Keeping the Sabbath Holy

In both of these passages, Jesus heals a person on the Sabbath--the day that God has told us to "keep holy." And on both of these occasions, Jesus is being closely watched and even criticized for violating the Sabbath by healing, deemed as "work." What could possibly be more holy than enabling someone to become wholly who he or she was intended to be by our Creator?! In neither of these cases are we told that the person actually approaches or asks Jesus for healing....they are simply there, whether by accident or design, and Jesus sees them and heals them, also using the healing as a teaching moment for the Pharisees. Jesus chooses the needs of the person over the restrictions of tradition. How often do I truly see someone and allow myself to recognize that person as one who is need? Am I always too intent on what is supposed to be done, whether prescribed by myself or by others, and, consequently, pass by someone? I pray that the Holy Spiriti will increase my awareness of the presence and needs of others by reminding me to "let go and let God."

RELEASE

In these two passages, men who are non-seeing are healed by Jesus--which has occurred previously and will again, whether because it was a common ailment of the time, or because they were prominent opportunities to fulfill the prophecies of healing of the blind by the Messiah. In each episode, the man is released from the life of being an outcast who must beg in order to survive--physically and spiritually. In the first passage, there is much discussion about whose sin caused the man's blindness--that of the man himself, or that of his parents. Jesus explains that neither is at fault, but that God's glory might be proclaimed through his healing. Jesus tells the man to "Go...." and wash, after which he can see. His eyes are opened by and for Jesus, so he could see the Light of the World and witness to His glory, just as our eyes are opened when we are washed in the blood of the Lamb. Even after much questioning by the Pharisees, the man testifies to Jesus having the power of God, and, ultimately, he understands who Jesus is and worships Him.

In the second passage, we don't know much about the man, other than his being blind, mute and demon-possessed. The Pharisees accuse Jesus of being in league with the devil--that being the only way that he could be exorcising demons, but Jesus refutes that by reminding them that Satan cannot work against himself, and that only the power of God can truly accomplish this. In Jesus' day, demons/sin were perceived to be the cause of physical and/or mental ailments. In today's world, we often speak of dealing with our "personal demons," referring more to some persistent force or anxiety that keeps us from being fully the persons we were created to be. Just as in Jesus' time, these problems cannot be driven out other than by God, and then we must  endeavor to be filled with the Holy Spirit in order to keep the anxiety from returning and preventing us from glorifying God.

In both of these cases, the men were healed, and, once again, people were amazed. Both situations allowed for God's glory to be displayed, and for us to understand that, not only did physical healing occur, but also spiritual. The men were released from both physical and spiritual bondage--their eyes were opened, but so are ours. When we are healed by, or when we seek to heal by, the power of the Holy Spirit, we ourselves are in the presence of God and, through Him, are displaying His power to the world.

Come, Holy Spirit, and fill our hearts with your fire and love. Help us to remain ever faithful and to share God's glory with everyone we meet. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Sigh.......

Oh, how many times have I sighed, either audibly or to myself, when I felt that somebody just didn't get it, or that it was taking too long for me to accomplish my goal?! It is difficult for non-hearing people to speak clearly when they cannot hear  clearly. They cannot distinguish the subtleties of expression and intonation, so they are unable to express them. When Jesus healed the deaf man with the speech impediment, he first healed his ears, then his tongue, saying, "Open up!" Perhaps I need to be told the same thing....to pay attention, to hear, to listen, and then to speak the Word to others. In this healing, just as in the previous one of the woman with the demon-possessed daughter, Jesus healed a Gentile. Was he disappointed that the Jews, to whom he was sent, were less receptive to his message than the Gentiles? Am I, a Christian, less open to God's guidance, his desires for my life, than one who is a seeking non-Christian?
In the case of the Canaanite woman, she came to Jesus, begging for mercy because of her ill daughter. Yes, she was desperate-- for herself and for her daughter. When a loved one is critically ill, it requires much of the family, who cannot support the ill person without support for themselves. Perhaps Jesus was silent, because he was sighing to himself about the needs of the Gentiles vs. the needs of the Jews. Did he need to consider her worthiness? Was her persistence proof of her faith? I pray that I will always know that Jesus will sustain me, even in my desperation, and that I must continue to seek him in all things.

