For Tisha B'Av: the healing of the Centurion's servant and bar Cochba

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Luke 7:1-10

After he had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum.  Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him.  When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue.” And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying 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 say the word, and let my servant be healed.  For I too 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 servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well.

Matthew 8:5-13

When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.” And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man 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 servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment.

Both versions have Jesus entering Capernaum.  Both versions say that the person in need of healing was the servant of the centurion.  Both versions have the centurion tell Jesus that he is not worthy of entertaining Jesus under his roof.  Both versions have Jesus marveling and telling the crowd that he has not seen such faith in Israel.

In the Lukan text, we are told that the centurion built their synagogue, which makes him a ger tsaddik (righteous gentile), giving him claim to ask them for assistance.

In the Matthean text, Jesus says “Many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thown into the outer darkness.  In that plase there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

It is very possible to read the Matthean variation as a retrojected “prediction” of the catastrophe that was Hadrian’s retaliation on Judea for the bar Cochba revolt.  With the combination of circumstances:  the people of Capernaum asking for assistance for the centurion and the centurion asking for assistance for his servant, it would seem to be a matter of the lion lying down with the lamb.

     Why this parshah on Tisha B'Av?  Tisha B'Av, the ninth (Tisha) day in (B') the month of Av, is the day on which the destructions of the Temple are commemorated and the losses incurred are mourned.  It is the one day when Hadrian permitted Judeans to return to Jerusalem, to mourn the Temple.  Rabbinic literature says the cause of the destructions was "sin'at chi'nam" - baseless hatred.  If we understand the text to have been written after the bar Cochba revolt, the Judean rebellion that cost the Judean people so much, it is reasonable to assume that this particular parshah may have been one of the first written as an example of the greatest reconciliations of sin'at chi'nam--the Centurion has concern for his servant (something we would not expect to see in a master-slave relationship, even in the ancient world), the Centurion aids those he was sent to destroy (in one text, something we would not expect to see in any age), Judeans assist one who was sent to destroy them.  And into this scene appears Yehosuha, "He will save."