Belonging - Day 29
5 When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer came and pleaded with him, 6 “Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.”
I have always loved this interchange. This is a man who has some clout and importance and is willing to break with protocol in order to take care of one of his servants. Jesus immediately shows his willingness to serve and heal, yet the man knows that Jesus doesn’t need to even come, but has the power to heal from wherever he is.
What this man is really doing is acknowledging the power that Jesus really holds in the world. The disciples saw it when they recognized how Jesus could calm the storm, but this Roman officer knew very well the power that Jesus held in his hands. Rather than asking Jesus to come home with him, he simply asked Jesus to care. He used the example of men under his authority, and in this way, he was acknowledging the power that Jesus had access to. Without reservation, he asked Jesus for help he knew Jesus was capable of giving. Again, the question was not whether Jesus could help him, but whether he would help the man.
Of course, we see Jesus is willing to heal, even to go out of his way to help the officer.
I wonder how willing we are to go out of our way to help others? Are we willing to inconvenience ourselves to help others? If so, how much are we willing to inconvenience ourselves? These questions can lead to some guilt if we feel we have not done enough, which is not my point. My point is to show how much Jesus was willing to go through to show compassion and mercy. His miracles always did at least two things: 1) They physically healed the person, and 2) they restored the person to a socially acceptable status in the community.
When you think of it, going into the hospital is a break in the flow of your life, and healing gets us back to that. Jesus did the same thing for those with chronic illnesses, which is powerful. Is there a way that Jesus has healed you back into the community that you might have left? Sometimes we isolate ourselves from the communities of care that we know because of something that has happened to us there, a misunderstanding, or honest and true trauma. Jesus has a way to heal all of that, without regard to history.
I have always loved this interchange. This is a man who has some clout and importance and is willing to break with protocol in order to take care of one of his servants. Jesus immediately shows his willingness to serve and heal, yet the man knows that Jesus doesn’t need to even come, but has the power to heal from wherever he is.
What this man is really doing is acknowledging the power that Jesus really holds in the world. The disciples saw it when they recognized how Jesus could calm the storm, but this Roman officer knew very well the power that Jesus held in his hands. Rather than asking Jesus to come home with him, he simply asked Jesus to care. He used the example of men under his authority, and in this way, he was acknowledging the power that Jesus had access to. Without reservation, he asked Jesus for help he knew Jesus was capable of giving. Again, the question was not whether Jesus could help him, but whether he would help the man.
Of course, we see Jesus is willing to heal, even to go out of his way to help the officer.
I wonder how willing we are to go out of our way to help others? Are we willing to inconvenience ourselves to help others? If so, how much are we willing to inconvenience ourselves? These questions can lead to some guilt if we feel we have not done enough, which is not my point. My point is to show how much Jesus was willing to go through to show compassion and mercy. His miracles always did at least two things: 1) They physically healed the person, and 2) they restored the person to a socially acceptable status in the community.
When you think of it, going into the hospital is a break in the flow of your life, and healing gets us back to that. Jesus did the same thing for those with chronic illnesses, which is powerful. Is there a way that Jesus has healed you back into the community that you might have left? Sometimes we isolate ourselves from the communities of care that we know because of something that has happened to us there, a misunderstanding, or honest and true trauma. Jesus has a way to heal all of that, without regard to history.
- How has Jesus healed you?
- Was your place in the community restored?
- How can you help someone else be healed?
No Comments