Is that great or what?

By Steve Leininger

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/062621.cfm
Genesis 18:1-15
Matthew 8:5-17

Do you know greatness when you see it? 

The definition of greatness in the Merriam-Webster dictionary is “the quality or state of being great (as in size, skill, achievement, or power).” Hmm, doesn’t seem like a particularly “great” definition. I’m thinking using a part of a word to define a word might be a violation of the rules of composing a dictionary entry.

Wikipedia has a better definition: “Greatness is a concept of a state of superiority affecting a person or object in a particular place or area. Greatness can also be attributed to individuals who possess a natural ability to be better than all others.”

Sports figures often achieve greatness. Mohammad Ali at the age of 18 won a gold medal in the light heavyweight division at the 1960 Summer Olympics and turned professional later that year. He won the world heavyweight championship from Sonny Liston in a major upset at age 22. 

Tom Brady is a quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and is widely considered to be the greatest quarterback of all time. In addition to 7 Super Bowl wins, he holds NFL records for the most career wins, most career touchdown passes, most career passing yards, and most career passing attempts. 

My list of musicians who have achieved greatness probably differs from yours. We are probably both right!

Virtually everyone agrees that Abraham Lincoln had achieved greatness. Not everyone agrees on what would qualify as greatness in a political figure today.

Today we had 3 examples from the Bible on recognizing greatness.

In our first reading, Abraham is sitting at the entrance of his tent while the day was growing hot. Looking up, he saw three men standing close by. Bowing lowly, he invites the 3 to have their feet washed and rest a spell under the tree. Abraham then offers to get them “a little food” before they head out, to which they agree.

The meal that is prepared made me think of the feast that the father had his servants prepare for the return of the prodigal son. Abraham had his wife, Sarah, make up a huge batch of rolls from fine flour. He ran to the herd, picked out a tender, choice steer, and gave it to a servant, who quickly prepared it. Then Abraham got some curds and milk, as well as the steer that had been prepared, and set these before his guests and waited on them under the tree while they ate.

This probably was not the way one would react to a chance visit from random strangers. Abraham had dealt directly with God in the previous chapter of Genesis:

“When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said: I am God the Almighty. Walk in my presence and be blameless. Between you and me I will establish my covenant, and I will multiply you exceedingly.” [Genesis 17:1-2]

The verse commentary in the New American Bible notes Abraham addresses the leader of the group, whom he does not yet recognize as the Lord; in the next two verses he speaks to all three men. The other two are later identified as angels in Genesis 19:1. The shifting numbers and identification of the visitors are a narrative way of expressing the mysterious presence of God.

The rest of our Genesis reading for today clarifies that it is indeed the Lord that Abraham has been hosting. As in the previous chapter, God tells Abraham that his 90-year-old wife will give birth to a son within the next year. In chapter 17, Abraham fell face down and laughed as he said to himself, “Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Can Sarah give birth at ninety?” In today’s reading, Sarah laughed to herself in disbelief “now that I am so withered and my husband is so old.” In both cases it is a bit of word play, because “laughed”, or yishaq, is also the Hebrew form of the name “Isaac” who would be born the next year and continue Abraham’s lineage.

Abraham had spoken with God before and must have therefore recognized the same aura of greatness coming from the three men at his tent. 

Today’s gospel reading is a familiar one. The centurion is asking Jesus to cure his paralyzed and suffering servant. As a centurion, he would have been in command of 100 soldiers. He was used to giving orders and expecting them to be followed. He has faith that Jesus can cure the sick by spoken command “only say the word and my servant will be healed.”

How did the centurion recognize this greatness in Jesus? We don’t really know, but one might guess that he had heard about the miracles performed by Jesus, maybe even seen them from a distance, and heard Jesus speak to the ever-growing crowds. The centurion knows his own power to say ‘do this’ and it gets done. He has seen enough of Jesus to believe that Jesus can heal in the same manner. He has faith and has seen greatness!

Today’s responsorial psalm is not from Psalms at all! The verses from Luke 1:46-55 are often called the Magnificat, the Song of Mary, or the Canticle of Mary. It is Mary’s response to Elizabeth praising Mary’s faith using words we now recognize as being part of the Hail Mary: “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb . . .”

Mary starts out with “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord.” OK, to me that carries A LOT of credibility! She goes on to specify her reasons for recognizing greatness.

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness;
behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed.
The Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
His mercy is from age to age
to those who fear him.
He has shown might with his arm,
dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart.
He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones
but lifted up the lowly.
The hungry he has filled with good things;
the rich he has sent away empty.
He has helped Israel his servant,
remembering his mercy,
according to his promise to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”  [Luke 1:46-55]

These are just 3 of the stories in the Bible where someone has recognized greatness. As you continue your journey in faith, be on the watch for stories of greatness, those who recognize greatness, those who fail to see greatness, and those who see greatness and are intimidated by it.

Bonus round!!

If you have gotten this far, I invite you to listen to this song that we used to open men’s group reflection:

How Great Thou Art, performed by Home Free

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXQpDDcrN-w