Passage of the Day:
A man with leprosy[h] came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” 41 Jesus was indignant.[i] He reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” 42 Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed. 43 Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: 44 “See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” 45 Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere, Mark 1:40-45.
Reflection:
If you thought the lock downs and quarantines of the Coronavirus was bad, put yourself in the shoes of a leper living in the first century. Due to the fear of others catching leprosy, these individuals were not allowed to reside within city limits. Instead, lepers were banished to rural areas outside of town. Making matters worse, lepers were required to shout, “unclean, unclean” as others passed by. These strange looks as others hurried by was par for the course. This is the context of the leper who approached Jesus, begging to be set free from this rare disease.
Prayerful Action:
One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16 He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.17 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well,” Luke 17:15-19.
Setting Clear Boundaries to Live By:
Over my 55 years of life on earth, I’ve met several Christians who have been healed by God. Unfortunately, their healing was temporary as cancer, illness and pain returned after a season of rejoicing. Perhaps, these individuals fall into the apostle Paul category, left to endure thorns in their flesh, 2 Corinthians 12:7. Based upon the words of Jesus, belief and faith are crucial to staying well. Yet, when you find yourself losing hope, in desperate need of attention, turn to Jesus, Matthew 11:28-30, and the body of Christ to lighten the burdens on your soul.
Song of the Day:
If you see someone is in desperate need of attention, may the lyrics of Voices in the Night inspire you to be the hands of feet of Jesus to touch those in need. This starts with one soul at a time.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 