Healing of the Centurion's Son

HEALING OF THE CENTURION'S SON

John 4.43-54

‘This is again the second 'sign’ that Jesus did when he came out of Judea into Galilee.' [John 4.53]

With those few words of editorial comment, the author of today's Gospel reading concludes the story of the healing of the Centurion's son, and leaves us to work out why the incident is of such significance that he should have recorded it.

The first 'sign' you may recall in John's Gospel, was the turning of water into wine at a wedding feast. Now we have recorded the second 'sign'.

As you may also recall, John does not use the word ‘miracle' in his gospel. Instead he uses the word ‘sign'.

Now a 'sign' points beyond itself to a reality. For instance, a road sign with a black 'T' seeks to warn the driver that there is a 'T' junction ahead, which is the reality to which the sign points.

And so we are invited to ask ourselves what is the reality to which this healing story points.

Let us look at our Gospel Story. It is about a Roman Centurion who lived in Capernaum, going to Jesus, who was in Galilee, and asking him to heal his son, or servant, who was dying.

Jesus does not go to Capernaum to heal him, but nevertheless assures the Centurion that his son, servant, would recover and live.

A very simple story, but as I have often said, there is more than meets the eye in St Johns Gospel. So we must ask ourselves , what is the reality to which this sign points?

John is using this story, which he probably got from either St Matthew or St Luke, to illustrate the fact that Jesus came, not only for the benefit of the Jews, but rather for everyone, and that included non-Jews, who are often called Gentiles in the gospels. The story prefigures the Christian gospel going out from Jerusalem to the four corners of the earth.

In fact, I would suggest, the story points beyond the geographical spread to include those whom we dislike, hate and despise. And no one was more hated, disliked and despised in New Testament times than the Roman occupying forces and tax collectors, who worked for these Roman occupying forces.

It would not have been unreasonable to have expected Jesus to take no notice of this Roman Centurion. But Jesus refuses to approach and judge people as members of a class, race, sex, or category of any kind, but only as the object of God's love. He deals with the human being, ignoring the label, and this is at the heart of Jesus's inclusivity. To the contention and disgust of others, he is completely non-tribal and prejudice-free.

It is this attitude which we find so difficult to put into practice in living out the Christian life, because the processes of tribalism are so ingrained in us that to challenge them is always to risk one's own exclusion and to court hatred from all sides.

So the healing of the Roman Centurion's son, or slave, is a sign which challenges us, as it challenged Jesus himself. Are we prepared to extend the love of God beyond the social, religious and man-made barriers?