Word to the Wise
Saturday, June 30, 2007 - Twelfth Saturday in Ordinary Time
[Genesis 18:1-15 and Matthew 8:5-17]Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed.
The centurion is not Jewish! His faith in Jesus is based on an analogy with his position as a military leader. He gives commands and soldiers obey. His own superiors give commands and HE obeys. So, he figures that Jesus' word is sufficient to accomplish what needs to be done. He has a faith in Jesus' ability to heal. Whether or not it goes beyond that is unknown, but it is certainly sufficient for Jesus, who marvels at it. The healing ministry of Jesus in the gospels is not meant to stand alone. It is a sign of his identity and the coming of the kingdom. In this, it is sensitive to faith in Jesus, which leads to Jesus being able to heal a person. Other examples appear in the Syro-Phoenician woman and the woman suffering from a hemorrhage. The emphasis is not on the healing but on the faith that enables healing. Modern medical science, in its better moments, recognizes that it is more than medicine that heals. It is entirely possible to cure a person of an illness without bringing about a healing of the person. Bearing this in mind may help us to understand the role of faith in the healing process. Would Jesus marvel at ours? AMEN