Healing light – from a distance
by Kathy Matuschka
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‘Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof … But say the word, and my servant will be healed’ (Luke 7:6b,7b).
Read Luke 7:1–17
Today, we turn our focus to the gospel of Luke. In Luke 6, Jesus taught his disciples what it looks like for them to live in God’s light. Now in Luke 7, we see Jesus reflecting God’s light by his actions.
While Jesus heals the servant of a Roman centurion, it is the centurion himself who is the focus of today’s first story. God’s light has been doing its work long before Jesus enters Capernaum. Firstly, the centurion helped to build the synagogue when he could easily have used his power to harm the Jewish people – an act of darkness. God’s light is also reflected in the concern the centurion has for his servant. This flow of light continues as the Jewish elders then advocate on behalf of the centurion.
On this day, the centurion trusts that Jesus’ God-given authority to heal is so great that Jesus doesn’t even need to be in the room to heal his servant. And so, we discover that not only does Jesus have the power to heal, but he can do so by a word, from a distance. This reminds me of Genesis 1, when God spoke the world into being, saying: ‘Let there be light’, and many other things.
By his word, Jesus speaks God’s healing light into the servant’s body.
As we grieve for the brokenness of our world, what a wonderful reminder of the access we have to God’s healing light. We can boldly pray for those near and far, knowing that what seems impossible to us is within God’s power:
Dear God, your light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it. In our world, we grieve the darkness of wars and other conflicts, some close to home and others far away. We thank you for those who take a stand in these places for your peace and light, and we pray that you will bless their work. Some of us have loved ones far away who need your healing light. Please hear our prayers for their healing and wholeness. In Jesus ‘name, Amen.
Kathy Matuschka lives in Brisbane with her husband, Mark, and worships at Our Saviour Lutheran Church, Rochedale. This year, Kathy’s ministry journey led her to The Wesley Hospital in Brisbane, where she now serves as a chaplain.
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