![]() ![]() ![]() The Greek word indicates that, before receiving Jesus' answer, which they feared would be negative, they immediately begin to try to recommend their friend by indicating all the good things he has done. They are convinced that God reserves these benefits only for his people, but they hope he will make an exception for the centurion because of what he has done for the people of God, and that he will also be gracious to a pagan. The elders of the Jews, leading members of the community, see Jesus as a man through whom God does good to his people. His compassion, humility and obedience make him ready to receive Christ's message. He, an expert in military tactics and plans, has properly understood God's plan that salvation wilt come to the pagans through the Jews, and he knows how to be obedient even in this matter. Since he is a pagan, however, he feels unworthy even to present his petition personally to Jesus, and thus sends the elders of the Jews as intermediaries. When his slave, probably his orderly, falls seriously ill he leaves no stone unturned in his effort to help him. He was certainly a good fellow, a strong and able man who could be tender and caring. Thus he was a man who was concerned and God-seeking, so that not even Jesus' presence and work had escaped him indeed he had detailed and positive information about him. Although he was a pagan, he had shown that he esteemed the People of God and their sincere faith. Although he was a foreigner, he had contributed significantly to building the local synagogue: the house of prayer and of religious and human formation for the community. However this man of war was also a man of peace who had won the people's esteem. Who was our centurion? Historians let us imagine him as a courageous fighter who had won his stripes on the battlefield, a foreigner, a pagan. The Evangelist stresses that the centurion was well aware of how precious was Jesus' closeness: he did not even dare to approach him, but sent representatives to him. The account that seems most interesting to us is without doubt Luke's. But above all it is shown that even such a man of power and authority was capable of a tender love for "his son" and a simple and trusting faith in Jesus. We find it, most probably, in an account of this tradition composed personally by John (4:46-54), in which he stresses the dignity of the soldier who is called an "official" of King Herod. We find it in Luke (7:1-10), where great faith is accompanied by a humility full of dignity. We find it in Matthew (8:5-13), where we probably have the oldest tradition, deeply influenced by the fact that such faith was present in a pagan, while the chosen people so lacked it. The story is significantly found in almost all the Gospels. ![]() The Gospel offers us some beautiful examples of believing soldiers the most significant is undoubtedly the centurion of Capernaum. What happened then was simply a confirmation: some at least had taken the Baptist's invitation quite seriously. However the Baptist proposes a new style, capable of giving dignity to this work and preparing honest and courageous soldiers for meeting their Lord. And he also asked for a significant sacrifice: in antiquity army pay was really miserable it was taken for granted that every soldier would supplement his income with looting and extortion, according to custom. In fact the Baptist was asking them for true conversion: from a mentality of power and repression to service for all the people. This invitation now appears to be anything but secondary. Soldiers also asked the Baptist: "And we, what shall we do?" He answered: "Rob no one by violence or by false accusation, and be content with your wages" (Lk 3:14). From the time of John the Baptist's preaching the most sensitive Jews began to prepare themselves in the best possible way for the Messiah's coming. In the Gospel, soldiers also have a part to play they are a category of individuals sensitive to the call of faith from the very beginning. The soldiers are not just one of the many aspects of the historical background to Christ's work. This military presence, in a land that was unruly and occupied by Roman troops, was undoubtedly an historical fact but significantly the Gospel does not confine itself to presenting it as such. The soldiers around Christ are an indisputable fact in the Gospel. This explains the renewed interest in soldier saints, especially the first ones, those who were physically as well as spiritually close to Jesus. At the same time this image invites us to look with special affection at those who are "closest to Christ". This image speaks of the search for greater unity, of a stronger capacity for communication and closeness in it. The spiritual experience of Military Ordinariates could be described in an image: gathering around Christ.
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