Transgressive Healing

NL#325 for February 9, 2025

Scripture: Luke 7:1-17

Last time on Tales of Faith

There is quite a gap between this reading and the one from last week. Jesus has selected twelve disciples (ones who follow) who he also calls apostles (ones who are sent out). We have also skipped over an extended teaching section, sometimes called the ‘Sermon on the Plain’ in 6:20-49 (somewhat in contrast to the ‘Sermon on the Munt’ found in Matthew’s gospel). A few things to note from that sermon:

v. 20-26 It begins with not only blessings: you who are (economically) poor, hungry now, weep now, and hated on account of the Son of Man; but also woes: you who are rich, full now, laughing now, spoken well of.

v. 27-36 There is then an major (for the length of this sermon) section on loving one’s enemies and blessing those who hate you. Examples like turning the cheek (Luke does not include which side), giving your shirt as well as your cloak, and giving to the poor. Jesus also emphasizes that to love the ones who love you is basically the bare minimum of ethical responses, everyone can manage that. Jesus holds his disciples to a higher standard, love those who have positioned themselves to be your enemy. Luke’s account here also raises the more practical and economic side of things (as opposed to Matthew’s over spiritualized focus) and applies this to those who you might lend to. Do not just lend to those who can pay you back (that is fiscally responsible, so unremarkable), also lend to those from whom you expect nothing in return. This seems to be a throwback to the economic system presented in Deuteronomy 15 in which market debt is erased every seven years, and property debt wiped out every 50 years (a system in which both generational debt/poverty and generational theft/wealth cannot accumulate).

v.37-42 Jesus also instructs his disciples not to judge or condemn, but instead to forgive generously. He uses the humorous image of trying to pick the speck out of a neighbor’s eye when you have a log sticking out of yours. If you are going to judge, judge yourself, work on your own stuff, then you can help others. Post-log help, we might presume, comes with the humility that comes from the recognition that I have experienced failure and grace, so I will extend it to others.

v. 43-45 Jesus then follows this image up with a familiar scriptural image of trees and fruit. The fruit of someone’s words and actions are the thing to judge (discern) rather than their appearances. Look at the fruit that you produce, look at the fruit that other people produce, and from that make decisions about who is a ‘good tree’ or a ‘bad tree.’

v. 46-49 and this teaching section ends with an admonition to not only hear the words that Jesus is saying, but put them into practice. He uses the image of a person building a house either on a strong foundation or not.

So, now that the gospel writer has laid out these sayings of Jesus in a sermon, we will see those lessons put into practice.

Centurion’s Slave 7:1-10

Our first story takes place in Capernaum, a decent city on the shores of the Sea of Galilee (or Lake Gennesaret as Luke likes to call it). Here we meet a Centurion, which might give us pause.

Centurion

The fact that this man is a Centurion tells us several things. Centurion was an officer rank in the Roman Army, named for their command of up to 100 soldiers. This rank alone tells us that he is likely more than likely of Italian descent (so ethnically and religiously other/minority) but a representative of the oppressive and colonizing empire that Galilee is currently being occupied by. The rank of Centurion was a highly desirable one, and usually meant 15-18 years of military service in order to be qualified for the rank (sometimes it was granted by direct promotion, but that would imply even more Roman cultural connection).

For many in the first century, this would make him an occupier, a colonizer, an enemy (didn’t Jesus just say something about that?). In contexts that we would be more familiar with, this would be a Russian officer in Kiev, or an IDF soldier in (what’s left of) Gaza City.

But wait a second, there is more to this Centurion than meets the eye. The Centurion sends Jewish elders to Jesus in order to vouch for him. We find out through them that he helped to build the local synagogue and loves the Jewish people. Likely this means that he is a Proselyte, a convert to Judaism (or, at least a really good politician). So by the fruits that he has produced, it seems like he is a good tree, no matter what we may have thought before (sound familiar?)

Beloved Slave

The Centurion is not sending representatives to Jesus for himself, but for his enslaved person, who is described as ‘valued highly’ but who is sick and close to death. This too has some interesting implications:

High Market Value

It may be that the enslaved person is highly valuable in the way that a piece of specialized equipment is valuable. This enslaved person may have a particular skill, ability, or disposition that makes him highly valued to his master. Perhaps they are the bookkeeper for the regiment, and it would be expensive to replace his skills and institutional knowledge. It is a bit gross to think about, but these are the kind of market calculations that are made in a society that sees people as chattel (whether literal enslavement or just market/debt enslavement).

High Emotional Value

There is something about the pleading of the Centurion that makes me think that something else is going on. This too can have a few options. The way that The Chosen dealt with it this last season was to frame the enslaved person as the illegitimate son of the Centurion (a point highlighted by casting one of the few actors of actual color in the show). The implied backstory is that the Centurion had the child by another slave, and took him into his house as a way of providing for him. This is certainly a possibility.