Body and Spirit

As Jesus continued on his way, he was followed by huge crowds, drawn by his power and his message of love and grace. The two blind men recognized him spiritually as the Messiah and begged for his mercy, not for restoration of physical sight. Mercy is more than pity (feeling sorry for someone) or compassion (feeling sorry with someone), but involves relationship and action--love with hands and feet. In asking for Jesus' mercy, they were seeking more than physical healing, but also the chance to enter into a relationship with the one in whom they had faith to deliver them. I am blessed to have the freedom to pursue a relationship with Christ, and I must remember to be faithful in that by saying, "Yes, Lord," and submitting to his will--his desire for my wholeness of being. The account of the demon-possessed mute man is very terse with very few details, but it implies that people of faith brought him to Jesus for healing. Jesus first exorcised the demon, healing the man spiritually, giving him the gift of mercy, allowing his spirit to also be healed by this opportunity to have a relationship with the Messiah. When he spoke, the crowds were once again amazed that Jesus was fulfilling the prophecies of Isaiah that the blind and the mute would be healed, and the Pharisees continued to be angry and afraid of Jesus' power, attributing it to the power of Satan. However, the Holy Spirit is more powerful and always present in that wonderful relationship that brings wholeness to body and spirit. Thank you, Lord, for your mercy, and help me to respond in kind to others.

Along the Way.....

In the accounts of the hemorrhaging woman and Jairus' daughter, it struck me that he was on the way to Jairus' home when the woman encountered him, and was healed simply by touching his cloak. Yes, Jairus had great faith and asked Jesus to heal his daughter, and it was a great testimony to Jesus' power and glory to heal someone who was assumed to be dead. However, this emphasized to me that I don't need an "appointment" with God; that he is available to me at all times "along the way;" that if I follow his Way first and faithfully, I will be blessed with the ability to be a blessing to him. I am so grateful that my parents were as faithful as Jairus and his wife, and that they shared that with me.

Faith Expectations

As I read the accounts of the man with the withered hand and the centurion's servant, I realize that these are people who EXPECT Jesus to heal. Their faith is confident and expectant. Both the man and the centurion recognize Jesus' authority (from God) and power to heal--the man by obeying Jesus when he tells him to stand up and then to hold out his hand, and the centurion by acknowledging that Jesus' power is so great that he can heal even when not in the presence of the ill. Jesus can do this in the presence of, and in spite of, other people and their personal thoughts or beliefs. It only takes the faith and trust of that one individual in the power and glory of Jesus.

How often is my own faith that expectant and confident? Do I really believe and trust that Jesus can heal me or heal through me? I do believe that God performs miracles and healings every day, but I admit that I don't have much faith in myself to be the channel for that power. I must claim the power of the Holy Spirit and allow it to flow through me to others in order to bring healing and wholeness to God's Kingdom.

Perseverance......

Many times in our lives, healing involves perseverance--by those who need healing, by those who care about them, or both. In the case of the paralytic, his friends persevered until they were able to lay their friend at the feet of Jesus--even to the extent of tearing a hole in the roof and lowering him on a pallet! The man at the pool of Bethsaida had been ill for 38 years; yet, he was still attempting to reach the healing waters. Also, we don't know if someone continued to bring him to the pool, or if he simply remained there, hoping for assistance. As we have seen, faith is instrumental in healing, but faith often requires perseverance. Am I tempted to give up, or will I persevere, trusting in the power of the Holy Spirit?

In both cases, Jesus healed spiritually, as well as physically. He forgave the paralytic before he healed him, and he reminded the man with the long illness to not sin anymore. Our spiritual health is often a barrier to our physical well-being. Am I allowing myself to remain open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit?

I am blessed to have friends and family that care about both my spiritual and physical well-being, and who remind me that Jesus knows what I need even when I do not. Their perseverance aids in my own, and I praise God for that.

Causes and responses

In Jesus' time, people looked for causes for disease and troubles, due to lack of understanding or simply searching for a place to lay blame. Thus, when a person was ill, it was assumed it was due to something wrong that that person had done, and he or she was being punished. Notice that I said, "In Jesus' time....." Yet, don't we also do that today? We often think or say that if a person had taken better care of himself or herself, or not done that, or done this, that he or she wouldn't be suffering. In the case of Peter's mother-in-law, Jesus saw the cause of her fever as that of evil, lay his hands on her, and told the fever to leave. With the leper, he again used his healing touch and words, and healed the man of a dreaded disease that was regarded as a sign of impurity of spirit, as well as body--evil. Jesus knew that disease and illness are evil, because they take away the lives that God intends for us to live--lives of wholeness and well-being. In both of these cases, faith plays a strong part, both in that of the person in need (leper), and in that of the loved ones (mother-in-law).

As to responses, the recipients of Jesus' healing responded positively, Peter's mother-in-law by serving Jesus and his followers, and the leper by telling others of what had happened. They shared their joy and gratitude in different ways, but definitely publicly and outwardly.

I must remember to view the healing needs of others (and myself) for what they are--yet another way of attempting to keep us separated from God and his desires for us. I must call upon my faith and that of others as sources of power to bring God's children, individually and corporately, into the fullness of his kingdom, and to always give credit where it is due.

testing

Just testing to see if this actually works!