In Matthew Chapter 8, we read of some of the miracles that Jesus did. He not only preached, but He cared for people as well. He touched lepers whom no-one else would touch. He not only healed them thereby but gave them a sense of worth. We read here of a Roman centurion who was so humble a man and so full of faith that when Jesus said He would come to his house to heal his servant, said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come to my house. Just speak the word and it will be done.” Faith and humility always go together. Jesus immediately said “I have not found such great faith in anyone in Israel” (Matthew 8:10).
Jesus was a master at appreciating and encouraging people. He publicly praised Peter once saying, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, My Father in heaven has revealed this to you” (Matthew 16:17). He praised Nathaniel saying, “There is a man in whom there is no guile” (John 1:47). Jesus was lavish in His appreciation of people, even though none of them were perfect. The Roman centurion, Peter and Nathaniel were all imperfect people. But yet Jesus found something to appreciate in all of them. He did not hesitate to praise the good that He saw even in an unconverted, idol-worshipping, military captain, who knew nothing about the Bible or the true God. Do you think that Roman centurion ever forgot that word that Jesus spoke, for the rest of his life? No. He must have been so encouraged by those words, that it is more than likely that he became a wholehearted disciple of Jesus.
" Jesus was a master at appreciating and encouraging people "
We can learn something from this about true godliness and about the kingdom of heaven. The children of Adam are misers at appreciating people and masters at criticising them. We are hesitant to publicly appreciate people, for fear that they might get puffed up thereby. We cannot even appreciate genuinely godly people. Most believers have not learnt this habit from Christ. We certainly must not flatter anyone, for flattery is Satanic. But genuine appreciation is a Divine characteristic. If a godly man gives a word of appreciation to another brother, that single word could encourage him to follow Jesus wholeheartedly.
