Who Started It. A Love Story
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Have you ever been in a conversation with someone who has an opposing view to your faith? How did you handle it?
Have you ever been in a conversation with someone who has an opposing view to your faith? How did you handle it?
When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people who were listening, he entered Capernaum. There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” So Jesus went with them.
He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 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.”
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.
Who are the players:
Centurion
Centurion’s slave
Elder Jews
Jesus
Centurion: Not a Jew, but he is a believer
Slave: Also not a Jew, but dealing with great affliction and impending death
When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people who were listening, he entered Capernaum. There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant.
Elder Jews: Advocates for the outsider
Jesus: Son of Man
When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” So Jesus went with them.
He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 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.”
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.
Luke 4-10
There is a church off the 111…
We all get these moments don’t we?
Meet Jack Phillips, Masterpiece Cake Shop
The centurion recognized Jesus’ capabilities
Jesus could have drawn a hard line against the polytheistic centurion, and defended the Lord, but Jesus doesn’t do that here.
Jesus didn’t do it at the well ()
Jesus didn’t do it in the circle ()
Jesus didn’t do it at the last supper ()
Jesus didn’t do it at the cross ()
SO WHAT?!?
Love is so powerful that nobody ever really asks who started it.
centurion or the slave.
the elder Jews or Jesus.
And we shouldn’t have to ask today,
who loves first
the church or the community it serves?
How do we encounter others, how do we encounter the holidays, or the cultures and counter cultures around us? Do we turn off the lights and hide in our house, do we fail to show up, or do we embrace the opportunity to love first.