Today we
meet Jesus at Capernaum. A Roman centurion approaches Him and asks for help. His
request is simple: “Lord, my servant is lying at home, paralyzed and in
great pain.” Jesus responds to his request at one: “I will come and heal
him.” Then comes one of the most striking declarations of faith in the
Gospel. The centurion says: “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter
under my roof. Only say the word and my servant will be healed.”
This encounter
helps us understand the attitude expected of us in this Advent season. Advent is a time for active waiting. It is a time to prepare
our lives, hearts for the coming of the Lord. The centurion teaches us how to
wait. He presents his need with humility and faith. He trusts without
conditions. He loves his servant and Jesus without boundaries. He believes
without seeing.
The Gospel
uses two important Greek words to help us understand the depth of his attitude. Jesus praises the centurion for this faith. The word used by
Matthew is pistis, which means complete trust and personal surrender.
Faith is not a theory or an abstract idea. It is the decision to rely on the
Word of Jesus even when everything seems uncertain. Advent calls us to this
trust. To hand over our fears, worries, and broken places, and to believe that
the Lord is near and working in silence.
Another key
word is revealed through the centurion’s recognition of authority. He speaks of command. When he says, “I too am a man under authority”
the Gospel uses the word “exousia”. This means real power, power to give
life. The centurion sees this authority in Jesus. He understands that a single
word from Him reaches beyond distance, beyond sickness, and beyond
hopelessness.
This is the
faith that astonishes Jesus. Scripture tells us
that “Jesus was amazed.” The word used by Matthew describes a deep emotional
response. Jesus stops, looks at the man, and then speaks to the people around
Him: “Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith.” Those
listening to Jesus would have been shocked. A pagan soldier becomes a model of faith.
A foreigner becomes a sign of the God’s Kingdom. God choses the unexpected.
Grace reaches beyond boundaries.
In Advent,
the Gospel invites us to stand beside this centurion. Many of us carry burdens: illness in the family, financial
struggles, loneliness, fear about the future, sins that hold us back,
relationships that are broken, etc. Like the centurion, we know someone or
something in our life that needs healing. Advent is the moment to speak those
words: “Lord, I am not worthy, Say only a word…”
The tenderness
of Jesus is quite noticeable in this Gospel. He
does not text the centurion. He does not ask him to prove anything. He allowed His
mercy to flow at once. The centurion believed in the authority of Jesus’ word.
We hear the same word in every Eucharist. We repeat his sentence before
communion: “Lord, I am not worthy.” This is a testament of truth. We are weak.
Yet God comes near us. He enters our hours, our life, our wounds. Let us not be
ashamed to invite Him always.
Advent is
the time to renew our faith in the Word of Jesus. His word creates what it declares. He said : “Heaven and Earth
shall pass away, but My word will remain forever.” So, it the midst all
uncertainties in the world, we can trust the Word of Jesus. His word heals what
seems beyond repair. His word brings light into darkness. His word opens a
future where we see no path.
Jesus ends
the passage with a promise: “Many will come
from east and west and take their place at the banquet of the Kingdom.”
Advent reminds us that we walk toward a feast. The Kingdom is open. No one is
excluded; we only need to open the heart in faith. The centurion is a witness
that God draws near to all who call upon Him with faith and humility.
Therefore,
let us ask for this grace. The grace to trust Jesus with pistis, (faith)
the grace to submit to His exousia,(authority) the grace to welcome Him
with humility and love. May our waiting be active. May our hearts be wide open.
May we really be ready when He comes: “Lord, say the Word, and we shall be healed.”
Amen.
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