I Am Grateful for Our Soldiers

Luke 7:1-10

1 When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people who were listening, he entered Capernaum. 2 There a centurion's servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. 3 The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. 4 When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, "This man deserves to have you do this, 5 because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue." 6 So Jesus went with them.

Let’s meet this centurion. Israel of that day had fallen into the control of the Roman empire. They were an occupied country. We Americans and Canadians don’t know what it’s like living in a country occupied by a foreign army. We’ve been free for so many generations.

What usually happens is that resentment builds up against the occupying army. The sight of there is a constant reminder of their past failures. Part of our problem in Iraq is that certain sectors in that country see our troops as occupying their country instead of stabilizing it. While we see our soldiers as David from Ada, Oklahoma or Carlos from Brenham, Texas or Juanita from Long Beach, California, they just see them as occupiers

The centurion was an occupier with a strong emotional need. He had a favorite servant who was dying and he didn’t want to lose him. There was nothing he could do about it. He had heard how Jesus had healed sick people but Jesus was a foreign Jew and he was a Roman.

Look at what he did in verse 3. He got some elders of the Jews to plead his case. Why doesn’t he just go himself? The answer is a lesson from the military that we’ll look at in just a few minutes.

Look at how these Jewish elders who normally would despise the occupying soldier speak of this centurion in verses 4-5. They said he deserved help because he loves their country and helped them build a place of worship.

The press doesn’t give us a lot today about our love for Iraq. I hear a lot about a love for America and getting justice for 9/11. I hear about protecting our freedoms and maintaining what we have. But I don’t hear much about a love for Iraq.

I have been a harsh critic of President Bush’s foreign policy. While I thought he was a great governor of Texas building consensus from both parties I expected the same as president. I didn’t want to see us go into Iraq. I wanted to see us finish rebuilding Afghanistan and build it into a model democracy. Besides Iraq under Hussein while it had lots of atrocities it did give freedoms to Christian missionaries that we don’t have in other Muslim nations. But President Bush, for better or for worse has never wavered about our involvement in Iraq and establishing a democracy there despite what it has done to his political legacy.

Here’s Jesus’ response: “So Jesus went with them.”

    He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: "Lord, don't trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. 7 That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."

Now we learn the military way. The military understands authority. Politicians give the command and the military carry it out. It seems to me that the politicians who give the command to go to war should be the ones who carry it out but that’s just me.

A soldier on a ship wrote the following:

“Living for 3 years, 2 months and 9 days aboard an aircraft carrier develops certain disciplines that might not be found anywhere else in life.  Our ship was literally a floating city.  We had a post office, barbershop, general store, cleaners, cafeteria, TV station, newspaper, entertainment center...and 100 aircraft, with tons of ordnance.  But the thing that amazed me most was the ability of 5000 men reaching their battle stations during General Quarters, over 3 acres of ship, and producing an accurate head count in less than 10 minutes.  This took a great deal of planning and knowledge of shipboard protocol.  When General Quarters sounded (in case of an enemy plane, ship sighting, or fire at sea), we knew that if we needed to go forward, we were to proceed immediately to the starboard side of the ship.  To go aft, we would travel down the port side.  Eleven decks of men would suddenly stop whatever they were doing, (whatever) and head to their designated battle stations, don their appropriate combat gear, and prepare for the worst.  We were so accustomed to General Quarters that we could do it in our sleep...and many of us had to.”

That’s discipline. That’s what the centurion understood and how he related to Jesus. His servant had a sickness and was dying. He understood that a leader has certain authorities and that’s why Jesus had so much success healing people. He knew that Jesus had authority over sickness. Any soldier worth her weight understands authority. In the military when an officer in authority over you gives you a command you do it because if you don’t it may cost you your life. Look at verse 9 to see how Jesus responded to this.

9 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, "I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel." 10 Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.

Let me repeat. Jesus said “I have not found such great faith even in Israel”. He said that to a Gentile military officer. The last person we would have thought to have the greatest faith.

I am grateful for our soldiers who follow orders everyday even when they don’t feel like it. They have learned about authority. That’s why many of them have put their authority under Christ’s authority and will do as he says because they know their life depends upon it. An NPR survey last year found that 14% of the U.S. population considers itself evangelical Christian but 40% of the military’s active duty personnel consider themselves evangelical. God is at work in our military. Amen.

For the next few minutes we’re going to allow God Holy Spirit to minister to us. On a day when we honor our military our reflection verse today is Zechariah 4:6 “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty.” It doesn’t say “Not by might nor by power, but by my military”. It says by my Spirit. We live in a day when “Shock & Awe” military strength can’t get the job done. Neither can an attitude that says by my strength gets the job done. Our thought question is “how much authority do we give Jesus in our life?”

This morning we’re going to acknowledge that it’s not by our strength or might that we are healed or made whole but by the Spirit of God. The authority of Jesus is in this place: authority over diseases, over demons, over distractions. When we pray together in this place there is powerful authority over that which plaques us. During our time of reflection you are invited to come forward for prayer and healing. If you would like prayer, Pastor Scott and I will be over here. By praying together we acknowledge God’s authority over us.

We will also proclaim Christ’s death and resurrection. You will be invited to come up front and receive communion. Break off a piece of bread and dip it in the chalice. At the end if you would like communion but walking up front is too difficult servers will come to you when you raise your hand.

“Our Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread and when he had given thanks he broke it and said “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me. In the same after supper he took the cup saying ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”