The words of the Centurion in today’s Gospel are words that are very familiar to us. While he desires Jesus to heal his servant, the Centurion objects: “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed.” We repeat these words right before we receive communion: “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.” Like the Centurion in the Gospel, we approach Jesus to receive healing. The Centurion’s servant is paralyzed, lying at home. We can be paralyzed by psychological or even spiritual suffering. We can be afraid to even approach God because we feel we are imperfect and sinners. Jesus invites us to come to him always. While none of us is worthy, God’s desire is that we come to him with our burdens and anxieties:
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” (Matthew 11:28-30).
Jesus’ invitation in Matthew is very similar to the invitation in today’s first reading from the prophet Isaiah:
“Come, let us go up to the LORD’s Mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his paths.” (Isaiah 2:3).
We are invited to come to God and to Jesus that we may learn the true will of God, and the true way of holiness and righteousness. God’s way is the way of justice and peace.
We turn today to God and pray for peace in Jesus’ homeland of Israel and Palestine and for peace in the Ukraine. We pray that the vision of Isaiah truly be realized:
“God shall judge between the nations and set terms for many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; One nation shall not raise the swords against another, nor shall they train for war again.
Jesus wants to come to our home today. Let us welcome him with open arms.
Image: “Bartolome Esteban Murillo – Christ Healing the Paralytic at the Pool of Bethesda [1667-70]” by Gandalf’s Gallery is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.