Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent
“Sir, come down before my son dies.”
In the 1st century, Herodians looked down on Galileans as “less than.” So it is astounding that a royal official respectfully seeks out a peasant of low stock, Jesus of Nazareth. Doing so, his reputation would have suffered among the other officials, becoming an object of scorn if word got out.
The Herodians were one of several Jewish sects and all sects desired independence from Rome. But for the Herodians it took the form of replacing one tyranny for another, making mad and malignant Herod and his descendants absolute monarchs. (Mad and malignant leaders with cult-like followers remain with us to this day, even in 21st century America.)
Jesus is addressed as “sir” a dozen times in the Gospels. Despite the official's frustration, he puts aside cultural taboos by acknowledging Jesus as such. The term shows respect and honor, neither which the Romans or Herodians gave to Galileans.
I have been called “sir” more in Dayton than anywhere I’ve lived, probably due to our strong military presence. Or maybe because I’m old (I’ve never been old before). I grew up in the era of “World War II dads,” including my own (think Red Forman on “That 70s Show”). Strict disciplinarians. You didn’t mess with them and I never messed with mine. A family who lived across the street, whose dad was a cop, always called him “sir.” I wouldn’t call my father, a foreman at Youngstown Republic Steel, “sir” because I was a hard headed Irishman like he was. Teaching the lads at St. X for 33 years, the use of “sir” increased around exam time.
I would tell my students over the years “nothing costs less yet pays more dividends than simple courtesy and respect.” In truth, respect is a form of love. Is that what is going on in today’s Gospel?
In five scripture studies I have led at our parish, I would stress the need to meet the New Testament in the context of first century Judaism. To do otherwise is to simply project ourselves onto it and risk reading it as “other than” what the original writers intended. We often miss what is there. We also sometimes miss what is not there. For example, most would think that the official is simply being polite, the way he was most probably raised.
But there is much more here than that. “Sir” in English is a variant of “sire,” meaning “to father.” It might also be translated as “master” or “my, lord.” He is essentially saying to Jesus, “you have more wisdom and authority than I have.” Such insight on his part was extraordinary and unheard of when applied to the peasantry and Jesus was a Galilean peasant.
All of us readily agree that Jesus of Nazareth has more authority and wisdom than we do. A greater question is, do we live like we believe it?
-Timothy J. Cronin