Today’s Readings: Psalm 42; Genesis 42:18-28; Luke 5:12-26; Acts 18:22-28; Psalm 141
Hidden in the midst of today’s Gospel lesson is a wonderful lesson in selflessness and humility. It’s easy to miss that lesson because it’s tucked away neatly in the midst of the sweeping passage that contains a dramatic confrontation between Jesus and the religious authorities. The lesson I’m speaking of comes in the very first verse of the passage. In that verse we are introduced to a man with leprosy – an affliction that would have made him not only physically uncomfortable but socially isolated as well. If I were in that miserable condition, I would have had one – and only one – thing on my mind: getting cured. So if I had encountered Jesus, what would my first words to Jesus have been? “Cure me - now!” And yet the leper in today’s passage had slightly different words. He said simply, “If you want to, you can cleanse me.” Amazing! Those simple yet powerful words tell me that the leper recognized Jesus for exactly who he was. And the beauty of his statements was that he didn’t make that recognition dependent on getting what he wanted (what I call the “if you are really the Messiah, heal me” approach). Instead, he took all of his wants and needs (and certainly his ego for that matter) and laid them all at Jesus’ feet – literally. That’s an amazing example for us to follow. Often we become so focused on our wants and needs that when we do stop and talk with God, our communication consists largely of us giving our demands. Today – in the midst of the many wants and demands in your life – take a moment and think about the leper’s approach toward Jesus. Then see if you can emulate it. Til next time…
Hidden in the midst of today’s Gospel lesson is a wonderful lesson in selflessness and humility. It’s easy to miss that lesson because it’s tucked away neatly in the midst of the sweeping passage that contains a dramatic confrontation between Jesus and the religious authorities. The lesson I’m speaking of comes in the very first verse of the passage. In that verse we are introduced to a man with leprosy – an affliction that would have made him not only physically uncomfortable but socially isolated as well. If I were in that miserable condition, I would have had one – and only one – thing on my mind: getting cured. So if I had encountered Jesus, what would my first words to Jesus have been? “Cure me - now!” And yet the leper in today’s passage had slightly different words. He said simply, “If you want to, you can cleanse me.” Amazing! Those simple yet powerful words tell me that the leper recognized Jesus for exactly who he was. And the beauty of his statements was that he didn’t make that recognition dependent on getting what he wanted (what I call the “if you are really the Messiah, heal me” approach). Instead, he took all of his wants and needs (and certainly his ego for that matter) and laid them all at Jesus’ feet – literally. That’s an amazing example for us to follow. Often we become so focused on our wants and needs that when we do stop and talk with God, our communication consists largely of us giving our demands. Today – in the midst of the many wants and demands in your life – take a moment and think about the leper’s approach toward Jesus. Then see if you can emulate it. Til next time…
No comments:
Post a Comment