John 4:46-54 Now there was a royal official whose son lay ill in Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. Then Jesus said to him, "Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe." The official said to him, "Sir, come down before my little boy dies." Jesus said to him, "Go; your son will live." The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started on his way. As he was going down, his slaves met him and told him that his child was alive. So he asked them the hour when he began to recover, and they said to him, "Yesterday at one in the afternoon the fever left him." The father realized that this was the hour when Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live." So he himself believed, along with his whole household. Now this was the second sign that Jesus did after coming from Judea to Galilee.
This story is about what makes us worthy. Worthiness is emphasized even more in the accounts in Matthew and Luke (below). The royal official is a gentile centurion - part of the occupying forces in Jerusalem. He wants Jesus to heal his son - but is he worthy of such a favor from Jesus? He has not kept the law. He does not know the theology. He has a whole lot of nerve coming to Jesus asking for his son to be healed. Is he worthy of Jesus' favor? Each character in the story seems to have a different opinion...
What the religious people think makes one worthy...
The Jews were the religious people of the day. Modern Christians often see the first century Jews as ignorant people who just could not understand that the Messiah had come. But modern Christians would do well to see ourselves in the first century Jews - people who have grown so good at practicing religion that they have not entered into a relationship with God. Normally, in Jewish eyes, the centurion would be seen as one of the bad guys who is occupying Jewish land, taxing them, and taking away their freedoms. Except we learn in Luke's version of the story (below), that this man has been a friend to the Jews despite his job to keep them in compliance with Roman law. Therefore the Jews tell Jesus that the man is worthy of a favor from Jesus, "Go ahead and heal this guy's son - he has done us a favor or two - so he deserves it. He is with us." They believe that because the man has been good to them, that Jesus should heal his son. They believe that because they are worthy and that because this man has been nice to them, that he is worthy too.
What the religious outsider thinks makes one worthy...
In Matthew's version of the story (below), Matthew adds that the centurion, who is a religious outsider, does not see himself as worthy, but comes to Jesus out of desperation and love for his son. The centurion doesn't keep Jewish law. He isn't invited or welcomed into their temple. He is unclean. He doesn't even bother arguing that he is worthy - he knows that he does not have all of the answers. But he also knows that Jesus is worth trusting. So he seeks Jesus out.
What Jesus thinks matters...
Jesus knows that the rule keeping and the trapping of religion is not what matters. And he says that the Jews have lost their way. The fact that they believe that this man is worthy because he has done what they wanted him to do speaks volumes about them. They believe their rule keeping and knowledge of theology and good works has earned them worth... and they have even earned the right to decide who else is worthy. But Jesus says that it is the man's faith - the centurion's personal trust in Jesus - that matters. It is not the man's rule keeping, theology, or good works. It is his faith in Jesus. Jesus tells him that his son will be healed "according to his faith." Jesus goes on to explain that the man's faith is greater than any of the religious people's faith.
What makes us worthy?
****
The other gospels weigh in...
Luke 7:1-10 After Jesus had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. A centurion there had a slave whom he valued highly, and who was ill and close to death. When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him, asking him to come and heal his slave. When they came to Jesus, they appealed to him earnestly, saying, "He is worthy of having you do this for him, for he loves our people, and it is he who built our synagogue for us." And Jesus went with them, but when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to say to him, "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 only speak the word, and let my servant be healed. For I also am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes, and to another, 'Come,' and he comes, and to my slave, 'Do this,' and the slave does it." When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, he said, "I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith." When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.
Matthew 8:5-13 5 When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, appealing to him and saying, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, in terrible distress." And he said to him, "I will come and cure him." The centurion answered, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only speak the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes, and to another, 'Come,' and he comes, and to my slave, 'Do this,' and the slave does it." When Jesus heard him, he was amazed and said to those who followed him, "Truly I tell you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and will eat with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the heirs of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." And to the centurion Jesus said, "Go; let it be done for you according to your faith." And the servant was healed in that hour.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for your comments!