When Jesus entered Capernaum,
a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying,
"Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully."
Since the centurion was Roman there was a barrier that would have made most Jews unwilling to enter his home. Most of them would have been more inclined to pass by on the opposite side of the road as did the priest and the Levite in the Parable of the Good Samaritan (see Luke 10:30-37). The centurion was in a situation like the Canaanite woman since the mission of Jesus was at first "only to the lost sheep of Israel". He might well have expected the same reaction the disciples gave to her when they urged Jesus, "Send her away" (see Matthew 15:21-28).
The centurion said in reply,
"Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof;
only say the word and my servant will be healed."
As was the case with the Canaanite woman, faith was a bridge that made what might have been impossible to be possible. The time of the Gentiles had not yet come, but faith reached out into a future as though it was already present, and brought that future into the here and now.
Both the centurion and the Canaanite woman expressed humility as a definitive characteristic of faith. Their faith ruled out any delusions about deserving that for which they asked. They saw at once that it was not because of their merit that Jesus would answer. Jesus would answer because of who he was, the power he had, the joyful abundance which would not be diminished by sharing. Giving scraps to the Canaanite woman would not diminish the portion meant for the children of Israel. Speaking a word of command to heal the servant of the centurion would not diminish the power of the authority of Jesus himself. These foreigners whose faith was seen by Jesus as so remarkable knew both who they were and who Jesus was by the same light of faith. It was this that amazed him and drew out his response. No wonder then, that we imitate that response in every mass.
Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed
Like the Samaritan in the parable Jesus was drawn inexorably to the suffering of those who desired his mercy. Even the parameters of his own mission were insufficient to rule out his intervention. An understanding of one's need for mercy and the desire for that mercy were enough to reach outside the bounds of space and time and to render things like chronological order as relative concerns.
In Advent our faith is meant to not only reach back to the incarnation, but also to reach ahead to the time when all of the promises of the incarnation are realized in fullness. If our faith is sufficiently like that of the centurion we can begin to experience the blessings of those future promises even here and now. With that in mind let us look to the words of Isaiah.
The branch of the LORD will be luster and glory,
and the fruit of the earth will be honor and splendor
for the survivors of Israel.
Just as God was present in an undeniable way to the generation of Israel that journeyed from Egypt through desert as a smoking cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night so too does he want his presence in our lives to be an unmistakable reality.
A smoking cloud by day
and a light of flaming fire by night.
For over all, the LORD's glory will be shelter and protection:
shade from the parching heat of day,
refuge and cover from storm and rain.
Let us begin to experience this promise even now by faith. He does not hesitate to bridge the infinite gap between himself and us, ready each and every day to enter under our roof. His Spirit itself can be a pillar of fire for us, to guide us through the darkest of nights.
Great news! One of my favorite Advent songs is finally available online:
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