“HE IS WORTHY, AND HE COMES UNDER YOUR ROOF”
Saint Matthew 8: 1-13
3rd Sunday after Epiphany: 26 January Anno Domini 2020
Father Jay Watson SSP
Jesus heals a leper. Jesus did not prescribe pharmaceuticals to minimize symptoms, He healed the man completely by His Word. Jesus is God.
Jesus listened to the request of the Roman officer who asked The Lord to help his sick servant. Again, Jesus did so by His Word. But this time, the sick individual was not even in Christ’s visual presence. There was a “locality” distance/difference between The servant and The Savior.
You are not a leper. But you have had, or will have, medical problems and physical diseases. You are to do what that leper did—go to Jesus—worship Jesus—and ask Him to make you clean—"if He will,” i.e. always pray “Thy will be done.”
That leper saw, with his eyes, The Rabbi Whom he sought. He was literally standing right next to Christ when he asked for help. Oh, he still had faith, and he was correctly worshipping the One Righteous and True. It IS of utmost importance to always face The Lord and not one’s own imaginations or works. But, the latter part of the text gives an even greater demonstration of God’s Grace.
Do you sometimes feel just a bit strange praying to someone that you can’t see? No, probably not. You are faithful Christians who properly understand both God’s omnipresence, as well as The Son of God’s actual presence “for you” in His Word and Sacraments—both being in His Word. You do believe that Jesus draws you right next to Him, the Real Him, when The Spirit gathers you here around Christ’s gifts given by Holy Church and Her ministers.
But people being people, sinners being sinners, all followers of Jesus would still love a “sign,” a show of being heard, a, well, a bit of a miracle if possible. When it your darkest despair, when you come to God in intercessory prayer, you would most want something to see, hear, touch, and experience.
This you do not get to have. The “Greek” in you demands wisdom, i.e. you want everything to make rational, maybe scientific, or at least common sense. Your sinful self wants to be able to measure, weigh, and analyze your Lord’s presence and the validity of His promises. The “Jew” in you wishes a sign—a sign of Power.
You get neither. You have The Word. The Word has been given to you in Holy Scripture but is not locked away in the Bible only. That Word is preached, proclaimed in the lectionary’s readings, washed + onto you; and placed on your tongues. That Word is taught and Gospelled to you through a called and ordained ambassador who is visible. The Word given you is of the visually “held” (i.e. out of your sight) yet still present Jesus.
The Centurion, obviously, had heard about Jesus. He had heard the words that Christ had spoken on past occasions. He had also heard of The Lord’s miracles. He heard the Word communicated to him by others. Faith came by hearing and hearing by The Word of God. That Roman leader believed in spite of not having seen. That is God’s Grace producing faith in the heart of a gentile. That is the Grace that was bestowed upon you in your Holy + Washing, giving you faith, as well.
The same Holy Ghost that drew the Centurion to God in the Flesh, draws you here. This Fleshly God, Who hung on the Cross to atone for your lack of faith, Who suffered and bled for your desire to worship self, your imperfections and your evils, hears your petitions to be healed.
Not by standing in front of you wearing His, as is usually represented, red and blue robes, and speaking Aramaic, or Greek, while you can look Him in the eye and see His hair color, and beard length. No. He heals you from sin and gives you new life just, exactly as the Centurion asked and prayed: “Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldest come under my roof; but speak The Word only, and my servant shall be healed.” This you should all paraphrase when you approach the communion rail for The Holy Eucharist—even as pastors also, say silently to themselves, “Lord I am not worthy that Thou shouldest come under my roof—Be placed on My tongue—but speak The Word only, and my soul shall be healed.” Or, as the Reformer reminds you of The Good News, The New Testament: “he who has faith in These Words, ‘given and shed for you, for the remission of sins’ has forgiveness, life, and salvation.”
No, you are most assuredly not worthy. But by His Mercy He makes you worthy. He is The Worthy God Who delights in tabernacling with you and in you.
From His Holy Cross, From His empty spiced tomb, From His Ascension off of Tabor, From His session at the Right Hand of The Father, to His Presence right now—BY HIS WORD—And in a moment—IN HIS WORDS, you will kneel with the Centurion, the healed servant, the restored leper, and with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. This selfsame hour!
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of The Holy Ghost
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