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1 When Jesus had come down from the mountain, great crowds followed him, 2 and there was a man with a skin disease who came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” 3 He stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing. Be made clean!” Immediately his skin disease was cleansed. 4 Then Jesus said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

5 When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, appealing to him 6 and saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, in terrible distress.” 7 And he said to him, “I will come and cure him.” 8 The centurion answered, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only speak the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me, and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and the slave does it.” 10 When Jesus heard him, he was amazed and said to those who followed him, “Truly I tell you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. 11 I tell you, many will come from east and west and will take their places at the banquet with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, 12 while the heirs of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 13 And Jesus said to the centurion, “Go; let it be done for you according to your faith.” And the servant was healed in that hour.

 

Today we have before us two healing stories of Jesus – one was a leper, and the other was a Roman centurion. Both healing stories involve people who stand on the margins of society. They were considered outsiders – the leper being ritually unclean to be near anyone of the Jewish faith, and the other was a Roman citizen. In these stories we must note two things – the leper and the centurion’s approach to Jesus and the response of Jesus.

Those who wished to be healed came to him with confidence. They had no doubt that, if Jesus willed, Jesus could make them clean. They also approached Jesus with humility. They didn’t demand healing; only asking “If you will, you can cleanse me.” And finally, they both came with reverence.

What was Jesus' approach? Compassion. The Law said that Jesus must avoid contact with the leper which would threaten Jesus with being ritually uncleanness if he allowed the leper to come near him; but Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him anyway.

For Jesus there is only one obligation in life- and that is to help. There is only one law- and that law was love. Our Christian disciples will, like Jesus, break any convention and will take any risk to help a fellow human being in need.

Let us pray: Lord, may I be of your service today. Use me as you need to bring about your healing, forgiveness, and love. I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Pastor Steve pastorsteve@livinglord.org

 

Prayer concern: For those who feel unloved.