Healing

When Jesus came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him.  And then a leper approached, did him homage, and said, "Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean."  He stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, "I will do it. Be made clean." His leprosy was cleansed immediately.  Then Jesus said to him, "See that you tell no one, but go show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them."  Matthew 8: 1 – 4

Today’s Gospel always strikes me as one of great courage both on the part of Jesus and the man involved in the story.  The leper was an outcast and Jesus embraced his illness and was willing to cure him.  When the man asked Jesus to cure him he responded by stretching out his hand and curing him.  The man must have been filled with great joy as he realized that he had been cured.  Jesus, however, told him to do what the law prescribed.  As you ponder this encounter today perhaps it is a good time to look at the things inside of each one of us what needs healing and ask Jesus to help cure it.  Jesus is always ready to sooth our needs all we have to do is ask.

Pat Schifini, OSU