Only say the word and I shall be healed...........

Welcome back to the Roman soldier who can't make up his mind.  First he is worthy of Jesus' attention, then he balks at Jesus even entering his house to do the very thing he wanted at the beginning of the story. (Luke 7)

Luke's version of the Roman centurion seeking a healing for a 'valuable slave' has embedded meaning that differs from Matthew's version of the same story.  It begins with a 'valuable slave' whom the Roman wishes healed.  Then moves to the Jewish leaders trying to persuade Jesus to fulfill the Roman's request because the Roman is worthy of Jesus' attention.  When Jesus moves to enter the soldier's house, suddenly he cries out  "I am not worthy for you to come under my roof....only speak the word and my servant will be healed."  Worthy...unworthy....make up your mind!

I wonder what happened that the soldier suddenly doesn't want Jesus in the house.  I doubt that it had anything to do with his housekeeping skills.  Further, if he had the chutzpah to ask Jesus for a healing.....for a slave.....I doubt that he suddenly lost his nerve.  Roman soldiers were hard and showed great courage in battle.  So, why the sudden "I am not worthy...?"

Could it be that this soldier began to realize that anyone who could accomplish the kind of healing that rumor had it Jesus could was to be respected?  Could it be that by agreeing to come (in response to the soldier's request) that Jesus called his bluff - confident that he could, in fact, heal the slave and so perhaps he was more powerful than a lot of people gave him credit? Could it be that the Roman soldier suddenly realized that he would be face to face with a powerful member of a race he ruled over, and not ever kindly?  Could he be ashamed of his own life story?

Could it be that the closer Jesus came to him, the greater he became aware of the presence of God in this itinerant preacher?  Was it possible that what was originally a wild request of uncertain results had morphed into a moment of divine intervention in his world?

Because, if that is what was going on in the soldier's head, no wonder he cried out, "I am not worthy..." for none of us is worthy.  The chasm between the God who creates and the ones who are created is beyond us.  The chasm between what we ought to do and what we actually do is bottomless.  The chasm between God's great desire for all creation and the mess we live in and help sustain daily is embarrassing. We are not worthy for Jesus to enter our house.  Worthy/ not worthy: this Jesus breaks down all that we think we know and understand.

The Roman Catholic liturgy of the mass, in its older version, included the believers' response to the lifting up of the Eucharist.  "I am not worthy to receive you, only say the word and I shall be healed." a paraphrase of this very story from Luke.  It captures this moment of  realization that the Divine One, the source of life and life again, is about to enter into our space and make contact with us, and unworthy is the least of our responses to that possibility.

For we are not worthy, but then it has never been about worth.
It has always been about love.

 It is love that can heal us for eternity, the love that has already stepped into our space in this creation and now lifts us up to healing in the Divine Wholeness of God.  It was about this divine love now made human flesh and dwelling among us....to heal us; to make us whole.

About to receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus poured out for each of us, we cry out "I am not worthy to receive......"  and we give thanks that God came to us and loved us anyhow.

Come to the table......

That's what my Mom would call when dinner was ready.  "Come to the table."  It was both invitation and command for children who  are apt to want to linger with whatever seems more important than the hot meal that waits.

Adam and Eve, on the other hand, should have lingered a little longer.  Their appetite had all kinds of consequences, the majority of which they could have never imagined.  When they saw that the fruit was pleasant to the eyes and good to eat, they said, "Why not?" and the results of that have played out through the ages.

Our appetites are still getting us into trouble because appetites are immediate and life is long. God had warned the first humans that eating of that fruit would have disastrous consequences but they chose to trust the serpent, the craftiest of all the animals God had made.  Interestingly enough, many Bible commentators when analyzing this story point out that the serpent was right, Adam and Eve did not die............not right away at least.  Instead they died a thousand deaths as they wrestled with the dark side of this creation and their lost connection with the Creator God.  'Why can't it be like it was?'  Don't we ask similar questions, seeking a gentler, kinder time to which to return?  You know, the good old days.

We fool ourselves if we think that there was no suffering in the 'good old days'.  We delude ourselves if we truly believe that life was easier, people were nicer, and neighbor helped neighbor.  Some did, some didn't.  Folks then knew their own kind of hard work, short lives, fragile health, unpredictable growing seasons and economies.  Folks knew what a destitute old age meant and most had buried at least one child from diseases that are now preventable.Their suffering might have been different, but it was suffering just the same.  Even their children lingered when Mom cried out, "Come to the table."

Jesus calls out the same invitation to us and it is primarily invitation but a little bit of command as well.  Come, it will nourish you.  Come, lay down whatever task is at hand.  Come, eat.  Eat with your brothers and sisters.  Eat with your neighbors and strangers.  Come and discover the human family again.

I will feed you.  I will place in your hands a bit of bread, the staff of life, the stuff of life and it will sustain you for a while.  I will place in your hands a bit of wine, to ease your thirst and clear your throat and prepare you for the tasks ahead.  Come to the table....that's where you will find everything to satisfy your appetites and focus your life.

At this table you will come back into yourself, find your humanity, find peace for your spirit....find the Creator God you continue to seek.  Come to the table and be made whole.

Dinner with Friends

An evening spent sharing a meal with our closest friends brings more than joy; it creates a particular sense of belonging to one another.

At his last supper with his friends, Jesus offered us an insight into the fellowship of his coming kingdom. Sharing that meal with him were Judas who would betray him into the hands of his killers and Peter who would deny ever knowing him.

When we are invited to be a part of the Lord's supper, perfection isn't an entry requirement.