Say the Word…

You won’t see me in the parking lot or in worship at Messiah Lutheran Church in Yorba Linda this weekend. You see, I’m off attending a Leadership Conference in Columbus, Ohio through this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I’m way too busy to write anything, let alone post anything to this blog. And yet… here it is, a blog posted right on time. If I didn’t take a laptop with me, if I’m not accessing the internet from Ohio, how can I be attending a conference and publishing at the same time?

The answer is simple: my servant is publishing the blog for me. In this case, my servant is technology. The blog software allows me to publish an entry, and specify exactly when I would like it to be posted. I suppose that I have to have some faith that the technology will work, but we exercise that type of faith every day. We use cruise control in our cars, expect alarms to wake us, and fly in planes that, if not completely computer controlled, at least use an auto-pilot. Basically, we specify what we want done, and it happens.

Some people are used to having their orders carried out by employees or servants. LOL… some bosses don’t seem to get the difference between the two!

In either case, most of us can relate to the story of the Centurion from the book of Matthew:

“When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. "Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering.”

Jesus said to him, “I will go and heal him.”

The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, 'Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, “I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! It will be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that very hour.”

Matthew 8:5-13

Wow! What amazing faith! This man was a three-strike offender in the eyes of everybody. He was NOT a Jew… he was Roman… AND he was part of the force occupying Israel at that time. And yet, Jesus says: “I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.” Jesus warns his disciples, all of Israel, and… all of us today… that though we might have been set aside as subjects of the Kingdom, without faith we will be thrown outside… into the darkness. This centurion… this man of faith… stood before Jesus and in faith said: “Say the word.”

Say the word, Jesus… and heal our hurts.
Say the word, Jesus… and heal our brokenness.
Say the word, Jesus… and heal our homes.
Say the word, Jesus… and heal our children.
Say the word, Jesus… and heal our churches.
Say the word, Jesus… and heal our country.
Say the word, Jesus… and heal our hearts!

In faith, Jesus, I turn to you and say: “Say the word!”

Your brother in Christ,

Dave