We Are Together, As Beggars, In Awe Of Jesus

Text: Matthew 8:1-13

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

In today’s reading from the Gospel of Matthew, we encounter two remarkable individuals: a Leper who knelt before Jesus and a Roman Centurion who appealed to Jesus. At first glance, it might be easy to overlook how profound these encounters truly are. But when we dig deeper, we see something extraordinary. The Leper came to Jesus with an attitude of worship, and the Centurion approached with a heart of humility. Though their circumstances were vastly different, both of these individuals laid themselves bare before Jesus, acknowledging their bankruptcy before the Christ.  

You see, when the text says the Leper "knelt before" Jesus - or, in some translations, that he "worshipped" Jesus - this was no casual kind of worshipping. You see, the term "worship" in the New Testament means to fall on one’s knees, crouch, or even lay flat with one’s face in the dirt. It is an act of total submission and reverence. Looking at the Roman Centurion as well, his appeal to Jesus was not a casual conversation between equals. Instead, this powerful officer, a man commanding 100 soldiers, came urgently and humbly before Jesus, pleading for help. He even declared that he was unworthy of Jesus to come under his roof. His confession shows that he was not fit to be in the presence of the Holy One. And so even though the Leper and the Centurion were vastly different in worldly ways, they are also profoundly alike in their posture before Jesus. 

Let’s unpack this a bit more. 

The world views the Leper and Centurion very differently.  The Leper was deemed unclean, both physically and spiritually. He was socially isolated, shunned by society, and burdened with cultural stigmas. He was weak, marginalized, and on a path to death. The Centurion, on the other hand, was a symbol of strength, prestige, and authority. As a professional soldier, he commanded respect, having earned his rank through bravery and loyalty to Rome. He was seen as strong, victorious, and firmly on a path to success. On the surface, these two could not be more different - one embodying suffering and weakness, the other embodying power and triumph. Yet, before Jesus, they were exactly the same. The Leper put his face to the ground, crying out for mercy, and the Centurion begged for help, confessing his unworthiness. Both displayed profound reverence, acknowledging their utter dependence on Christ. Before Jesus, all worldly differences melted away. Both the Leper and the Centurion were poor, miserable sinners stripped of everything, standing in awe and need of Christ.  

Dear friends, how often do we fall into the trap of ranking people higher or lower based on worldly measures? While different vocations may carry varying levels of authority and responsibility, the truth remains that before Christ, there is only one posture: humble reverence. That is why, in this sanctuary, we stand shoulder to shoulder and confess together that we are poor, miserable sinners. No one is excluded from this confession. It does not matter if you are the mayor of Minot or a struggling addict; it does not matter if you are a powerful Centurion or a marginalized Leper - before Christ, we all stand humbled together in reverence. No one boasts; no one has an upper hand. There is only reverence: fear, love, and trust in Christ alone.

As I reflected on the Leper and the Centurion while preparing this sermon, I was struck by their shared posture of reverence. Furthermore, despite their vastly different circumstances, Christ did not forsake either of them. He met them both with compassion and healing. The Leper was cleansed of his disease, and the Centurion’s servant was restored. Here is the point though: Jesus never rebuked anyone who approached Him with reverence. Consider the Canaanite woman, Blind Bartimaeus, the woman with the issue of blood, Mary (the sister of Lazarus), and the Samaritan Leper; all of them cried out to Jesus for mercy with a posture of reverence, and He welcomed them. He did not despise their pleas or dismiss them as a nuisance.

But what about those who lacked reverence? Consider the crooked merchants in the temple, the stiff-necked Pharisees, and the proud lawyer who tried to lecture Jesus. These individuals did not come to Christ with humility or respect. They had no reverence for Christ. Instead, they disregarded Him, sought to challenge Him, or acted with arrogance. And in each case, they were met with the rebuke of a whip, chastisement, or the hammer of the Law.

And so, the point is clear dear friends: do not forget where you stand before Christ. Pride, arrogance, and worldly accomplishments have no place in Jesus’ presence as bartering chips or spiritual credentials. The only acceptable posture is one of humble reverence – confessing that after you have done all that you were commanded, you are an unworthy slave, doing only what was your duty. (See Luke 17:10)

Now, let’s be honest - our sinful nature does not like to hear this. And that is precisely the problem with you and me.  We resist the idea of humility and reverence; we would rather cling to our own strength, achievements, and egos. Unfortunately, though, there are many well-meaning but misguided pastors and Christians today who work very hard to build people up according to their own egos.  Please know that I am not making this up.  I have witnessed firsthand the devasting spiritual abuse that has happened to Christians who are disciplined for not being on fire enough in the Spirit, or not being strong enough in the faith, or not being completely sold out for Christ.  In fact, I recall a tearful parishioner once asking me, 

"Pastor, is it okay for me to just lay myself before Christ as a sinner? Is it okay to abide in Him with all my failures and cling to His strength—not my own—as I stumble through life, without being told again and again that I have to do something spiritually profound on behalf of Jesus?"

Dear Baptized Saints, hear this: Reverence before Christ is not about abandoning hope, strength, or love. Rather, it is about abandoning the illusion of our own strength, hope, and love. True reverence recognizes that we have nothing to offer and everything to receive from Christ. Hear that again: True reverence recognizes that we have nothing to offer and everything to receive from Christ.  That is to say; whether you are a Leper in life who can barely take care of yourself or if you are a Centurion who looks out for hundreds of people, when it comes to the reality of Christ, we are all in the same boat, we are all beggars in need of His grace, mercy, and salvation. This is precisely the point that we need to hear! 

Furthermore, as Christians, know this: Christ does not rebuke your reverence. He does not turn away from your repentance. Instead, He gives you life where there is death.  He gives you strength by His Word in your weakness, and forgiveness in the Sacraments where there is sin, so that you may not rest in yourself but rest in Him.  

Consider how the Apostle Paul speaks to this reality:

In Galatians, Paul says, 

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

In 2 Corinthians, Paul writes, 

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

And in Philippians, Paul declares, 

“Whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.”

Baptized Saints, like Paul, the Leper, and the Centurion, we are weak, humbled, and dependent. But take comfort - you are not alone. Your strength is in Christ, your life is in Christ, and your salvation is in Christ. Christ is your forgiveness, He is your assurance, He is your strength, and He is your hope. Hear that again; your Jesus does not rebuke your reverence.  He does not turn in disgust away from your repentance.  But your Jesus gives you life in a world of death, He gives you His power amid your weaknesses, and He gives you forgiveness where you have sin, because you are not your own, but you belong to the Christ who redeemed you not with gold or silver but His precious blood.    

In the name of Jesus. Amen.