January 21, 2007 - The Third Sunday after Epiphany
After a number of months of sloth, based on the excuse of "I broke my wrist", I have finally pried myself out of my chair and out of my car and back out onto the road on my bicycle and on foot. I mentioned my five mile hike in Morgan Territory the other day already. Yesterday I got up early and
walked the 2 mile round trip to Starbucks to pick up a pound of beans instead of driving over. Later in the morning I took a ten mile bike ride up Iron Horse trail. I am feeling better for finally getting out and moving some. Today I will ride my bike to BART and to work, it is my intention to ride every day unless it is very rainy.
Here is the Higher Things Reflection for today:
Gospel Lesson:
St. Matthew 8:1-13“Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant will be healed." (St. Matthew 8:8)
It was an odd pairing – a Roman soldier and Jesus, the Messiah. They encountered each other in Capernaum, Jesus’ Galilean base of operations. The soldier had a need, but nothing to offer in exchange. His servant lay paralyzed at home; he needed help. Jesus offered to come to the man’s house and heal the servant, but the centurion declined. He knew the ways of the Jewish people, that they were forbidden to enter a Gentile’s house.
The centurion also knew something about the word of one who has authority. He was a man of authority, as he himself was under authority. What he said, happened. That’s the nature of authority. If he says to his servant, “Go,” the servant goes; if he says, “Do this,” the servant does it.
“Just say the word, and my servant will be healed.” He trusted the authority of Jesus and His Word. The centurion didn’t need for Jesus to go to his house and lay His hands on his paralyzed servant. He wasn’t worthy of that honor. Only a word from Jesus was all he desired, and it was enough.
The words of Jesus come with His authority, all authority in heaven and on earth, granted Him by the Father. By Him all things were made, and in Him all things hold together. In Jesus there is light and life. His words say what they do, and they do what they say. Even from a distance, even when He is visibly absent, His Word does its work with all the authority of the Son of God. “His servant was healed that very hour.”
We come as the centurion: empty-handed, in need, an outsider. We are not worthy to have Jesus come under our roof, nor are we worthy to come under His. Yet He speaks a word with authority to us, a word of Absolution spoken from His Cross, where He bore the sin of the world. “I forgive you all of your sins.” His Word says what it does, and it does what it says. You are forgiven – healed of the paralysis of your sinfulness.
You leave the Liturgy with nothing more than a Word, but the Word is all you need when the Word comes from Jesus, the Son of God who died and rose for you. “Go, it will be done for you just as you believe it would.”
“O Lord God Almighty, because you have always supplied your servants with the several gifts which come from your Holy Spirit alone, leave also us not destitute of your manifold gifts nor of grace to use them always to your honor and glory and the good of others; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.” (Collect for the Third Sunday after Epiphany)