When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, “I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith” (Matthew 8:10).

Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! It will be done just as you believed it would” (Matthew 8:13a).

Small children have astonishing faith in their mothers and fathers.

Why? Their little beings have some primal knowing that if left on their own, they're sunk. Ideally though, they experience the presence and care of their parents from the get-go, which launches their astonishing faith.  

Grown-ups, on the other hand, have gained some skills, some street-smarts, some experience that fools them into thinking they can stay afloat. That primal knowing they will sink if left on their own is still there, but it's buried way down deep—like treasure on the sea floor.  Two things need to happen for it to bob to the surface again. They need to recognize their precarious situation and to get wind of a Parent worthy of their trust.

Matthew clued us in on what this process looks like with the centurion's story.

With intense compassion for his servant in distress, but with no skills to bring to bear on the dilemma, the centurion sought out Jesus. His actions and words convey his certainty that he had found in Jesus the ultimate Parent in whom he could put his faith.

This faith process wasn't simple. Yet it was simple. A little child could do it. But a grown man had to let it transpire in him. In his case, he was propelled by reflecting on the way authority worked in the Roman military.  As a commander of 100, he was under authority and others were under his authority. He had thought this through, reasoned this out. Jesus had authority. He could be trusted.

This was Jesus' mission—to convey God's identity as the Ultimate Trustworthy Parent. It had been an uphill task within Judaism. Yet here was the great faith of a little child streaming out of an adult man—a Roman man, no less—straight at Him.

Just as parents are astonished by each new step their child takes, Jesus was astonished by this step of the centurion's. And, by extension, He was astonished at this step by those beyond the “borders” of Judaism.

So He said to those far and wide who would put their faith in Him, “Go, it will be done just as you believed it would.”

In the process of writing this devotional I became astonished at how often I stew about and try to figure out stuff. Lots! Want to join me in astonishing Jesus with child-faith instead of dragging our stuff around with us day and night?