When I speak of misinterpretations of Scripture and bastardizing scripture to support one's own cause, this passage today is a prime example. The question may be what is the intent. You can replace words with other similar words for many reasons. Honest mistranslation is one. There have been many cases where modern scholarship ( corrected translations ) have helped convey a richer and intended message in scripture passages. You can also substitute similar words so as to lead the reader toward a meaning you prefer. There is also the possibility that you want to lead the reader away from an intended and truthful meaning so as to avoid an uncomfortable subject, one that you perhaps disagree with for some reason. These latter two situations arise all the time. I refer to it as cherry picking and it often is a subtle mistranslation. In today's passage we have a gross misrepresentation. I cannot say what the intent was. I can say that it has been used for centuries to lead people away from a touchy subject - a homosexual relationship right in plain sight in scripture. It's is not the only one but it is here for all to see save for that mistranslation. As with so many words in different cultures and times, translations are not always easy, I will say that.
The word here is "Pais". Are you familiar with that word? Of course not. It is not found in our daily usage. It is not a part of our lexicon. What do you do when you come across an odd word you are not familiar with? As an example, I might say to you that someone has "Chutzpah". Unless you are Jewish you might not know. Even then, it has a very nuanced meaning. I is not simply nervy. It might be better say it is someone who has balls. My Pop defined it this way. Chutzpah is a man who kills both his parents and when brought to court asks the judge for mercy because he is an orphan. That my friends is chutzpah. But the word for today is Pais. You won't find it in today's passage even though it was in the original texts. The translator has replaced pais with the word slave. It is also replaced in Matthew by the word servant. Again, the intent is unknown but modern scholarship tells us that the word means more than servant and not quite a slave. The word pais refers to a same sex male servant or lover. It was quite common in Roman times for Centurions and soldiers to to have such. It was common and accepted. The "pais" was not a sex slave but a companion in a normal, loving mutual relationship.
As if that revelation was not shocking enough, Jesus welcomes and addresses the Centurion and in a blow ( no pun intended ) to elitists, literalism and homophobes, Jesus cures the pais. What is the oddest thing about this passage then? That a Roman soldier would seek out an itinerant Jewish preacher to heal his lover? Is it that Jesus willingly interacted with the soldier of an occupying army? Is it that Jesus apparently had no thought to condemn the man for having a same sex lover and then went even further to cure that lover? This all sounds like heresy of the highest order!
So we can't tell really why this word pais has been replaced. As I say, translations that capture the real meanings of words in other times and other cultures we are not familiar with is not easy to begin with. Add on any intent, good or bad and matters get worse.
What modern scripture scholarship then has revealed with this passage is a few, not insignificant, things. Jesus did speak to homosexuality, it was a loving same sex relationship, not rape as it appears in Leviticus. Jesus embraces and cures. How fantastic! How much richer is this passage than we had ever known? Jesus curing seems almost passe. Jesus curing a gay man who is part of gay couple? Wow! Jesus curing the lover of an enemy soldier? Wow again. How magnificent. How broad and encompassing is God's love! Beautiful.
So much for servants or slaves.
Luke 7:1-17
After Jesus had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. A centurion there had a slave whom he valued highly, and who was ill and close to death. When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him, asking him to come and heal his slave. When they came to Jesus, they appealed to him earnestly, saying, ‘He is worthy of having you do this for him, for he loves our people, and it is he who built our synagogue for us.’ And Jesus went with them, but when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to say to him, ‘Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; therefore I did not presume to come to you. But only speak the word, and let my servant be healed. For I also am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, “Go”, and he goes, and to another, “Come”, and he comes, and to my slave, “Do this”, and the slave does it.’ When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, he said, ‘I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.’ When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.
Soon afterwards he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went with him. As he approached the gate of the town, a man who had died was being carried out. He was his mother’s only son, and she was a widow; and with her was a large crowd from the town.When the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her and said to her, ‘Do not weep.’ Then he came forward and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, ‘Young man, I say to you, rise!’ The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized all of them; and they glorified God, saying, ‘A great prophet has risen among us!’ and ‘God has looked favourably on his people!’ This word about him spread throughout Judea and all the surrounding country.
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