God is for the unlikely and for all. Luke 7:1-10

Luke 7:1-10

            The Gospel reading that we have this morning is a little unusual in several different ways. Typically we hear and read stories of Jesus going to the people of Israel and teaching them, healing them; he tells them to repent for the Kingdom of God draws near. Jesus goes to the Pharisees, Priests, and Scribes telling them about God. Or, Jesus is performing a miracle and speaking about God’s love and heals out of love and compassion for the afflicted because of their faith or the faith of someone who loves them.

            Our Gospel, today, addresses healing much in the same way. However, there is something very different in this story. Jesus goes to someone who might seem to be one of the most unlikely people we might think that Jesus would ever go to; Jesus goes to a Roman centurion. Do you know why that is so unlikely? Who were the Romans in Jesus time? That’s right, the Romans were occupying Israel at the time. A Centurion, is the leader of a group of about 100 soldiers and they were “the enemy.” They controlled this nation of Israel. They were an army where soldiers could come into a house and take anything they wanted for their government or for their personal use. I think it would be fair to say that the people of Israel did not think too much of this occupying army.

            One of the unusual parts of this story is how Jesus came to this place. Jesus just finished his teaching and went into the village of Capernaum. Who knows why he was going. Maybe it was to rest or get something to eat. He enters the village and the Centurion sends people out to Jesus. The centurion knows about Jesus. He has heard stories of what Jesus has done, he has this slave that scripture says he values “highly.” We don’t know anything about this slave…we don’t even know if he is an Israelite; but the centurion considers this person special. So, he sends out the elders of the church to ask Jesus to come.

            The elders come to tell Jesus that this centurion is more than just a soldier. The centurion has been helping the people out. The elders tell Jesus that the centurion has love for the people. He has even helped them build synagogues. There is more to this centurion than one would think. We could easily paint him as an occupier, an enemy of the state. It would be easy to paint this person with all kinds of derogatory statements and even hatred because of his role in the Roman occupying force. But this centurion, this man is different than what we or the people of Jesus time would think.

            There is a compassion in this man, in this soldier. This compassion enables him to do his job but also to show care for the people that he is responsible for; whether they are in his military charge or they are the people that he is watching over. This care that he displays enables him to listen to the stories about Jesus, not just with his ears but in his head and heart. To the point that he comes to know who Jesus is; that Jesus has the power to heal someone that he cares about and wants to be well. He knows that Jesus has the authority to heal the sick and so he calls for Jesus.

            Jesus goes and as he approaches, a friend comes out to tell the story of unworthiness. That’s right, a story or a confession of being unworthy. Imagine a Centurion or any type of military commander admitting with people around, “I am not worthy!” That is a shocking statement for a leader to admit in front of the people who see you as a person that could easily abuse his power and authority over the people of that region. It is a startling admission and could put the soldier in a tough spot with the people. They could have risen up against this person and overthrown him, but that did not happen.

            Jesus heard this confession and scripture says that he was “amazed.” Imagine that…someone stumped Jesus! Jesus is amazed because of all the things he had experienced before this. Throughout our Gospels, the people of Israel listen to the words and witness the actions of Jesus. Some ask to follow while others plot to arrest him. Some still question asking for him to prove who he is while some walk away. Where the people of Israel doubt and do all this I just mentioned; this Centurion recognizes the power and authority of Jesus Christ and asks Jesus to heal; and Jesus DOES heal.

            What does this tell us about God’s compassion? It tells us that God’s compassion goes far beyond what we THINK we know. God’s compassion is not only for the people of Israel but it is extended beyond geographical boundaries. In Jesus time, not all Roman soldiers were “Roman.” So we know that God’s compassion extends beyond ethnic boundaries. We also don’t know if the soldier practiced any religion, but we do know that this soldier asked Jesus, the Son of God, to heal someone that he cared about and it was Jesus compassion for this soldier that he healed the slave; without seeing him, speaking, or touching him. God’s healing came to someone that could seem like the most unlikely person.

            What does that tell us about God? God reaches the most unlikely people as well as the faithful. This soldier may not have practiced any religion or held any religious beliefs, but he built a synagogue. He treated the people under him fairly to the point that they loved them. We are seeing something very important here folks. We are hearing that God’s compassion is for all people, regardless of ethnicity, income, geographical boundary, and status in the community.

As Christians, we hold that God created everything and out of that creation came the gift of compassion, love, and grace. They are gifts that God has shown and given to us through the actions of Jesus Christ, God’s only Son. We also acknowledge that God has made these gifts available to all that God has created…for you and for me. And this gift of love and grace is available to all. We see these actions after tornadoes and tropical storms of neighbors helping neighbors. We saw it this past week in the woman who was pulled out of the collapsed building in Philadelphia when workers continued to look for survivors. We saw it a couple of weeks ago when people literally saved the life of an infant in cutting the baby out of a sewer pipe, refusing to let this child suffer.

They may seem like unlikely people to receive God’s grace and compassion. We don’t know their backgrounds but we see that there is something inside of them that calls them to be compassionate in those moments that I mentioned. They may not seem like the only unlikely people to receive God’s compassion and grace. We also might consider ourselves unlikely or even unworthy of God’s grace. We have all done things we are not too proud of. We have all made mistakes; Yet it is because of God’s compassion and Mercy for us, through Jesus Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection that we are made worthy children of God. It is because of what God has done for us that we are no longer unlikely or unworthy; but we ARE LOVED and WORTHY of God’s compassion.

Brothers and Sisters in Christ, we gather here in this place because it is the place we are fed; fed with the word of God. It is the word of compassion and grace. It is here where we are fed with the bread and wine of forgiveness. It is the place where we witness the unworthiness of ourselves in the world and our transformation to worthy, loved, children of a loving, compassionate God; full of grace and mercy for all that God has created. AMEN!