Scripture: Luke 5:12
Jesus was in one of the towns where there was also a man covered with a skin disease. When he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged, “Lord, if you want, you can make me clean.”
Thought for the Day: A friend of mine was serving as a hospital chaplain early in his career. One night, a gunshot victim was brought to the emergency room, but the injury was too great. He died a short time before the family arrived. When the family did arrive, my friend had to share the news of the young man’s death. As chaplain, he then escorted the family into a room where the body, cleaned up by the nursing staff, was placed for viewing. Upon entering the room, the mother looked at my friend and asked, “Do you believe in Jesus?” He nodded. “And you are a representative of Jesus, right?” she asked. Once again, he nodded. “Then in the name of Jesus, heal my son.”
Passages of scripture like this one raise all kinds of theological issues about whether Jesus (God) “wants” to heal us. The man with the skin disease believed it was a choice that Jesus could make. Of course, that is all well and good until your loved one is not healed. And pithy answers like, “Well, we can’t pretend to know the mind of God,” do not satisfy the grief and confusion. Scripture clearly presents Jesus as a healer, but as Christians who wish to be both faithful and compassionate, we must always walk a very cautious line in regard to the statements we make around the idea of healing. I have watched too many people at the end of life struggle with fear because someone suggested that a lack of healing was a sign of God’s displeasure with them. And if God was displeased, they questioned whether or not God would receive them in death. It is very complicated, and the best advice I can give is to allow your presence, not your catchphrases, to be for that individual a symbol of a God who is forever present with a love that knows no end.
Prayer: Remind me, O Lord, that I do not need an answer for every situation. Allow for people to see in me your love that is with them in both life and death. Amen.
THERE IS STILL TIME
To Sign-up For
The Women’s Retreat
Saturday – February 16
