Lord, I am not Worthy
The gospel reading of an encounter between Jesus and the centurion makes an important statement for the start of Advent: salvation is not just for the Chosen People, children of Abraham, but for people of all nations who are prepared to go up to the Lord. The centurion can hardly have been a Jew, perhaps a Roman, perhaps an auxiliary from some other nation in the service of Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee. He knows his absolute authority over his troops, but that knowledge has taught him also that his authority has its limits and that there is an authority beyond him. It has taught him also what respect and reverence for other values are. In Capernaum, the lakeside town where Jesus seems to have taken up residence when he was hounded out of Nazareth, was he the first gentile to recognize Jesus, to submit his own military authority to a higher authority, an authority with power over life itself. What a beautiful kind of humility from a centurion?
An encouraging message, the breadth of the salvation offered, as the nations flow into the feast of the Kingship of God. But is there a warning too. The citizens of Capernaum were no doubt waiting with confidence for salvation too but failed to take it when it came; they failed to recognize Jesus as the centurion did and were to perish in their pride. On one occasion he had warned them that because of their pride and failure to recognize Jesus as a Messiah, they will go to the hades: "And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades" (Lk 1-:15). And today he tells them, and to us too, "I 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" (Mt 5:11), while those who had the Saviour in their midst will go down to hades. Are we not also caught in our pride and always thinking we do not need God because the world gives us transient pleasures? People in authority, don't we sometimes get filled up with our authority and forget that we are called to be humble just like the centurion? The kingdom of God will pass over us if we remain like this; advent is the time to make things right, let the chance not pass us.
The centurion has a profound awareness of his unworthiness, and this is key to his finding favor with Jesus. At times we pray as if we deserved God’s favor, but here the centurion recognizes that he is unworthy that Jesus should come to him. So great was this man’s faith and humility that we use his words to express our own sentiments before receiving Jesus in Holy Communion: “Lord I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word, and my soul shall be healed.” As we continue to prepare for Christ’s coming during the Advent season, let’s make these words of the centurion our own and then become worthy to receive Jesus in our lives.
Let us Pray
Lord, I am really not worthy for everything you have done in my life; it is only by your grace. I thank you for always coming to me though I am not worthy. May this advent be a time for you to guide me as I strive to make myself worthy before you my God and King and to receive you in my life at Christmas day. Amen.
Be blessed
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