I.
We begin this passage with a notice that Jesus had finished teaching a crowd of people.

I wonder if this is a clue to us? Keep your eyes and ears open for what comes next? When you think it is over, it isn’t?

In any case, it appears we might see here what Jesus taught when he finished teaching.

Open your eyes so you see all the folk identified in this reading. Open your ears so you hear what they say to one another.

II.
Luke 7:1-10 (NRSVue)

After Jesus had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. A centurion there had a slave whom he valued highly and who was ill and close to death. When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him, asking him to come and heal his slave. When they came to Jesus, they appealed to him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our people, and it is he who built our synagogue for us.” And Jesus went with them, but when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to say to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; therefore I did not presume to come to you. But only speak the word, and let my servant be healed.For I also am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me, and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and the slave does it.” When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him, and, turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.

III.
Who takes center stage in this encounter?

The powerful (and maybe rich) Centurion? His slave who is at death’s door? The Jewish elders (ones in charge of the synagogue in Capernaum, rabbis, even Pharisees and scribes, maybe) who are begging Jesus to heal the Centurion’s slave? The sick slave (who as a slave might be counted worthless and certainly replaceable to many in that culture)? The crowd following Jesus to hear him teach or maybe some were following with the hope of being fed or healed? And then there is Jesus.

Maybe who takes center stage depends on one’s perspective?

Maybe you could read the passage several times and look at it from a different person’s perspective with each reading. Put a different person in the center with each reading.

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}