Jesus Heals a Centurion's Servant
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image credit:
Paolo Veronese, 16th century “Jesus healing the servant of a
Centurion”
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Link to full text of Luke 7:1-10.
Close Reading:
Using the method of redaction criticism and the footnotes
provided by The
Harper Collins Study Bible, an earlier source/translator changed the first
line from “After he had finished…” to
“After Jesus…”. While this change
doesn't seem like a very big omission, it is important that both the original
author didn't use Jesus’ name, and that a later author found it necessary to
clarify. The original author obviously thought that it was obvious to his
audience that the he the author was
referring to was Jesus. Bart D. Ehrman calls the Gospel of Luke “a kind of
Greco-Roman biography of Jesus” (Ehrman, 96). If it was assumed that the
readership would be solely focused on Jesus, than there was little need to
continually repeat his name. In contrast, a later author felt the need to
clarify that the person who was talking to the crowd was in fact Jesus, who did
they fear confusion with? This passage is close to Luke 7:18-35, in which John
the Baptist is mentioned. A common theme for Luke is recognition and
misunderstanding, so perhaps the later scribe was making a deliberate choice to
not allow for any confusion with the prophet.
We learned from both Ehrman and from lecture (Day 8 Mt Lk,
Slide 28) that Luke was likely an ancient “apology” text (Box 7.1, 98). Using
this critical lens, the choice of a Centurion as the benefactor of Jesus’
miracle was likely a very deliberate choice. The Centurion is portrayed as a
friend to the Jewish people, assisting them with the construction of their
house of worship. The crowds appeal on his behalf, and he is shown to be a
pious, respectful person. Gentiles reading this wouldn't feel that early
Christians were enemies of Rome, but friends. It also shows that pagans/gentiles
are able to benefit from the teachings and miracles of Jesus.
Perhaps most important is the word choice of the Centurion. The
Centurion addresses Jesus as “Lord” in verse six. Everywhere else he is the
“rejected prophet” (102) but Centurion recognizes him not only as a prophet,
but as the Lord as well. This is likely connected to the previous passage, “The
Two Foundation” where Jesus states that disciples and the crowds call him Lord,
but do not always act on what he says. The Centurion is shown to both speak and
act like a believer, which amazes Jesus, who exclaims that he hasn’t found this
faith in all of Israel. In the Gospel of Luke, an important theme is the rejection
and misunderstanding of Jesus by his own Jewish population. When Jesus is rejected
by the Jews, he is able to find faith-filled Gentiles who he rewards with
performing great miracles. As an apology, it shows the separation between
Judaism and Christianity, while still appealing to Gentiles. This helps to
establish that Christianity is available for everyone.
Another important word choice is the Centurion’s comment
that Jesus must only say “the word” and his servant will be healed. The
importance of Jesus as the Word of God is established in the Johannine Prologue
(113). This word choice is loaded with meaning, and the Centurion’s
belief/faith is certainly powerful. In modern masses, this part is repeated by
the congregation as a display of their faith. Modern Christians believe, as did
the Centurion, that Jesus’ power was so great that his speech alone had
restorative powers.
This passage is also quite popular in the gay marriage vs
Christianity debate. Many
sources cite
that this passage is Jesus affirming the relationship between two men. The
questioning comes from the translation of pais,
which scholars argue is most commonly translated to lover, rather than just servant.
Certainly the Centurion’s attachment seems far more than just a monetary value.
The Centurion feels some shame, and refuses to have Jesus in his unworthy home. Contextually, it wouldn’t make sense for this friend of the Jews to feel shame about his pagan religion-he is clearly able to still help and befriend the Jews, so why stop Jesus? The footnotes of The Harper Collins Study Bible state that Jews who entered a Gentile’s roof would risk defilement, and that is the reason for the Centurion’s concern. Certainly a same sex relationship between erastes and pais may not have been understood by the non-gentile or military community, causing shame for the Centurion.
-Morgan
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