Healings at capernaum

Today's Reflections

Healings at capernaum 

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Mt 8:5-17

⁵When [Jesus] entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him and appealed to him, ⁶saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.” ⁷He said to him, “I will come and cure him.” ⁸The 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. ⁹For I too am a person subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” ¹⁰When 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. ¹¹I say to you, many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the kingdom of heaven, ¹²but the children of the kingdom will be driven out into the outer darkness, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.” ¹³And Jesus said to the centurion, “You may go; as you have believed, let it be done for you.” And at that very hour [his] servant was healed.

¹⁴Jesus entered the house of Peter, and saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. ¹⁵He touched her hand, the fever left her, and she rose and waited on him.

¹⁶When it was evening, they brought him many who were possessed by demons, and he drove out the spirits by a word and cured all the sick, ¹⁷to fulfill what had been said by Isaiah the prophet:/ “He took away our infirmities/ and bore our diseases.”

Reflection:
 

I will come and cure him. This is Jesus’ reply to the centurion’s appeal. Who is this centurion? He is not named. He is a man of authority, with soldiers and slaves at his command.

As master, the centurion has the power of life and death over his slaves who are mere tools and objects at their masters’  disposal. But the centurion in the Gospel is concerned about the welfare of his slave. The centurion treats the slave as a person, a friend, or even a family member. He sets aside his position and social status to appeal to Jesus for his slave.

We may have people under our care, working for us or depending on us. Let us treat them as persons and even as members of our family. Let us be concerned about their welfare and help them in their needs.

Are we compassionate or considerate to persons under our care or those under our authority?