The enslaved person could also be a dear friend or confidant of the Centurion.

Perhaps my favorite interpretation is a Queer reading that suggests that this ‘highly valued’ enslaved man could have been the Centurions’ lover (in addition to being his slave).

CONTENT WARNING: THE FOLLOWING CONTAINS INFORMATION ABOUT ROMAN SEX, SEXUALITY, AND GENDER EXPRESSION.

It was common practice in Roman culture (and all cultures which enslave people) to use enslaved people to gratify sexual desires. Roman culture in particular had an openness to a variety of sexual expressions, especially in socially unequal arrangements like between a master and their enslaved person. This seems totally backwards to us, but is rooted in their understanding of gender, which was less ordered around the male/female dichotomy and more structured around penetrator/penetrated with a good dose of strict classism. A person who sought to be the penetrator (and had the necessary genitalia to do so) was considered more hot/male, and was expected to penetrate social inferiors: usually women and enslaved people. Persons who were physiologically or socially arranged to be penetrated were automatically considered to be a lower social status. The common practice of Pederasty, in which older well-to-do males would get sexual satisfaction through younger free-born males was intended to be non-penetrative since this was a part of the apprentice process and the boys were expected to eventually be socially equal. Equal same-sex activity between males was considered gauche. ‘Tops’ were considered to be suspect, because they would willingly degrade a social equal by penetrating them. ‘Bottoms’ were considered mentally-ill because they had the physiology and social status to be a penetrator, but chose to be penetrated instead (not unlike how some view trans-women today who willingly give up the ‘privilege’ of masculinity and instead take on femininity, and the misogyny that comes with it). Lesbianism was not really considered either way, because a) women were all considered to be inferior, so who cares? And b) there was no penetration going on (Romans apparently did not have very good imaginations) so, double who cares?

END CONTENT WARNING

Faith of the Enemy

Jesus agrees to heal the enslaved person, and follows the Jewish Elders, but before he gets to the house, the Centurion sends word by friends (no indication whether they are other Jewish people, or other Romans) not to come in person, saying “I am not worthy to have you come under my roof.” This may be a recognition and respect of the religious practices of the Jewish people, and especially the pharisees (he did help build the synagogue after all, a project lead by the pharisees), that observant Jewish people were not allowed to enter into the houses of Gentiles. If we did not understand the significance before of his ‘love’ of the Jewish people, this nuanced and culturally sensitive move should cement it.

He then uses his military frame to understand the authority of Jesus. Just as he as a centurion can order his legionnaires or slaves to follow his commands, Jesus should be able to command whatever spiritual forces are at his disposal.

This statement, like the most juicy piece of fruit you could imagine, amazes Jesus. Who could have expected such faith from an enemy? Jesus makes the bold (and I am sure, shocking) claim that he has not seen such significant faith among his own people. Luke is highlighting here with one story so many of the lessons that were contained in the preceding sermon.

The Widow of Nain 7:11-17

The next story is about a widow from the city of Nain, about 20 miles Northeast of Capernaum. In many ways, this story is a foreshadowing of the story for next week, in which John’s disciples ask if Jesus is ‘the one’ or if they should keep looking. Jesus’ answer is to point to the evidence (fruit) of his ministry, including the raising of the dead. However, there are a few interesting things to note about this story:

Jesus encounters a funeral procession of a man from Nain, who we are told is the only son of a widow. This means that the salvation Jesus brings in raising the man from the dead is not just the restoring of his life, but his mother’s as well. Women without significant male patronage had little to no political or cultural power. Her husband is dead, and her only son (who has presumably caring for her) is now dead. Perhaps there is a ‘kinsman redeemer’ who can step in and care for her, thought the narrative seems to imply that this is not the case. At very least, her fate is unknown.

Jesus has compassion on her, perhaps a pointing back to our lesson from last week, in which human compassion surpasses strict observance of the law. This is highlighted by the fact that Jesus touches the corpse, an act that makes him ritually unclean.

I will note, however, that Jesus’s words to the widow are not great, “don’t cry.” That is a lesson from Pastoral Care 101 unless you are the Son of Man are intending to raise the deceased in a few minutes, DO NOT TELL A GRIEVING PERSON NOT TO CRY!!!!!

Very clearly this is a reference to the raising of the widows’ sons in 1 Kings 17 and 2 Kings 4. Luke wants to lift Jesus to at least the level of the great prophets Elijah and Elisha. As I mentioned above, this event will be part of the answer that Jesus gives to John’s disciples about his messiahship.

As an interesting contrast, John’s gospel also has a raising of someone from the dead (Lazarus) as the climax of Jesus’ ministry, and one of the major reasons for the Sanhedrin’s opposition of him. Here, however, it is just one of the list of amazing things that Jesus is able to do. This news travels all over the Jewish world, specifically noting Judea in the south where his ministry will be headed.