If there was one thing you might say people wanted from the man Jesus, you would likely say that they wanted healing from him. The New Testament is full of stories of individuals who sought Jesus out for physical, emotional and spiritual healing. There was something very special about this Jesus person. All over the region crowds flocked to hear him speak and reveal the Truth. Yes, people needed healing from their physical, emotional and spiritual ills. That type of healing can only be found in the one who gives life – God.
Today’s Need for Healing
Today’s world carries the same needs, we cry out for physical, emotional, and spiritual healing. Our hearts yearn for true healing and we still desire to live a full, happy life. Mankind is as in desperate need of Jesus’ healing today as it was back then. I believe that people today wish to be made “clean” – like the leper in today’s Gospel. They wish to be brought back into their family, back into their community, and back to health. And most of all, they wish to love and be loved in return.
This is where we often find ourselves at a crossroad. Internally we want to be healed, we want to love, and we want to be loved. However, all too often we go about this all on our own. One look at the “Self-Help” section at the bookstore and this becomes obvious. The shelves are full of 5-step, 7-step, or 10-step programs promised to give you happiness. While we may have the best of intentions, and we may even have good follow-through when we seek self-healing, we will fall short of true healing if we don’t turn to the source of life for healing. It’s not that the self-help books are ineffective. Rather, they can be useful tools when we seek God first. But we must seek God first if we want the fullness of healing he has for us.
God is Always Bigger
We have healing available to us beyond our wildest imagination. Because after all, God is bigger than our imagination. Healing can be spontaneous like the leper experienced. Or, healing can appear to remain mysteriously absent. Before God will work in our lives we need to develop a friendship with him, a real relationship. The God will bring forth the healing our soul most needs – and sometimes that is not what our human mind desires. God is bigger than the human mind.
We don’t read about the leper’s prayer life in today’s Gospel. However, we do know that he had total trust in Jesus. My guess is that this leper already had a strong faith in God and his prayer life was rather mature. After all, in his heart of hearts he knew Jesus could make him clean. He didn’t come to that belief without spending significant prayer time with God. His leprosy was the vehicle that lead him to seek Jesus. In this light we can see what a gift his leprosy was. Illness can be the instrument God uses to draw us near him.
Loving the Leper Among Us
It looks like mankind has not arrived at a place where spontaneously and instantaneously healing occurs – like it did for the leper. So what are we doing wrong? And most importantly, what must we, God’s children, do to receive our inheritance of wholeness. A foundational shift in how mankind sees the world is needed. We must learn how to love more. This includes learning how to love ourselves more, learning how to love others more, and learning how to love God more.
Loving God’s creation as it is, with all its brokenness, is key. After all, if God wanted the world to look different then it currently does he would make a change. He has the power. Yet, God loves the world as it is, with all of its imperfections. By allowing worldly imperfections God continually gives mankind opportunities to grow in love. We are continually invited to love the lepers and invite them back home. We are also invited to love our own leprous wounds. We can’t do this alone, we need God’s help – real help. Loving others and ourselves through the “leper” wounds allows us to see Christ dwelling within.
Global Light for Christ (GLFC)
Our community, GLFC, is a group of sojourners supporting one another through prayer and love. If you are trying to more fully accept God’s invitation to love more than you are a perfect fit for our community! We are in this love thing together;-)
I want to thank all of you who post here. When I sit with your petitions, often in the Adoration Chapel at my parish, my heart is deeply touched when I feel both your pain and the love we hold for each other. Even though we are separated by space and time we are together in love. What a blessing we have in our community.
God bless all of you. See you next week Friday – Carolyn
If you would like to learn more about my work and my ministry I invite you to visit my website: CarolynBerghuis.com.
God the Father – hold us in your Fatherly love.
Sacred Heart of Jesus – heal us with your divine love.
God the Holy Spirit – immerse us in divine love.
