Seeing The Invisible: Invisible Connections

Matthew 8:13

Then Jesus said to the centurion, ‘Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.’ And his servant was healed at that moment.

In our kitchen, attached to the side of a cupboard, is a small white box. It’s a thermostat, controlling the boiler in another room – yet there’s no visible connection between them. Of course we know in principle (and some of you will know in practice) how this works – a high-frequency radio connection. No mystery, just technology. We’re surrounded by such unseen connections – after all the invisible force of gravity is an inescapable factor of our life on earth.

Some examples of action-at-a-distance have puzzled physicists for years – particles separating by large distances appear to be ‘entangled’ in such a way that their properties are linked instantaneously, even though they are too far apart to communicate with each other. Study of this phenomenon may one day lead to ‘quantum computing’. (You can't wait, can you!)

This leads us to another facet in this week’s patchwork mirror-image of Jesus. A centurion comes to Jesus pleading for the healing of his seriously ill servant. The officer clearly cares for his servant and has such great faith that Jesus says this ‘foreigner’ will take a place with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob ahead of many Israelite ‘subjects of the kingdom’.

Jesus responds to that faith, but this time he doesn’t reach out and touch the servant. He doesn’t even visit the house. He just says, ‘Let it be done’ and the servant is healed. That shouldn’t really be surprising - after all Jesus is described by John as ‘The Word’, through whom all things were made. But it does emphasize for us the complete freedom of action of Jesus. He chooses to touch the leper, to put his fingers into the ears of a deaf man, so we can see his healing power made visible through touch and action. But he doesn’t have to. A word from Jesus can heal you, guide you, comfort you wherever you are. If you let him.

Prayer — Lord Jesus, although I don’t see you, help me to have faith today, whatever my needs, to hear you say, ‘Let it be done!’.