Daily Gospel V: Luke 7: 1-10

*Before you go on, also read the reading for today, which is from 1 Timothy 2: 1-8. I like the reading a lot as well, and it goes very well with the Gospel.*

I think this is a perfect example of Jesus meeting someone on their own level. This time, with a man of authority, a centurion. In this instance, it was a centurion who had done much for the Jews and probably had much indebted to him for his aid. His servant is sick and he wants Jesus to help him out. I think the fact that a Roman is enlisting help from this Jewish Miracle-Worker is striking by itself, but then you get to near the end of the Gospel reading, as Jesus is on the way to the house of the centurion, the centurion has his friends meet Jesus and tell Him to not even come in the house, for the centurion finds himself unworthy, but only to "say the word and my servant shall be healed" (words from Mass anyone, eh?). Here's the striking words the centurion has his friends tell Jesus from himself: "For I too am a person subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come here,' and he comes; and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it."

Jesus Himself is impressed by this. The centurion is appealing to Jesus' mystical power. The centurion is used to his own authority, and knows in his heart that Jesus has something more than he does. He knows that Jesus has authority in the spiritual realm and on earth, and so whatever He commands will happen, much as the centurion does with his own power. Wow. That IS a lot of faith! I often think of the Romans as the "bad-guy" invaders when it comes to this time period, so it's nice to be reminded here that they, too, had needs that Jesus was fulfilling.

So, what does this mean for us? I think it's to remind us of how Almighty He is. If He called all creation into being and and is Ruler of the Universe, He can also fulfill any needs I might have. May we all recognize this powerful reality in some way today by petitioning Him for anything we have need for with no fear that our prayer will go unanswered!