Mark 15:25-39

“Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, ‘Truly this man was God’s Son!’” vs. 39

Mark closes his account of the crucifixion with a confession of faith from the centurion who was likely the Roman officer in charge of the executions. As he watched Jesus draw his last tortured breath the centurion was moved to say, “Truly this man was God’s Son!.” It seems an unlikely response to watching the final moments of life for a dying man–but not an impossible one. Faith is a fickle companion on life’s journey. At times we can yearn for an unshakable trust in God, and be unable to dispel our doubts. At other times, as in the case of the centurion, it pops up for no good reason at all. Even in the most unlikely circumstances deep faith convictions can show up out of nowhere, and we can find great consolation in their presence. For some even the life of discipleship is a mystery. Such persons have no idea why at some random point in their life they made a conscious decision to follow Jesus. Now we don’t know what happened to the centurion. Ancient traditions indicate that he was martyred for his faith. And we don’t know what will happen in our own life of faith. But surely it will be a blessing if it continues as a source of comfort and strength for the rest of our days!

Thought for the Day: How is the centurion’s story like my own?