Matthew 8:10

‘And when Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to those who followed, “Truly I say to you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.” '

Jesus was impressed by the man's open statement of faith. Others had believed that He could heal at a distance, but always at His instigation (John 4:46). But this man was so confident in Him, and so believed in Him that he not only accepted the idea without question, but actually proposed it. He had complete confidence in Jesus' ability. And it arose from his understanding of the basis of Jesus' powers. He recognised that Jesus had a unique authority because He was under the greatest Authority of all. So here was a Gentile who had more faith in Jesus, and a deeper understanding of His high authority, than all the Israelites whom He had come across, even his Jewish disciples, with their growing, but still tentative, faith.

Nevertheless having said that we must not overlook the emphasis also on the faith of the woman with the issue of blood (Matthew 9:22) and the faith of the blind men (Matthew 9:28). Faith is an important part of this subsection, and there were many Jews who had faith. But the centurion was outstanding because he understood the basis on which he could believe. There was nothing waffly about his faith. This remarkable narrative demonstrated quite clearly that when it came to attitude towards God a Gentile could be just as acceptable to God as a Jew, and perhaps even moreso. Instinctively we know that after this Jesus must shortly open up His ministry, and the Kingly Rule of Heaven, to Gentiles, although not until the Jews had had their full opportunity. Nevertheless in this case Jesus leaves the seed sown to prosper. He does not, as far as we know, seek to follow it up. But we cannot really doubt that the centurion would come to hear Him preach, as soldiers had also gone to hear John the Baptist (Luke 3:14 - he may have been one of them)

‘Jesus -- marvelled.' We have here a reminder that while walking on earth as man Jesus had ceased to call on His own omniscience. Thus in certain things He could be taken by surprise. But He was, of course, perfectly attuned to His Father and to the Holy Spirit, the source of all truth, in all things pertaining to God and His purposes.