The Roman centurion and his "boy": an example of non -discrimination by Jesus

Biblical reflections published on the website was discriminated? (United States), freely translated by Silvia Lanzi

The Greek word that the Roman centurion uses in this passage to describe the sick man - pais - It is the same word used in ancient Greek to refer to a homosexual partner. Since the time of the catechism to many of us, the evangelical history in which Jesus heals the servant of a Roman centurion has been familiar.

The story is told in Matthew 8: 5-13 and Luca 7: 1-10. In Matteo it is said that the centurion came from Jesus to ask for the healing of his servant. Jesus said he wanted to go to the house of the Centurione, but he replied that there was no need for Jesus to do so - he believed that if Jesus had simply said a word, his servant would be healed. Amazed by the faith of man, Jesus said it and the servant was healed. Luca tells us a similar story.

Only yet another story of miracles? It's not your life!

In the original language, the importance of this story for gays, lesbians and Christian bisexuals is much clearer. The Greek word used in the report of Matteo del Servo del Centurione ispais. In the language of time, pais He had three possible meanings that depended on the context in which it was used. Could mean "Son or boy", "servant", or could mean a particular type of servant - one who was "The male lover of his master". Often these lovers were younger than their masters, even teenagers.

To our modern minds, the idea of ​​buying a teenage lover seems repulsive. But we must see this behavior in the context of ancient cultural rules. In ancient times commercial transactions were the main means of forming relationships. By the law, the wife was seen as the property of her husband, with a status just superior to that of a slave. Furthermore, in the time of Jesus a boy or girl were considered married when they came to adolescence. He was not uncommon for boys and girls to get married at fourteen or fifteen years. It was not even uncommon for an older man to marry a girl. Fortunately, civilization is advanced, but these were the rules in the times of Jesus.

In this culture, a gay man who wanted a male "bride" could have one, like heterosexual counterparties, through a commercial transaction - the purchase of someone to serve for this purpose. A servant bought for this purpose was often called pais.

The word "lad" In English it offers an approximate comparison. As "Pais", the word "lad"It can be used to refer to a child. But in the south slavery of the nineteenth century"lad" It was also used referring to male slaves. The term "lad" It can be used as a vanting. For example, Jeff's father often refers to his mother as "his girlfriend". It doesn't mean she is a child, but rather that she is her "special person". The term "lad" It can be used in the same way, as in "my boyfriend" or "my beloved". In ancient Greek, pais He had such a range of meanings.

Thus, when this term was used, the listener had to consider the context of the report to determine what meaning was meant. Some modern Christians can be tempted to simply declare that the Gospels could not have used the term pais In the sense of male lover: end of the discussion. But this would be to give in to a prejudice. We must let God's word speak for herself, even if it leads us to an uncomfortable conclusion.

It is possible that the pais reported in Matteo 8 and Luca 7 was the male lover of the centurion? Let's look at biblical evidence.

The Bible provides three key points of the text and detailed tests. First, in Luca's passage other Greek words are used to describe the patient. Luca says this pais It was theentimos doulosof the centurion. The word DoulosIt is the generic term for slaveAnd it is never used in ancient Greece to describe a son/boy. Therefore, Luca's story excludes the possibility that the sick person is the son of the centurion; its use of Doulos It clarifies that it is a slave. However, Luca takes the briga to indicate that he was not any slave. The word entimos means "Honored". This was one "Honored slave" which was the pais of his master. He took together, the three Greek words exclude the possibility that the sick person was the son of the centurion or an ordinary slave, leaving the only practicable option - that he was the lover of his master.

