Matthew 8: The Nobility of Prayer Itself Over the Faith of the Pray-er
Matthew 8: The Nobility of Prayer Itself Over the Faith of the Pray-er
10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, "Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.
26 He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
The editor of Matthew, after concluding the Sermon on the Mount (chapters 5-7), introduces Jesus's healing miracles starting from chapter 8. Notably, chapter 8 highlights the healing of the centurion's servant and the calming of the storm to ensure the disciples' safety. Through these events, the editor aims to convey three messages. First, Jesus's healing transcends the boundaries between Gentiles and Jews. The editor even portrays the faith of the Gentile centurion as greater than that of the Jewish disciples. For Jesus, the barrier between Gentiles and Jews is meaningless to the extent that Jews who were supposed to inherit the kingdom of heaven could be cast out. Second, by juxtaposing the healing of the centurion's servant and the disciples' encounter with the storm, the editor subtly reveals that the will of the one who hears the prayer is more important than the faith of the one praying. We often associate the answer to a prayer with the faith of the person praying. Hence, in prayer meetings where desperate believers gather, the lack of healing despite prayers has been attributed to a lack of prayer and faith. This interpretation cannot be helped but be seen as superficial reading of Matthew 8. While it is appropriate to address a lack of faith in the pray-er, it should not be seen as a reason for not receiving an answer. Who can confidently claim to have greater faith than Apostle Paul? Yet, even Paul did not always receive what he prayed for. The response to a prayer depends more on the will of the one hearing it than the faith of the one praying. Third, the act of praying itself is more important than the amount of faith the pray-er has. This is a common theme in both events, pointing to the inherent nobility of prayer. Children do not pray to their parents in the way we traditionally think of prayer; they simply talk to them. This is also why Jesus encouraged us to be like little children. For children, everyday speech is essentially a prayer.