and enables each to change, to grown in righteousness by the presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit. We pray that He would give us such discernment and wisdom that we might be His instruments of mercy and grace.