A second test is found in Versetto 9 of Matteo's story, where the centurion expresses his faith that Jesus can heal with a simple word. The centurion says "When I say to my slave: 'This is doing!' He does it ". By extension, the centurion concludes that Jesus is also able to give a remote verbal command that must be performed. When he talks about his slaves, the centurion uses the word Doulos. But when he talks about what he asked for Jesus to heal, he uses alone pais. In other words, when the US centurion is mentioned in Matteo pais Only when it refers to the sick person. Use a different word, Doulos, when he talks about his other slaves, as if to make a distinction. (In Luca they are others, not the centurion, who call the patient a entimos doulos). Again, the clear implication is that the sick man was not a simple slave. And when pais It was used to describe a servant who was not an ordinary slave, it means one - a slave who was the master's lover.

The third test is a circumstantial. In the Gospels we have many examples of people looking for healing for themselves or for members of their family. But this story is the only example of someone who is looking for healing for a slave. The actions described are made even more remarkable by the fact that this was a proud Roman centurion (the conqueror/oppressor) who was humiliating and pleading a Jewish Rabbi (the conquered/oppressed) to heal his slave. The extraordinary distance that this man went to look for healing for his slave is much more understandable, from a psychological point of view, if the slave was his beloved companion.

Thus, the textual and circumstantial tests of the Gospels point in one direction. For objective observers, the conclusion is inevitable: in this story Jesus heals the male lover of a man. When understood in this way, history takes on a completely new dimension.

Imagine what could have happened. While in Palestine the Pais del Centurione falls ill - experimenting with a certain type of paralysis with life danger. The centurion stops in front of anything to save him. Perhaps a friend tells him about the rumors about the healing powers of Jesus. Perhaps this friend also tells him that Jesus is unusually open to foreigners, who teaches his followers to love their enemies, even Roman soldiers. So the centurion decides to give himself a chance. Jesus is his only hope.

While it goes from Jesus, it probably fears the possibility that Jesus, like the other Jewish Rabbi, has a bad opinion of his homosexual relationship. Maybe you think you lie. It could simply use the word duolos. It would be precise, apparently. But the centurion imagines that if Jesus is powerful enough to heal his lover, it is powerful enough even to look beyond the half truths.

Thus, the centurion approaches Jesus and bows before him. "Rabbi, mine ...": The word remains in his throat. So - Here is the moment of truth. So, either Jesus will come back disgusted, or something wonderful will happen. The centurion lightens the throat and speaks again. "Rabbi, my Pais - Yes, my Pais lies at home sick, close to death". Then he stops and waits for a second that must have seemed to him an eternity. It was as if a gay one asked a telepreticator to heal his lover. What would Jesus have done?

Without hesitation, Jesus says: "I will come to heal him". It's so simple! Jesus did not say, "Are you kidding? I'm not going to heal your Pais, so that I can continue to live in sin!". He didn't even say "It is not surprising that your Pais is sick: this is God's judgment on your relationship".

Instead, Jesus' words are simple, clear and liberating for those who fear the thought of God about homosexual relationships: "I will come to heal him".

At this point, the centurion says that Jesus does not need to go to his house. He trusts that a word of Jesus is enough. Jesus therefore addresses good people around him - those who were already amazed that he was willing to heal the lover of this man. To them Jesus says, in verse 10 of Matteo's story, "I found such a big faith with no one in Israel". In other words, Jesus takes this gay centurion as an example of the type of faith to which others should aspire to.

Jesus has not simply tolerated the gay centurion. He said it was an example of faith - someone to whom we should all try to look like.

Thus, so that the good and fearful people of God did not miss this point, Jesus still speaks in verse 11: "Now I tell you that many will come from the East and the West [that is, from beyond the borders of Israel] and will sit in the kingdom of heaven, while the children of the kingdom [that is, those considered able to inherit the sky] will be driven out in the darkness". With this declaration Jesus said that many others like gay centurion - those who come from beyond the alleged boundaries of the grace of God - will be admitted to the kingdom of heaven. And he also warned that many of those who believe they are more likely to be admitted will be left outside.
In this story, Jesus restores a gay relationship with a miracle of healing and therefore shows a gay man as an example of faith to follow, so consider the situation carefully: who is God - Jesus or a cultural prejudice?

Original text: Jesus Affirmed to Gay Coupes.