Today’s Gospel, Mt. 8: 5-17, reiterates the story of the
centurion’s request of Jesus: “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed,
suffering dreadfully.” Jesus immediately
responds: “I will come and cure him.”
Imagine telling Jesus that someone you love dearly is sick and/or in
serious trouble. Jesus, without
hesitation, says to you: “I will come and cure him/her. I will go and help.” You and I do not need to imagine that. Our
God is that way! We may not see the
results instantaneously but our faith tells us that God responded. The point, I think, is the asking and that we
bring our concerns to Jesus, knowing who Jesus is!
In the story just told, the centurion says to Jesus: No, you
do not need to come to my house. “I am
not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant
will be healed…” And then he says: “You know, Lord, I, too, am a person under
authority and I also have authority. I say to a servant ‘Come’ and he comes. ‘Do
this’ and he does it.” It’s like he is
saying to Jesus: “Lord, you are author of heaven and earth. You have dominion
over everything: health and sickness, light and darkness, evil and good. Just
command the evil to leave my servant and it will be gone.” What faith!
What about yours and mine?
