A Poem a Sunday

Pentecost 2 – C

May 29, 2016

St. Luke 7:1-10 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Commentary:  St. Luke makes it evident from the ‘get go’ that Jesus is for the Gentiles.  Here the humble faith of a pious Centurion is lifted up as an example to God’s people.  There is no ethnic presumption.  God has compassion on all nations and those who have faith are not limited to God’s chosen people.  And what would Jesus say about our churchly presumptions today?

Jesus Heals a Centurion’s Servant

7 After Jesus^[a] had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. ² A centurion there had a slave whom he valued highly, and who was ill and close to death. ³ When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him, asking him to come and heal his slave. ⁴ When they came to Jesus, they appealed to him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy of having you do this for him, ⁵ for he loves our people, and it is he who built our synagogue for us.” ⁶ 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; ⁷ therefore I did not presume to come to you. But only speak the word, and let my servant be healed. ⁸ 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.” ⁹ 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.” ¹⁰ When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.

     Footnotes:

1. Luke 7:1 Gk he

A Poem a Sunday

Pentecost 2 – C

May 29, 2016

Presumptive me

to tell God what to do.

Intercessory prayer a childhood dare

insisting on my menu.

The Centurion did not presume

but made room for healing

of the beloved servant –

the salve of salvation.

Liberation by the Savior

made a home in the heart

of the majestic military man

pleading unworthiness

like the lost Prodigal

returning as servant

-- not son.

No high handed hierarchy here,

but a humble, strong soldier

hoping for a word,

a gesture,

a sign.

Desperate

not

presumptuous.

And centuries later

his plea embedded

in the MASS

for all unworthy servants.

[A plea for the presence

of the Christ at last

to come and bring

solace to such dis-ease:]

“Lord, I do not presume

to come to you.

But only speak the word

and your servant

will be healed.”

And through the ages

the healing presence comes:

bread on tongue,

wine on lips

brings the body

and the blood

ingested

gestation

of the living Christ

- embodied –

heals the broken.

A

sign

of

the

Divine

‘A Poem a Sunday’

Copyright kennstorck@gmail.com

May be used with permission.