Subject to another
Gospel: Mt 8:5-11
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120423.cfm
Jesus praises a centurion for his faith. Centurions were military leaders during Jesus’s time and were seen as enemies of the Jewish people. Centurions led a century of soldiers. A century of soldiers could be one hundred to hundreds of soldiers. Centurions maintained order in occupied Roman territories, which included policing, managing customs, and facilitating capital punishment. They were not Jewish; they were Roman. They were in a position of power for the Roman Empire. They were the “worthy” of Roman society.
When speaking to Jesus, the centurion goes beyond merely saying he is not worthy of Jesus’s company but defines his lack of worthiness. He explains his position of power and how he is subservient to the Roman power structure. He sees Jesus as also subject to authority but to a different authority than his. This difference in authority is what makes the centurion unworthy. In other words, the centurion says, “I am subservient to numerous earthly authorities and have a lot of people subservient to my authority. You do not participate in these power struggles but are fully committed to divine authority. For these reasons, I am not worthy for you to enter my house.” The centurion doesn’t ask for this to change or even show that he wants it to change; he only recognizes the difference.
Jesus’s response to this is not to condemn or correct the centurion. Jesus could have said, “If you repent for these sins, I will heal your servant.” Jesus instead praised the man for his faith and healed his servant. God’s grace is freely given, not earned.
The power struggles have social antecedents and implications beyond the centurion. This gospel challenges us to see our world's power dynamics today and strive to live beyond them. It may seem impossible to transcend these dynamics, but Jesus shows us it is possible. What power dynamics exist in our world today? How do these dynamics impact you and others? How does Jesus transcend these dynamics? How can we accept others as Jesus did with the centurion?
