3rd Sunday after Epiphany 24.1.10 Authority
One might think that in the pursuit of happiness the natural thing to do would be to assert oneself, with statements such as, No one is going to tell me what to do; I will decide my own course, set my own destiny...I will take as much as I need or want, seeking my own happiness.
The paradox we discover, however, is that if we are humble and obedient we will be free. If we try to break free (from God) we become slaves.
One cannot outsmart God. If we submit to Him; if we admit we are created not creators - we will find freedom. Not the freedom to do anything we like but the freedom that comes from being true to our nature - like a racehorse running, a bird flying, a fish swimming. Doing what we are meant to do. We don’t expect a bird to swim, or a fish to fly, nor a human to live well if he is opposing or resisting the will of God.
The moment he comes into line with that will he takes off like an eagle. He cannot be god, but he can be fully who and what he is, and that is enough for happiness.
This is all that God is asking of us, to submit to His superior judgment and wisdom, to be what He has made us and be happy with that; just see what comes.
It has to be a constant submission, not just once or here and there, but habitual, daily, reaffirmed and made into a whole attitude.
The centurion had great faith because he could see how simply it all works. He saw the whole thing in terms of authority. For God to heal a sickness all He had to do was give an order. If He would say to an unclean spirit, Go, he would go. Or to a dead man, Come out, and he came out. Or to the winds and the waves, Be still, and they were still! He had the power to order things about, even spirits.
The centurion was onto this idea. He, as a commanding officer, could order other soldiers about but not sickness. Jesus, being higher up the chain of command could order sickness.
What about us? We may not be able to boss things around as Jesus did, but we can be a lot more comfortable if we are prepared to take our place in the chain of command. If we obey whatever is above us whatever is below will obey us, at least in general terms.
If we obey God, let Him work in us, not trying to overturn Him, His goodness will work in us and through us onto other aspects of creation, and we will exert a healing, saving, improving influence on whatever is around us.
We may not work every single miracle or get every single thing working as we like but things in general will certainly work a lot better.
It is more a passive cooperation with God. We let His light shine through us like glass - which is one of the images used for Our Lady. She lost none of the power of God as it impinged upon her. Just as if we were looking directly at the sun it would hurt our eyes, and if we were looking at the sun through a clear window that would also hurt our eyes - and that is the power of God coming through a pure heart.
We cannot choose which miracles to work. If I had the power to move a mountain I would still have to ask God where He wanted the mountain!
As delegates of His power we take part in the process. We are privileged to be included. We do not try to be gods but seek our true place with the real God.
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