It is
a happy coincidence that our gospel reading for today fits right into the
Memorial Day holiday. This fit is deeper
than the obvious surface connection that the gospel reading is about a Roman military
officer. The story unfolds in an almost
teasing way as we learn about this centurion.
A
Roman centurion was a military officer with about 100 soldiers under him. Romans generally despised Jews. They thought they were lazy because they
would only work 6 days a week rather than 7.
Romans thought their religious beliefs were silly. While it may have been uncommon, it was
certainly possible that Roman soldiers would pillage, plunder and rape the
local population. They could do so
without fear of consequences. After all,
most Jews and other conquered nations were not Roman citizens and did not have
the legal protections of citizens. But
what about the centurion in our gospel reading?
At
first glance this centurion seems to be a bit of a bully. He’s a slave owner. When a favored slave gets sick he himself
doesn’t go to Jesus he sends Jewish elders to get Jesus. Is he a pompous jerk? But then our opinion of him begins to
change. The Jewish elders tell Jesus
that this centurion is worthy of Jesus’ time.
This centurion has helped to build their synagogue. The respect him and he seems to treat them
fairly.
Okay,
so he’s not a bully. He’s a nice
guy. But is he truly caring or just
shrewd? Why did he help to finance their
synagogue? Was he generous or was it a
calculation? Did he figure that since it
was his job to keep the local Jewish population peaceful he’s do it with a
carrot rather than a stick? Had he
bought their loyalty?
Based
on what the Jewish leaders say to Jesus the answer could easily be yes. They seem to be trying to repay the favor
when they say to Jesus, “He is worthy of having you do this for him, for he
loves our people, and it is he who built our synagogue.”
Even
more so than today people traded favors.
If you did something to help me out I would be in your debt until I
could do something to help you out. Biblical
scholars sometimes call it a system of honor and obligation. In a way the system was fair, but it could
also be crippling and perhaps oppressive.
Do
you sense the way their statement to Jesus, “He is worthy of having you do this
for him, for he loves our people, and it is he who built our synagogue,” is
placing an obligation on Jesus? What are
his options? Can he really say no?
Note
this very important, but easily overlooked, fact. The Jewish leaders were part of and trapped
in the system of honor and obligation. Keep
that in mind as we continue.
Jesus
agrees to go with them, but before he arrives the centurion has sent another
group to Jesus. This time they are not
identified as Jewish leaders but as friends.
Commentator Joel Green speculates about this move. He writes, “Did [the centurion] presume that
[the Jewish leaders] would approach Jesus on the basis of a prior relationship
of debt? One can do little more than
speculate, of course, but it is worthy of note that he now clarifies that he
neither has any claim nor presumes to tender any claim on Jesus’ assistance.” (The
Gospel of Luke, New International Commentary of the New Testament, Pg.
287) In other words, the centurion
doesn’t play the trading favors game. He
is sincere and true.
Why
does he not come to Jesus himself?
Because he truly respects Jesus and all Jews. He knows his presence may offend them. Why does he insist that Jesus not come into
his house to do the healing? Because he
knows that clean observant Jews would not come into the house of a
foreigner. To do so would be to make
themselves ritually unclean.
The
centurion knows Jesus’ power fully. Like
himself, when he gives commands and orders he knows they will be carried
out. So it is with Jesus. Jesus’ word is power.
Jesus’
praise of the centurion’s faith then is only partly about the centurion’s
confidence in Jesus’ power. It is also
because this centurion knows how a relationship with God works. He knows that God works on grace and mercy,
not trading favors; which is how the Jewish leaders’ faith works. If the centurion was a miserable abusive
tyrant would they have sought Jesus’ help on his behalf? No.
I
said at the beginning that this gospel reading fits into our Memorial Day
holiday at a deep level. You’ll remember
that Memorial Day started out as a holiday to remember soldiers who died in the
Civil War. And it is to a civil war tune
that we turn our attention.
Last
week when I was researching the hymns we used in the hymn sing I was struck by
a change in the words in the Battle Hymn of the Republic. You should know that changing the words of
hymns is a pet peeve of mine, but it happens all the time. Offensive words are replaced. The
political the theological biases of editors or current cultural trends make
their way in. In some cases this is
okay. In other cases it is not.
The
publishers of our hymnals, and its predecessor the Lutheran Book of Worship changed one word, which in my opinion
completely changes the entire intent of the hymn. Julia Ward Howe, the author wrote the final
verse this way,
“In the beauty of the
lilies Christ was born across the sea,
with a glory in his
bosom that transfigures you and me:
as he died to make men holy, let us die to make men free,
while God is marching
on.”
The
change is, “as he died to make men
holy, let us live to make men
free…” No, you can’t make changes like
that. You’ve changed the meaning of the
entire hymn! Put yourself into the
original context of the time. In 1861
Julia Ward Howe hears civil war soldiers in the northern army singing a
song. She decides to write new words to
the tune. Those new words are published
in February 1862. The song is an
immediate hit among northerners and it spreads quickly. It soon earns the name, “The Battle Hymn of
the Republic.” What Dixie is to the
South the Battle Hymn is to the North.
In
1862 the war is not going well for the North.
It looks like they will lose. It
isn’t until mid-1863 that the tide starts to turn. Are these battered Northern soldiers singing,
“As he died to make men holy let us live to make men free”? No.
They, mostly northern white men, are singing, “As he died to make men
holy let us die to make men free.” The
central premise of their battle cry is that the freedom of black slaves is more
important to them than their own white lives.
As
Julia Ward Howe originally wrote, that is selflessness that mirrors Jesus. “Let us live to make men free” is pure
selfishness by comparison. That says
I’ll live so that you can live better.
That smacks of the same manipulation and obligation stuff the Jewish
leaders were doing with Jesus. By
contrast the centurion’s faith is pure.
If
you die for the freedom of someone else is there any thought of gain for
yourself? Nope. You’re dead!
You won’t reap a reward for your sacrifice.
If
our lives are run by the system of debt, trading favors, and obligations then
we’ll never go anywhere. That is the
world’s way of doing business, not God’s.
Jesus came to usher in the age of genuine faith, mercy and self-giving.
That
does not mean that we have to turn into nice soft little puff balls which are
saccharine-sweet. But there is a
difference between a fight to protect your own self-interest and a fight for
someone else. I never had any brothers
or sisters, so I don’t know this dynamic first hand, but I know the dynamics of
my two cousins. Punch Michael and you’ll
be answering to his big brother Seth.
Pick a fight with Seth, and even if it’s a losing battle for him, you’re
going to have to deal with little brother Michael because little as he was,
he’s a rampaging tornado of fists and kicks when his brother’s in trouble.
Neither gets personal gain from defending the other. It’s just what love does.
