Feb 7: Insight Post by Mario Colorado

  -   February 7, 2025

Wednesday Insight Post
by Mario Colorado

This week’s readings hit remarkably close to home for me on many levels. For starters, the organization I work for, Fairfax Community Police Department (FCPD), is structured similarly to our military. These are organizations with a formal chain of command, we follow directives and orders from superior officers without question. My brothers and sisters in Christ who have served in our armed forces can surely relate.

But like all human-created things, nothing ever works perfectly – including a chain of command. The Roman Centurion officer’s world was governed by this same military ethos. However, the consequences for disobedience by a subordinate, in his world would result in a flogging at best and possibly death in other circumstances. Much different than the consequences a person under authority today might experience in the military or police agencies.

It’s important not to overlook this point in understanding the context of why Jesus was amazed at the Centurion’s approach. This verse reads: “But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.” Matthew 8:8-9 NLT.

In essence, the Centurion humbled himself below his messengers and elevated Jesus to the highest military rank. He was signaling that he understood that Jesus was the highest authority on earth and that he reigned supreme. A Roman Centurion – a member of the most powerful military on earth – had just subordinated himself to a Jew. Many if not most of Jesus’ fellow Jews had not that kind of faith in Him. Yet this gentile had done so in an astonishing manner. The centurion understood the consequences of disobedience from his subordinates, and he made sure to articulate that he knew that Jesus yielded even greater cosmic power than he.

About a year and a half ago, a new captain was assigned to command the station I work at. Like every other human organization, rumors swirled about our new captain as being nit-picky and micromanaging. About a month into his command, he assigned me to investigate a tip from a community member who advised that her neighbor was a heavy drug and alcohol user who typically drove while under the influence. This type of request required me to research unsolved likely DWI hit-and-run accidents involving several parked cars in our district over a period of three months. It was time-consuming, to say the least and not a part of my regular duties. I grumbled about it being an awful lot and took it very personally. I managed to locate an accident that fit these circumstances and brought the case to a near conclusion. After having done so, I sent a not-so-humble email back to my captain stating that the case was all but solved and the officer who took the initial report needed to just get warrants for the guy. I also wrote in my email that a better use of time would have been to assign this to the crime analyst instead of the traffic enforcement officer. The tone of the email was not as respectful as it should have been and was not coming from a place of being humbly under the authority of a superior officer. The opposite of the Roman Centurion. I created undue and unnecessary tension between my superior and myself. I should have taken his orders, done my job, and not given a snickering sly response. Thankfully over many months, I managed to repair the work relationship with my captain by being much humbler in my dealings with him.

At times, God places us under the authority of people we may not like for a variety of reasons. This reminds me of a verse in Colossians, “Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything you do. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. Serve them sincerely because of your reverent fear of the Lord. Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” Colossians 3:22-23 NLT.

This account of the Roman Centurion should a reminder of how we should submit and serve those in authority placed by there by God. We should take note that in the challenges of working for a difficult boss, God is growing us to become better servants for Him.

Mario Colorado
New Hope Volunteer Manager

New Hope Church
Lorton, Virginia
www.newhope.org