When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, 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!"

 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 to 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 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

Beginning with Tuesday's reading, we have been reading through Jesus' Sermon on the Plain (so-called as the Gospel says He was standing "on a level place."  In yesterday's reading and continuation of the Sermon, Jesus began with a parable:  "Can the blind lead the blind?  Will they not both fall into the ditch?  A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.  And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye?  Hypocrite!  First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother's eye.  For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.  For every tree is known by its own fruit.  For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush.  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil.  For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.  But why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say?  Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like:  He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock.  And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.  But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell.  And the ruin of that house was great."

 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 to 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 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.  My study bible comments here that this centurion, who is a Roman Gentile, is quite unusual in his devotion to the Jews.  Note that the Jewish elders begged Christ earnestly on his behalf.   It's also noteworthy that Jesus has just finished preaching the Sermon on the Plain to huge crowds from all over Israel and even areas of the coast considered to be Gentile regions; here it is a Gentile who comes to Christ in Capernaum.  In the Gospel, this takes place just after He has named the twelve apostles, who will be sent out to all the world.  My study bible calls this centurion's characteristics notable:  compassion, love for God and God's people, humility, and great faith. 

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.  There are three resurrections performed by Jesus recorded in the Gospels (see also 8:41-56; John 11:1-44).  My study bible calls them a confirmation of the promise that was given to the prophet Ezekiel, that one day God will open the graves and raise all the dead (Ezekiel 37:1-14).  Many people have exercised authority over the living, my study bible points out, but only the Son of God "has power over both the living and the dead" (Orthodox funeral service).  While Christ has power through His word alone (John 11:43), in this case He also touched the coffin, showing that His very body is life-giving.  It's a kind of affirmation that matter is meant to be united with Spirit, a hint about the full significance of the Incarnation itself, affirmed in resurrection.  My study bible notes the commentary of St. Ambrose of Milan on this passage:   that this even also prefigures Christ's own Resurrection. Mary will weep for Jesus at the Cross, but her tears will be turned to joy by the Resurrection.  So it is the same for the widow whose only son is raised from the dead, putting an end to her weeping. 

Jesus' ministry simply continues to expand, prefigured in the naming of His twelve disciples as apostles who will be sent out.  First there is the Roman centurion who seeks help for a highly esteemed servant.  There is something fascinating about the centurion's understanding about rank and hierarchy.  It is not just a simplistic and rigid sense of worldly authority or power.  Rather, the centurion's understanding of hierarchy also encompasses the true value of a person.  Although the one he seeks to save is a servant to him, he is yet highly esteemed; the word in the Greek gives the sense of one prized for interior virtue.  And although the centurion is an authority among the occupying Romans, commanding many military men under him, he's highly deferential to the Jews, not only holding their culture and spiritual heritage in high regard, but diplomatic enough that he goes to the elders of the community and asks them to approach Jesus for him.  This is a man who is not simply a soldier, but the epitome of what it is to grow into the fullness of humanity within his own position in the world.  He is the opposite of a harsh colonialist; he has built the community a synagogue.  Moreover, he is highly deferential to Christ, whom he calls "Lord," and tells that he is not worthy that Christ comes comes under his roof, a display of what no doubt was unusual humility.  This humility is the perfect foundation for the great faith that he has in Christ, as he is a man under authority who understands authority and recognizes immediately and with full confidence the power and authority carried by Jesus.   He is a remarkable example of someone who recognizes true virtue and the authority and rank which the true, the good, and the beautiful command.  He has eyes to see what so many others do not; every action is one that confers the wisdom of proper respect, a sense of true value.  Then this story is coupled with the unique story of the widow of Nain, which is found only in Luke's Gospel.  We begin to get a sense of the real foundations of what might be considered civilized standards of behavior:  Jesus' respect and compassion for the widow is akin to the centurion's understanding of true value and authority.  It is Christ who, above all, teaches us about the use of power, and grace which sets good values apart from what constitutes barbaric, ignorant, and evil abuses of power and authority.    In this example of resurrection, as well as the one in which He raises Lazarus, Christ displays His compassion for the weeping widow whose only son has died, and then presents her son -- as in the giving of a gift -- to his mother.  What we have here in Luke's Gospel, then, is the beginning of an understanding of what it is to be gracious, the foundation of what will go on to develop as notions of good behavior, good manners, true courtesy, the structure of society.  No longer is it tolerable -- in the view of the Gospels and in light of Christ -- for harsh abuses of power to constitute how authority should be carried out.  Already, of course, the Jews understood abusive power, the scandal of power as exercised by abusive or sacrilegious foreign rule, and certainly the story of the beheading of John the Baptist is an illustration of the depravity of the house of Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee at this time (Matthew 14:1-12).  But let us take a look at these stories in today's reading and their presentation in the Gospel.  The true honor shown to what is virtuous and good by the centurion is an illustration of how good character shapes perfect faith, how both humility and wisdom go hand in hand with Christian faith.  Christ's compassion on the widow, and His gracious gift and exercise of unheard-of power in service to compassion teaches us a high regard for the powerless; He restores to her the one treasure she has in life, her only son.  Certainly her own quality of life and standing in the community to a large extent depended upon the child.  All of this is to say simply that the Gospels point us not just to good behavior but true good values, what will go on to cement in place a foundation for that which is considered to be civilized, humane, virtuous.  Abuses of power are never "okay" in the Gospels; they should not be tolerated by those of us who seek to call ourselves Christian faithful and disciples of Christ.  Let us look to the examples we're given and think hard about our own lives and values.  We have a clear moral order given to us, a hierarchy and rank based on the virtuous, the true, and the good.  May we all uphold these things in every aspect of our own lives, and imitate what we see in Him and those who serve Him, no matter where they are found in the Gospels.  As the Roman centurion is in a position that can be highly abused, so we learn that no matter where we are in life, we also have this choice to be virtuous like he is.

Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased!

 But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there.  And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all.  Yet He warned them not to make Him known, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:

"Behold!  My Servant whom I have chosen,
My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased!
I will put My Spirit upon Him,
And He will declare justice to the Gentiles.
He will not quarrel nor cry out,
Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.
A bruised reed He will not break,
And smoking flax He will not quench,
Till He sends forth justice to victory;
And in His name Gentiles will trust."

 - Matthew 12:15-21

Yesterday we read that Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath.  And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat.  And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, "Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!"  But He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him:  how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests?  Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless?  Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple.  But if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless.  For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."  Now when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue.  And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand.  And they asked Him, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" -- that they might accuse Him.  Then He said to them, "What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out?  Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep?  Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."  Then He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand."  And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other.  Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him. 

 But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there.  And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all.  Yet He warned them not to make Him known, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:  "Behold!  My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased!  I will put My Spirit upon Him, and He will declare justice to the Gentiles.  He will not quarrel nor cry out, nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.  A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench, till He sends forth justice to victory; And in His name Gentiles will trust."  Christ's refusal to fully disclose His identity as Messiah is foreseen by Isaiah, my study bible says (Isaiah 42:1-4).  Among His reasons for secrecy are:  the growing hostility of the Jewish leaders; the people's misunderstanding of the Messiah as an earthly, political leader; and Jesus' desire to evoke genuine faith not based only on marvelous signs.  The Servant of Isaiah refers first to Christ, and by extension to all those who follow Him.  In Isaiah's prophecy is also foreseen the mission to the Gentiles after Pentecost.

In a worldly sense, we tend to view appearances or images as full manifestations of a concrete reality.  But in God's sight, we get quite a different perspective, particularly when it comes to Godly attributes, like power or beauty or goodness, and even truth.  Isaiah's prophecy makes it clear in any number of places that the Holy One, the Messiah, does not come to us in a form that makes it clear to common sight that He is divine.  He has, instead, the appearance of a servant.  He does not come as a conquering warrior or one who declares his achievements in an earthly sense, nor a fearsome warlord such as people understand of history, but rather "He will not quarrel nor cry out, nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.  A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench."  This is the paradoxical way of God.  True to the word of my study bible, it is the way the holy has come to work in the world as well, and among those who follow Him.   When St. Paul prayed about an infirmity that plagued him, he was told, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness."  St. Paul adds, "Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me" (2 Corinthians 12:9).  Beauty is also seen as the grace which accompanies a form that the world might not recognize.  In Isaiah 53:2, we read of the mystery of the self-emptying beauty of the Servant of God:  "without beauty, without majesty (we saw him), no looks to attract our eyes."  Paul Evdokimov calls this a type of kenotic veil thrown over His splendor.  St. Peter writes, "Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God" (1 Peter 3:3).  In other words, notions of external beauty may be instead within, and imperishable.  Evdokimov writes that "in this case, the very infirmity becomes ineffably 'beautiful' for in going beyond its infirmity in a veritable trans-figuration, the obstacle is made to serve the spirit in a mysterious bending to the secret destiny of a being."  He compares the tradition of the "fools for Christ," saints who intentionally appeared to be crazy or in some way outside the norms of society, as those who went to the depths of shame as part of their vocation in order to sow light -- a "show," he writes, which was often seen only by the angels.   This paradoxical beauty is only found in humility, with our example set by Christ.  There is no more powerful example of this than Christ on the Cross, a veil of shame hiding the hour of His glory from those who could not truly see.  It is something so seemingly alien to our world that is bathed in increasing power and reliance upon images, which are blasted upon us in every form and at ever-increasing speeds and intensity through the power of media and technology.  One wonders where humility may be valued in the cultures of technology, or where a search for genuine beauty will be found or even attempted in generations who can rely on a kind of internal loop of feedback only they increasingly select for themselves.  Perhaps this lack of value of humility or understanding of inner worth and beauty that does not rely upon images in the eyes of others is responsible to some extent for problems of violence and inexplicable crimes of rage among the young.  It may give us a choice as a successful way for the vulnerable to deal with bullying, as opposed to the images of violence and absolute victory or vindication in popular media and fiction.  In this sense, Christ as healer is a key to what we are missing, and when the Church fails to uphold this paradox and gives us instead only models of worldly "success," then we are failing our children and its subsequent generations.  The entire "model" of Isaiah is one of humility, even suffering, and servitude as that which characterizes the most beautiful One of all, the One who will "send forth justice to victory" and in whose "name Gentiles will trust."  This is a far cry from those who make sure to project the image of morality to the world in their charitable deeds (Matthew 6:1-2), or who constantly seek only to shame others.  In the Gospels we have plenty of examples of the latter in those who seek to shame Christ or John the  Baptist, and do not recognize their holiness or the work of God in their ministries (see Wednesday's reading).  Let us consider, then, Isaiah's Suffering Servant, and the beauty of God at work in those whom perhaps only the angels see in truth.  It is all about the soul, the truth of a person, the heart and the inner life, the sacrifices we may make in service, in the love of God that is genuine and flows to others even in ways not seen by the rest of us.

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?