This past Wednesday in class, a Jesuit priest gave a talk about Jesus the healer. At one point he paused and said not to read the bible like a fundamentalist. He was dismissive of certain details. Which ones to be dismissive about was murky.
Today, a Messianic Jew preached about the centurion and this rabbi was very particular about all the details. I felt like scales were falling off my eyes. He talked about how the reading that day from Exodus about Pharaoh paralleled the reading about the centurion, in that Rome was the political power of the day, like Egypt was before it. The centurion could have been like Pharaoh, but he wasn’t.
He sent men out to ask for healing for his servant and then when Yeshua agreed, he sent more men, friends of his this time, to tell him to just say the word.
The most striking thing to me, was that – as Rabbi Kinzer pointed out – the centurion didn’t say he was a man of authority so he knows that Yeshua can say the word, he said he was a man under authority. Meaning – He knew Jesus had the Father’s power, just as he himself had the emperor’s. He didn’t attribute his abilities to himself, but to whom that power had been given.
Not being a fundamentalist about the bible is a deal breaker for me. Slowly but surely, I am leaving the church I want so much to see honor what she has been entrusted with. I get that it’s not a scientific text, and there’s lots I can’t understand or don’t due to context, but ever since my conversion I’ve bet my life on that book. And I can’t run with anyone who doesn’t.
Speaking of people to run with, there is a potential house manager, a friend from Boston with a heart of gold and a strong faith in His word. We won’t know until after summer, but it’s very hopeful. The rest of the house is slowly but surely coming along. My time in the jail and prison is steady and I’ve since connected with 2 more churches that do prison ministry as well. As a visitor. I’ve stopped going to mass for now. The Saturday services has been my home since my last spiritual director went on sabbatical.
There was a sister that used to be my director in Boston I talked to tonight and she said that the situation is the same in that area – transitional homes for men, but not for women.
The reason the centurion didn’t want to have Yeshua over was because it was not prepared for a devout Jew. As I prepare this house for His people, or at least, people striving to be His, who want to be His, I pray and trust His word.
Lord, continue to guide me.
ForG-d 