BE VALUABLE

DAY 256 OF 365 IN 2021

Luke 7:2-3 There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. When the officer heard about Jesus, he sent some respected Jewish elders to ask him to come and heal his slave.

‘Everybody is dispensable!’ If these words cause you to panic a bit, then let me rephrase ‘you are unlikely to be the only individual qualified to serve in the capacity you currently are. It is highly probable that many others could be called upon to stand in your stead. However, the value you bring to the table is what is celebrated.

We have one story in today’s Gospel containing two characters about whom scripture expounds on the place of value. There would have been many centurions in the land but the one about whom Jesus spoke was valued by the community in which he served. Therefore, in spite of the bad blood that may have existed between Jews and Romans, or between Jesus and the Jewish authorities, the leaders of the Jewish community were more than happy to approach Jesus about this centurion’s request. That is value.

The second character is the servant of the centurion. It would have been easy to get another servant to rake the place of the one who was sick and dying. In fact, that would appear the normal thing to consider doing. But as we read, the servant in question was “highly valued” by His master. He was one who was worth pulling all the stops for and knocking on every possible door if that would keep him at post.

Beloved, today’s message is a reminder to be valuable. To an extent that the beneficiaries of the graces at work in your life recognise your place where you stand. Let all you say and do be an expression to the world that “I am here to be a person of value” – worth locating and pulling all stops for.

#sly