Every one of us has our imperfections, our scabs or sores that scar our spiritual being, and sometimes leave us unclean. We cannot heal ourselves of this, it takes healing grace from the one who can wash us clean through his own blood offered up for our sake on the cross. It is through Jesus alone that this can take place. It is through His sacrifice that we can be made to be able to walk among our fellow members of Gods family without feeling like we need to declare ourselves unclean.
It was Jesus purpose to come among us to teach us, and to help us to resist sin, and when needed to heal us of those sins that had plagued us. He continues to do this to this very day, because He continues to love and care for each one of us, and he does will that each of us is to be made clean. Yet as part of that cleansing we also take with us both a grace, and a responsibility. Like Saint Paul, we must avoid giving offense, so that through our actions and example others will not stumble or fall in their spiritual life. We must do all that we can for the benefit of others as part of the gratitude we have for what Jesus has done for us.
In Saint Marks Gospel, that speaks of the healing Jesus performed, my first reaction to the fact that the man who was healed did not listen to Jesus words about not telling anyone, was always one of surprise that he would ignore our Lords request. Yet the more that I contemplate what this person went through with such an illness, and the utter lack of hope that he must have known before finding his way to Jesus to be healed, the more I can actually understand it. He was overjoyed at being healed; he was likely joyous to the point that he could not contain himself. He wanted to share with others the hope and joy that comes through being healed by Jesus, and this is actually understandable – because there was now hope, where before there was none. How many of us can honestly say we would have reacted any differently?
When we know the joy and hope of living in and for Jesus, we experience the need to share the good news. We do this through our actions and our words. We innately know that this is something to be shared, and that it would be tragic to not do so, because so many need to hear the message that there is hope, there is joy that is possible, and that no matter what we have done, we can be healed. The message for us now is clear, seek Jesus always, share Jesus always, and never keep silent about what is possible through our Lord. He gave all of himself for each one of us, we need to give of ourselves for Him, and for our brothers and sisters that are part of our family that He created.
Podcast Link
The Deacons Bench 