An expansive Gospel

For 1st century Jews, the dynamics of living under foreign occupation dominated life. Life was made up of a dance of insider and outsider. Jews saw themselves as insiders and the occupying Gentile Romans were outsiders. But even within the Jews there were different groups with different approaches towards the Romans. In Luke 7:1-10, one of the outsiders, a Roman centurion, asked Jesus to heal a beloved servant. In the end, Jesus praises this centurion for his great faith. Pastor Phil Kniss questioned just what the nature of this centurion's faith was that earned Jesus' praise. Perhaps it was not that the centurion believed that Jesus could heal from a distance. Pastor Phil suggested that the amazing piece was that an "outsider" recognized and respected the power and authority of a subjugated insider. Humility, vulnerability, and a deep trust in the goodness of God were evident. Perhaps this is what we need to navigate our our relationships today.