“4 Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honour except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.’ 5 He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few people who were ill and heal them. 6 He was amazed at their lack of faith.” (Mark 6:4-6)
“Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: ‘Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. 7 That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, “Go”, and he goes; and that one, “Come”, and he comes. I say to my servant, “Do this”, and he does it.’ 9 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, ‘I tell you; I have not found such great faith even in Israel.’” (Luke 7:6-9)
There are several episodes in the New Testament in which people express their amazement at things Jesus did or said. But I have only found two occasions in which Jesus was amazed. In Mark 6:6 we read “He was amazed at their lack of faith” in his own hometown. And in Luke 7:9 we read of the great faith shown by a centurion, such a faith that Jesus “was amazed at him, and…said, ‘I tell you; I have not found such great faith even in Israel.’” It is interesting to read the two accounts side-by-side. In the first we have a glimpse into a sabbath synagogue congregation – a place where we might have expected to see faith. But there is a notable lack of faith. In the second we have a glimpse into the heart of a Gentile military man – a place where we might not have expected to see faith. But there is a notable depth of faith. In both, Jesus is amazed at an issue of faith.
I feel an implicit challenge here. How does my level of faith compare? Would Jesus be amazed at its absence or its abundance?