Introduction
I am regularly astonished at how much I don’t know about the Bible. I mean that.
Sure I’ve been wrestling with the Word regularly and faithfully for over
30 years. Of course, I still look
forward to my weekly study, prayer and writing time when I seriously try to
engage the ancient text in light of our contemporary context.
· But come on: over and over again when I pay attention to
our Scriptures, I am astonished, stunned and enlightened by something nuanced
and beautiful – albeit it challenging – in the old, familiar words I’ve been
spending time with for all these years.
· It’s like
ministry itself: I can’t tell you how
many times I’ve said, “Well, just when I thought I’d seen everything... some
new problem or blessing pops up that I’ve never even considered before.
Back in high school there was a song by Led Zeppelin, "Dazed and Confused" and that might also be the title of today's message, ok? Because in today’s gospel from St. Luke’s pen, two astonishing things
grabbed my imagination this week: first,
the story tells us that Jesus was astonished and challenged by the faith of a
Roman centurion – I’ll say more about that in just a moment – but let that sink
in, ok?
· A Roman centurion
– a soldier from the occupying army of the empire – the enemy – the outsider
par excellence – and the Bible tells us that, “when Jesus heard the centurion talk about
his faith… he was amazed at him. And turning to the crowd that followed, Jesus
said, "I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith."
· This is something
to pay attention to, ok? That’s the
first shocker for me…
And the second is the very clear but often forgotten reminder that the
healing ministry of Jesus is NOT something new and unique. Rather it is rooted in a deep Jewish
tradition of compassion and grace – a tradition as old as the commandments –
but which is often misinterpreted by modern Christians who haven’t spent enough
time with the Hebrew Bible – including myself.
· Again, when I paid
closer attention to this story, an ancient parallel from the Hebrew Bible
popped out at me – specifically the healing ministry of the prophet Elisha who
also healed an Aramean enemy officer of leprosy to show the grace and glory of
God.
· Scholars are
clear that those who first heard this story – and others with ancient parallels
– would have made the connections we have forgotten. Namely that “God's tender mercies cannot be held in or
held back, but instead overflow every border, every boundary we set to contain
them.”
And rather than assume that this is some kind of new teaching
from Jesus… the early Jewish Christians would see a connection between Jesus
and the God of Israel who always seeks to be compassionate to all in the human
family… In fact they would affirm that what Jesus is doing is at the heart of
Jewish identity, and signals that the ministry of the church is in continuity
with the ministry of Israel. (Kate Huey, UCC Sermon
Seeds)
Are you
still with me? Am I being clear on this
point? The ministry of Jesus is rooted
in the ministry of Israel – AND – this ministry is ALWAYS about God’s amazing
grace.
Insights
Now here’s
some context and background that might help you share my amazement at this
story, ok?
· First, these
healing stories about Jesus in Luke’s gospel are given to us – and the early
church – to balance the skepticism expressed by the hometown people to Christ’s
first sermon. Do you remember that story
– back in Luke 4 – about Jesus coming to his home synagogue, reading from the
scroll of Isaiah 61 and then telling those who had watched him grow up that
“today this scripture has been filled full with my reading and presence.” – do
you recall that?
· You see, we won’t
be able to appreciate what Luke is telling us in today’s story unless we
can also remember that other one. So
what happened after Jesus told his hometown crew that in their hearing that
day, God’s promise that Spirit of the Lord was upon
him and it had anointed him to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim release
to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go
free and announce the year of the Lord’s favor to all people had been realized?
· What did the
people do? First, the snickered – are
you kidding me – this is Mary and Joseph’s kid – who does he think he is? That is, they didn’t believe or take him seriously. So Jesus told them some stories out of
Israel’s past – specifically about how God led the prophet Elijah to once feed
a starving pagan widow during a famine in Israel but brought food to no one
else, and, how the prophet Elisha had once healed the Syrian military leader
Naaman of leprosy but not the children of Israel when they were suffering – and
that both acts were a sign of God’s grace as well as judgment, right? And what did his hometown community do at
this? They tried to kill him by throwing
him off a cliff.
Jesus reminded his people that God’s grace knows no
boundaries or limits – that it isn’t theirs to own or control – for God’s
Spirit blows wherever GOD chooses. Now
why would this news be so offensive even though it is grounded in Israel’s
history?
· Can you think of
examples from our own story as Americans that call into question our sanitized
and even sentimental understanding of who we are?
