When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, appealing to him and saying, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, in terrible distress." And he said to him, "I will come and cure him." The centurion answered, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only speak the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes, and to another, 'Come,' and he comes, and to my slave, 'Do this,' and the slave does it." When Jesus heard him, he was amazed and said to those who followed him, "Truly I tell you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and will eat with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the heirs of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." And to the centurion Jesus said, "Go; let it be done for you according to your faith." And the servant was healed in that hour. When Jesus entered Peter's house, he saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever; he touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she got up and began to serve him. That evening they brought to him many who were possessed with demons; and he cast out the spirits with a word, and cured all who were sick. This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah, "He took our infirmities and bore our diseases."
After hearing those into Biblical literalism using the story of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19, the "abomination" of Leviticus 20, Paul's writings in Romans, Corinthians and Timothy to speak against homosexuality, it is refreshing to find this particular Gospel story, which is an account of Jesus blessing a homosexual relationship of his day. While a first reading of the Gospel account of Jesus healing the Centurion's servant does not reveal necessarily that there was a male to male love relationship happening, digging into the texts and history of what is actually there, reveals something very different.
There are at least three really great books on the topic of what the Bible teaches about homosexuality. One book is the Children Are Free, written by Rev. Jeff Miner and John Tyler Connoley. Another great book is What the Bible Really Says About Homosexuality by Daniel A. Helminaiak, Ph. D. And a great book for Catholics and non-Catholics to read is: The Church and the Homosexual by John J. McNeil. Another book that should not be over looked and one that I am barely finished reading is Christianity, Social Tolerance and Homosexuality by John Boswell. All of these books including Bishop Gene Robinson's book In the Eye of the Storm deal with the topic of homosexuality, the Bible and the Christian Church.
Both "The Children Are Free" and "What the Bible Really Says About Homosexuality" make some very important observations about this Gospel story of Jesus healing the Centurion's slave. We need to keep in mind that a man's other love was someone that was "purchased" as his property or slave. Women were sold and paid for as property, and so were male lovers. Rev. Miner and John T. Connoley have a note taken from the Mercer Dictionary of the Bible, page 554 that reminds us:
"Moreover, in Jesus' day, a boy or girl was considered of marriageable age upon reaching his or her early teens. It was not uncommon for boys and girls to marry at age 14 or 15" (Page 47)
Both Miner, Connoley and Helminiak talk about two words that are associated with the story of the Roman Centurion's servant: pais and/or duolos that are taken from the Greek. Without going into a lengthy explanation, one or both of these words can be referring to a male who is owned by another male as their "son," "sexual servant," or a slave who was not just an ordinary slave, but had other duties to the owner. These very notions were rather well known by the Jewish people as well as by Jesus and his followers. Miner and Connoley point out that if Jesus really had an issue with the homosexual relationship between the Roman Centurion and his pais Jesus could very well have responded: "Are you kidding? I'm not going to heal your pais so you can go on living in sin!" or "Well, it shouldn't surprise you that your pais is sick; this is God's judgment on your relationship" (Page 50). No, Jesus does not do either one of these things, Jesus agrees to heal his servant. Another point that I would make here is that Jesus recognizes in the Roman Centurion a Faith that is greater than those around him. Jesus further warns that the kingdom of God could be given to those who are not necessarily within ears reach, but those who come seeking God with all their hearts, looking for arms of welcome and compassion.
In today's Epistle from Ephesians Paul writes: "The Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the Gospel" (3:6). Today's Forward Day by Day begins: "What dynamite this verse contained for the early Church. For Judaism, the Gentile was the outsider. The Christian Church, says Paul, is for everyone who needs it and wants it." (Page 18).
Today's Gospel and Epistle makes it very clear that Jesus wants the Church to be inclusive of all people. Jesus wants justice, compassion and radical hospitality to be part of what makes the Church what it is, God's holy ground. God's holy ground is a place where all people are welcome to share in God's wonderful work of salvation, ministry and mission of hospitality. The Church is not just a place, it is the Body of Christ, broken, shared and consumed as we share in the ministry of God's ministry of healing and reconciliation in a wounded world.
As we are praying for the Holy Spirit to come at Pentecost, let us pray that She will renew within the Church a desire and willingness to becoming a more inclusive body of believers, to which LGBT, and all people everywhere may be welcomed, included and encouraged to serve our Lord and Savior. Let us pray for all Christians everywhere, that Christians will embrace the ministry of radical hospitality, reconciliation and healing in those places where the Church still chooses to be exclusive. May we rejoice in the many ways in which the Church is becoming more inclusive, and encourage the leaders of the Church to continue to challenge themselves and all of us to become a welcoming and inclusive Church. May the doors of our hearts, as well as our minds and arms be open to receiving and loving all of God's people.
O God, the King of glory, you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven: Do not leave us comfortless, but send us your Holy Spirit to strengthen us, and exalt us to that place where our Savior Christ has gone before; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen. (Collect for the Seventh Sunday of Easter: The Sunday after Ascension Day, Book of Common Prayer, Page 226)
O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in your good time, all nations and races may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for the Human Family, Book of Common Prayer, Page 815).
God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our only Savior, the Prince of Peace: Give us grace seriously to lay to heart the great dangers we are in by our unhappy divisions; take away all hatred and prejudice, and whatever else may hinder us from godly union and concord; that, as there is but one Body and one Spirit, one hope of our calling, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of us all, so we may be all of one heart and of one soul, united in one holy bond of truth and peace, of faith and charity, and may with one mind and one mouth glorify you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for the Unity of the Church, Book of Common Prayer, Page 818).
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