God has visited His people

Now when He concluded all his sayings in the hearing of the people, He entered Capernaum. And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear to him, was sick and ready to die. So when he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to Him, pleading with Him to come and heal his servant. And when they came to Jesus, they begged Him earnestly, saying that the one for whom He should do this was deserving, "for he loves our nation, and has built us a synagogue." Then Jesus went with them. And when He was already not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying to Him, "Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof. Therefore I did not even think myself worthy to come to You. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another,'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,'and he does it." When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, "I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!" And those who were sent, returning to the house, found the servant well who had been sick.

Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain, and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd. And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her. When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not weep." Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, "Young man, I say to you, arise." So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother. Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has risen up among us"; and "God has visited His people." And this report about Him went throughout all Judea and all the surrounding region.

- Luke 7:1-17

In yesterday's reading, Jesus finished His Sermon on the Plain. (For the complete readings of this sermon, see first Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God, and But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies.) The Sermon on the Plain is the version in Luke's Gospel of the similar teachings we read in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew's Gospel. Yesterday, we read that Jesus taught against hypocrisy -- teaching us as disciples to look to ourselves first, to remove "the plank in our own eye" before speaking of the speck in a brother's. He said that a good tree does not bear bad fruit -- and that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. So we look to our own hearts and what we guard and keep there, and what we need to cast out that does not bear good fruit. To follow His teachings on this subject, to do as He says, is to build our house upon a sure foundation of faith, but to fail to do so is to have no foundation at all. See Can the blind lead the blind?

Now when He concluded all his sayings in the hearing of the people, He entered Capernaum. And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear to him, was sick and ready to die. So when he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to Him, pleading with Him to come and heal his servant. And when they came to Jesus, they begged Him earnestly, saying that the one for whom He should do this was deserving, "for he loves our nation, and has built us a synagogue." My study bible points out the virtues of this man who is engaged in a position of considerable power. He is compassionate and loving: his servant is "dear to him." He sends the elders of the Jews to Christ, thinking he is not worthy to approach -- a sign not only of the greatest respect for Christ as a Teacher among the Jews, but also of his humility despite his position of power as centurion. So kind is he in stewardship of his position with an occupying power that he has built their synagogue, in great appreciation of their spiritual heritage. So, first of all, we have a man in a position of great material power, a Roman centurion, who embodies many characteristics of virtue that spirituality would teach us. This is, and remains today, an image for those who aspire to or embody in positions of worldly authority of any kind.

Then Jesus went with them. And when He was already not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying to Him, "Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof. Therefore I did not even think myself worthy to come to You. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another,'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,'and he does it." When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, "I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!" And those who were sent, returning to the house, found the servant well who had been sick. Again we have this tremendous expression of respect from a centurion -- with power, wealth, servants, and all that goes with worldly position -- to an itinerant preacher, a teacher or rabbi that has no authority to cite but Himself (not having studied under a great or famous rabbi). But above all, the centurion has what we can infer from the construction of this story is the greatest virtue of all: faith. It is like a crowning achievement on a list of spiritual achievements of tremendous virtue, and the foundation that feeds the good things we already know of him. It is the trigger for the full manifestation of Christ's healing power.

Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain, and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd. And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her. We have to understand the compassion of Christ by seeing the position this woman was in. First, we take note that this account of healing appears only in Luke's Gospel. We note that she is a widow who has lost her only provider in life, so she has suffered not only a devastating personal loss, but also faces life alone and helpless. We also take note of the large crowds - a social context - on either side: a group of disciples and also a large crowd with Jesus, and also a "large crowd" from the city with the widow in mourning.

When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not weep." Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, "Young man, I say to you, arise." So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother. My study bible is careful to note that this is not a true resurrection, but a resuscitation. That is, like Lazarus, he is awakened from the dead but will also die again a natural death. But Jesus is moved by compassion, and within the social context of the large crowds He displays His power. Above all, we are taught that this is a God of love, and it is the currency of love in which this kingdom is born and manifests. I love to note the little literary effect of this sentence: "And He presented him to his mother." It is a gift! An extraordinary blessed event, like a birth. I believe that might assume he is, in fact, "born again."

Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has risen up among us"; and "God has visited His people." And this report about Him went throughout all Judea and all the surrounding region. The inevitable response of such a stupendous act, before "large crowds" from both the city and elsewhere, is Jesus' fame that goes everywhere -- especially "throughout all Judea and the surrounding region." It will, of course, also inevitably provoke confrontation with the temple leadership. My study bible notes that "through the three miraculous resurrections performed by Jesus -- the son of the widow of Nain, Jairus's daughter, and Lazarus -- God is glorified. In the glorification of the Father through these incidents, the Son of God is Himself glorified. In raising those who were dead, though they would return to death one day, Christ shows forth His divinity and gives assurance to all who believe of His Resurrection and ours." We also note the theme in the recognition among the crowds that is often associated with the Gospel of Matthew: God is with us, Emmanuel. It is a reminder of the birth into the world of God incarnate, another birth story, another gift of love to a mother, and to a world that awaits the good news that we are not left alone.

Let us consider, then, Jesus' acts of love and compassion. We are not alone, and God is glorified through love. He has taught over and over again that if we want to glorify God then we must seek to be like God. We weed out the things in ourselves and our hearts that are unproductive, and do not bear good fruit. We turn to ourselves and look and cast out what doesn't work in this scheme of things in which the greatest virtues are manifestations of love. What is your currency? Can you give up the pain and loss of the world to the God of love -- and find your way forward in that relationship? Here, Jesus' miracles are not just about a force of stupendous power beyond our comprehension, but rather about the glorification of God, for this purpose that He is sent, even to the outsiders on the margin of the society: a centurion and a bereft widow. What, then, is our purpose in imitation of Him? The crowd shouts, "God has visited His people," and the story asks of us, who are God's people?