Ref: Matthew 8:5-11
During this Advent season, the gospel of Matthew provides us with a reading that clearly offers us a peek into the frailty of the human condition, and the will of God, as evidenced through the ministry of Jesus.
The story tells us that:
When Jesus entered Capernaum,
a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying,
"Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully."
In this opening verse we see a powerful military leader, coming to Jesus with a cry for help.
This centurion had power in society. He was a military commander. But he realized that with all the authority and power bestowed upon him by the government, he was powerless when it came to helping his paralyzed servant who was described as “suffering dreadfully.” This centurion heard about Jesus raising the dead, healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, making the lame to walk and feeding the hungry.
So he brought his greatest desire to Jesus, which of noteworthy mention, was in fact for the wellness of someone other than himself. His request was an intercession for his servant, someone that was unable to help himself.
In response to this man’s request Jesus said
"I will come and cure him."
Jesus clearly expressed his willingness to go to the servant and rescue him from this devastating condition that robbed him of his freedom to move. What I love about this passage is that we get to see the will of God, the desire of God for all of humanity. In this story, through these precious words of Jesus, we see God’s desire for wellness, reconciliation and his willingness to bring healing to a paralyzing condition.
The centurion said in reply,
"Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof;
only say the word and my servant will be healed.
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him,
"Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith, and the servant was healed.
Jesus was touched by the centurion’s faith in the healing power of God, and the authoritative, transformative power of His Word.
So here’s a takeaway for us today. When our life journey leads us to a space in which we feel spiritually paralyzed. Or when we find ourselves, on a trajectory towards despair, desperation and desolation, perhaps in those moments we can find the invitation from God who wants to speak healing into our personal chaos through his word.
Perhaps in those trying moments, it is good to spend time meditating on a scriptural passage. Reading to ourselves, slowly out loud, over and over again. And as you do this, embrace God sending His word to you. Allow God to speak into your life, into your circumstance, into your chaos.
Or perhaps you can imagine yourself in a conversation with Jesus telling him what you want, telling him what your most holy desire is, and then quietly listening and being blessed as you hear his comforting words spoken back to you in response.
Or maybe you can use your imagination and place yourself in one of the gospel stories. As you immerse yourself in the story God wants to speak to you in unexpected ways.
So today, during this Advent season and through the testimony of the Gospel, God is inviting us to have a conversation with Jesus. A prayerful, two way dialogue with the author of our faith to whom we can bring our expressions of gratitude and greatest desire.And in response, He speaks to us, He sends a word to us, to bring healing, and freedom into our lives as we navigate our way along our faith journey . During this Advent season we pray for the grace to grow in our intimacy with God.
Amen