· Jesus was doing
the same thing… reminding God’s chosen people that God is the center of all
things – not them, their mythology or limited understanding of their own
history – God who is compassionate beyond comprehension.
That sermon is the backdrop for today’s story when
Jesus actually replicates the gracious healing of a military enemy once given
to the world through the prophet Elisha.
Are you still with me? Do you see
how this is building? Ok, so Jesus has
now left his home town and gone into the city of Capernaum, a border town in Israel, which was known as…
the village of compassion. Interesting,
yes? The village of compassion…
And when he gets into town there is a military
presence in Capernaum that has been sent to make sure that taxes were paid and
tolls were collected as demanded by Rome.
Apparently the soldiers of the empire were not actually Roman – they
just served Rome – but they were Gentiles – outsiders in the service of
Israel’s enemy. And one of these outside
Gentile enemies sends a message to Jesus to bring healing to one of his
servants.
· Now think about
that for a moment: what humility is
involved in this request, yes? Here a
captain of the army who is used to commanding others and getting results not
only requests help from the ranks of the oppressed, but does so for one of his
servants or slaves.
· Clearly, the
centurion has chosen the way of love and compassion over the rule of
intimidation and control, don’t you think?
The soldier’s servant is too sick to ask for help for himself – so the
one who is in charge makes a request for the one in need – in humility and
compassion the centurion acts beyond the rules and socially acceptable order of
the day: Jesus, only say the word, and
my servant shall be healed.
· Remember the
song: won’t you let me be your servant?
One verse goes: I will weep when
you are weeping, when you laugh I’ll laugh with you; I will share your joys and
sorrows till we’ve seen this journey through.
That’s what is happening in this story – and it is amazing to me –
because it breaks down the barriers of race, class, religion, history and tradition.
The story concludes with two more amazing truths: one, the centurion’s servant is healed – made
whole and restored to community – in what can only be called a miraculous way;
and two, Jesus reminds those around him that once again God’s grace is greater
than our short and selective memory for just as God chose to bring healing in
the ministry of the prophet Elisha, so too God chose to bring healing through
Jesus.
· Now, I don’t know
how you deal with or make sense out of the miracle stories – I’ve been all over
the map with them – sometimes trying to find rational explanations of them that
make sense to my 21st century mind and sometimes just giving them
over to mystery and grace.
·
Mostly I prefer
the later these days – mystery and grace – thinking that miracles are a
reminder of who is really in charge. One
wise soul put it like this: miracles are not something that violates the
natural order, the laws of nature that seem to undergird our existence in the
material world.”
Instead
a miracle is "the interruption of the true order – the order of the
creator God – into the demonic disorder of the present world.” Scholars seem to agree that the healings
performed by Jesus are signs of the Reign of God drawing near, so every time we
experience or witness healing, we too experience a taste of the Reign of
God. This story teaches us that we
shouldn't occupy ourselves with who deserves God's grace and mercy and healing…
because we hear that "the reign of God went in search of the outsider. Rather it reminds us that it is so typical of
God to be untypical: crossing boundaries
before us, the power of God moves us out of ourselves and of our narrow worlds.
(Huey)
Conclusion
And so I’m
amazed – amazed at what I didn’t know about the Jewish roots of this miracle –
amazed at how broad and radical God’s grace really is – bigger than both my
imagination and tradition – and amazed that in this cynical age I can still be
amazed. Every day, in ways most of us
never see, God’s grace empowers us with courage and hope and faithfulness to
such a staggering extent that we should be filled with amazement. When I pause long enough to notice, it blows
me away: strangers reaching in this
place reaching out to one who is sick with signs of love, nourishment and
compassion.
· People of modest
means giving both of their limited time and financial resources so that
ministry in Christ’s name might flourish…
· Women and men who
have been wounded and scarred by sin offering forgiveness in ways that can only
be called miraculous…
· Prayers raised up
without others ever knowing – visits to the lonely that go unreported and
undetected – love, dedication and compassion shared beyond what we can ever
imagine.
Last week I asked you what YOU did to bring blessings
to your ordinary life: today let me push
that deeper and ask when are YOU amazed by God’s grace in your life – in the
world – in your heart. Think about that,
please, and your own faith will grow and be nourished just as our Lord’s was so
long ago.
(I don't usually "DO" prayer and praise songs but I love these words and this version is the least "churchy" in all the worst understandings of that word.)
credits
2) www.elca.org
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