A homily by Fr. Gene Tucker, given at Trinity Church, Mt. Vernon, Illinois on Sunday, June 2, 2013.
“DOING OUR PART: HAVING FAITH”
(Homily text: Luke 7:1-10)
This short
verse, lifted from the Letter of James, summarizes the account of the
centurion’s faith in the Lord’s power to heal his servant. The centurion shows steadfast faith, and the
assurance that the Lord can do what he has asked. The healing of his servant is the result.
Before we
draw some conclusions for our own faith walk with God, let’s take a closer look
at Luke’s account of the healing of the centurion’s servant. Many fascinating details lie just under the
surface.
First of
all, we note that the setting for the incident before us is Capernahum. Capernahum is on the northern coast of the
Sea of Galilee. After Jesus left his
home in Nazareth, we are told that He made His home there.
Now, we
come to the centurion. A centurion, in
the Roman army, was in charge of a hundred soldiers (hence the name for his
rank and office). We notice that this
centurion is no typical soldier, for we discover that he is a lover of God, the
God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of Moses. (We might call him a “God-fearer”, one of that
class of persons who were Gentiles, but who had come to believe in the God of
the Bible….we spoke about another “God-fearer” a few weeks ago, Lydia, the
dealer in purple goods.[1])
This centurion has built a synagogue for Jewish worship.[2] Moreover, this centurion seems to be aware of
Jewish customs regarding associations with Gentiles, for as Jesus makes His way
to the centurion’s home, the centurion sends some of his friends to Jesus,
saying that he is not worthy that the Lord should come into his home (for that
would lead to a condition of ritual defilement, for a Jew to be in a Gentile’s
home).
The
centurion’s high regard for God, for Jewish customs, and his respect for Jesus,
all make for an unusual combination of attributes in a soldier who is also a
Gentile.
The
centurion’s actions stand in sharp contrast to the attitudes and actions of the
Jewish leaders in Jerusalem and elsewhere.
Already, the scribes and the Pharisees are building their opposition to
Jesus and to His ministry. These
authority figures regard Jesus with disdain and with suspicion. Over time, their opposition and disdain will
continue to build, leading eventually to the plot to kill Him.
So it is
worth noting that it is the outsider, the Gentile who was, perhaps, part of the
Roman occupation army, who shows respect for the Lord and faith in the Lord’s
ability to heal, qualities that many of the Jewish authorities lacked.
“Lord, do
not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. Therefore I did not presume to come to
you. But say the word, and let my
servant be healed.” (Luke 7:6b –7). These are the words of the
centurion, they are filled with respect and deference to Jesus, and a sure
faith in Jesus’ power.
What is at
work in this incident is the Lord’s power to heal. The prayer of a believer for healing, which
is supported by faith, is also at work.
Holy
Scripture records many instances where a person’s faith was an essential ingredient
in bringing healing and change. “Go your
way, your faith has made you well,” the Lord said to the woman who had had an
issue of blood for twelve years. (Luke 8:48)
There is a
mystery at work here, as these three ingredients come together:
·
God’s power to heal,
·
our faith in His ability to heal,
·
and our prayer to ask for healing.
Exactly how
is it that the prayers of faithful people, offered in assurance of God’s
ability to grant our request, makes it possible for the request to be
granted? Where does our limited human
ability intersect with God’s power to bring about healing, to bring about
changes in our situations or circumstances?
We can’t
answer the question with precision. As
with all mysteries, especially those which involve God’s power and presence, we
cannot know exactly how it all works.
But we do know that the prayers of faithful believers are part of the
process of bringing healing and change.
God’s
granting of our requests is entirely dependent on the Lord’s divine will. In all things, we know that God will answer
our requests, one way or another, according to His will. In all things, we can be sure that His will is
best for us, even if, in the immediate circumstances, it may not seem to be
best.
May we have
the faith of the centurion, knowing that the Lord’s power and authority can
accomplish more than we can ask or imagine.
AMEN.
[1] See Acts 16:11 – 15.
[2] If the synagogue was located in Capernahum,
some of its foundations can still be seen in a lower part of the synagogue that
has been partially restored that was build sometime later on.
