Third Sunday after the Epiphany

Third Sunday after the Epiphany
January 22, 2012

Just Say the Word

Matthew 8:8
The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear friends,

Centurions weren't nice guys. Centurions were soldiers in the Roman Army who commanded 100 soldiers. And most of the time they were strict and cruel. They treated soldiers, servants, and civilians harshly. In those days using force was common and expected by everyone. You didn't want to cross a centurion.

But you might not come away with this impression if your only information about centurions comes from the Bible. In the Gospels we hear of two centurions.

One of them, the centurion who had helped to crucify Jesus, witnessed the unique events of that most remarkable day and confessed: “Surely this man was the Son of God!” (Mark 15:39)

Today we learn of the other centurion and learn from him the basis of faith. He says to Jesus, “But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.” He is certain that Christ will help his servant. He does not require Christ's personal presence or a miracle or anything visible or tangible to be certain. Jesus' word is enough.

This centurion only desires one thing: for Jesus to simply say the word. Jesus is astonished by how this man puts into words what faith is. This centurion articulates the connection between the word and faith by an example from his own life.

For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” (Matthew 8:9)

His example describes the power of his words. When he tells someone to do something, he trusts that it is as good as done. Since this is true of an unreliable wretched sinner, how much more infinitely certain is the Word of God's Son, Jesus Christ.

The centurion confessed that he was unworthy to receive the promise of God when he told Jesus that he did not deserve to have Jesus in his house. So if he, a nobody, could use words to command and to cause trust—again—how much more infinitely does this apply to Jesus, who is the Word of God in the flesh and who speaks Himself to a world of nobodies.

Jesus is the Word made flesh. John introduce his Gospel by stating: The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)

The Word made flesh—Jesus—was astonished by this centurion's confession of his faith. Perhaps just as astonishing is what the centurion did not base his faith upon.

He doesn't mention his decision to be a devout follower of Jesus.
He doesn't mention that he has been a good husband, good soldier, and good master.
He doesn't mention that his servant is a good man and deserves to be healed.
He doesn't mention that he is risking his reputation (1) by going to Jesus, a poor Jew from backwater Galilee and (2) by doing all this for a mere slave, not his son, not his wife, but a slave.

The faith of the centurion and our faith both say the same thing: “Just say the word.” When we are troubled by our doubts, Jesus just says the word through Matthew, “I am always with you to the very end.” When we wonder if Jesus will forgive us for habitually cursing when no one else is around, Jesus just says the word through His pastor, “I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” When we wonder if Jesus is truly present in the Sacrament of the Altar, Jesus just says the word through His pastor, “This is My body, given for you; this is My blood, shed for you.”

Just say the word, Lord. Not our words, just Yours. Say the word, say the word.

Amen.