Love & power

 

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 (Matthew 8:8-10a)

The story is simple enough. A Roman centurion, a commander of a hated and occupying army, comes to Jesus with his hat in his hand, hoping Jesus will heal his servant. But what impresses me is what is in his heart. First, his humility.

“I am not worthy,” he begins his plea. Humility is a strange posture for a man with a sword at his side and a cohort under his command. He doesn’t need to ask. He could demand, threaten and bluster, if he so chose. He could have his men take Jesus by the nap of his neck and drag him to his servant. But he does none of those things that come so easily and often to the powerful and well-connected, who use force to get their way.

He recognizes the mystery that surrounds Jesus, stories and rumors that he possessed a power over forces neither centurions nor emperors could command.

More moving, however, is the love coursing through his beating heart for a servant he could replace with the snap of his fingers. Perhaps, just perhaps, love for his ailing servant gave him eyes to see the love flowing through Jesus for wounded bodies and broken hearts.

So it is; love recognizes love. Selfishness, hate and apathy are blind to its beauty.

Through the cloud of his fear, the centurion recognized, however poorly, that Jesus was the rarest of realities, a soul in whom great power is harnessed to a surpassing love. Just give the command, the commander asked, trusting that Jesus not only could but truly wanted to give him the desire of his heart.

Hearing the man’s speech, Jesus is startled. One can imagine the two of them standing there, the centurion, his head slightly bowed before one who can do what he cannot; Jesus, startled, his mouth pursed in wonder at the beauty of the soul standing before him, the faith, the love, the perennial human hunger for healing. It’s all there.

Like so many biblical stories, this scene is not to parsed and wrung out for its meaning. It must be seen and savored, heard and felt until Love’s presence and power awakens a hope and joy you thought were beyond you.

David L. Miller