Dealing with people different from us.

Reflection

We like to be with people we like.  And we like people who like us and who like what we like.  And so I hang around with people of my own religion, my political persuasion, my culture and my moral stands.

Then we find Jesus talking with a gentile Centurion. Now this was an enemy of the Jews.  Jews were expected to have nothing to do with them.  Jesus is willing to enter into his home to cure a slave.

This encounter challenges us followers of Jesus to break down some of the barriers we set up with people we relate with.  We’re even called upon to deal with people we don’t like and who don’t like us.

Scripture

Matthew
Chapter: 8

Jesus Heals an Army Officer's Servant
(Luke 7.1-10; John 4.43-54)

 
⁵When Jesus was going into the town of Capernaum, an army officer came up to him and said,   ⁶"Lord, my servant is at home in such terrible pain that he can't even move." 
⁷"I will go and heal him," Jesus replied. 
⁸But the officer said, "Lord, I'm not good enough for you to come into my house. Just give the order, and my servant will get well.  ⁹I have officers who give orders to me, and I have soldiers who take orders from me. I can say to one of them, 'Go!' and he goes. I can say to another, 'Come!' and he comes. I can say to my servant, 'Do this!' and he will do it." 
¹⁰When Jesus heard this, he was so surprised that he turned and said to the crowd following him, "I tell you that in all of Israel I've never found anyone with this much faith!   ¹¹Many people will come from everywhere to enjoy the feast in the kingdom of heaven with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  

Prayer

Lord, help me to break out of my selfish world.  Help me to find richness in the people who are different from me.  Thank you for your courage as you reached out to the unacceptable Centurion.  Amen.