Friday June 26, 2020
Readings: 2 Kings 25: 1 – 12; Psalm 137; Matthew 8: 1 -4
An amazing miracle takes place and Jesus simply tells the one healed to “tell no one.” Why does Jesus say this?
Jesus’ welcomes to the leprosy patient was the opposite of the current social attitude. The leper was an outcast, contagious and shunned. That one would even come near him was highly unusual. Because of fear, nobody touched lepers. Many of Jesus’ meetings highlight the fact that nobody is unwelcome in his house, at his table, in his presence. That is why we can pray at any time, ‘relaxing into the mystery of being loved and healed.’
Much of the life and work of Jesus was spent with the ill and the disabled, and often with people like this leper who nobody wanted. In the mind and heart of Jesus, nobody is unwanted. Throughout our lives, Jesus wants us with him, offering us the gift of love and calling, asking only love and the effort to love in return. ‘How can I repay the Lord for his goodness to me?’ is a psalm we might pray as we grow in awareness of all that Jesus does for his people.
Inspired by the man who suffered with leprosy, I begin my prayer not with my demanding a request, but with the phrase. ‘Lord, if you choose to, you can…’
Jesus sends the field man away telling him to keep the miracle to himself, bringing the wonder to God and showing his thankfulness. I think of how I may need to take more time in reflection, prayer or in acts of thanksgiving.
First, we should start by reflecting upon what Jesus did. By cleansing this leper He restored this man’s entire life to him. He was living as an outcast, separated from the community; his leprosy, in a sense, took everything from him. But he had faith in Jesus and presented himself to the care and mercy of God. The result was that he was made whole and restored to full health.
Jesus often would tell those who were healed to tell no one. One reason for this was that Jesus’ acts of love and mercy were not done for His own benefit, rather, they were done out of love. Jesus loved this leper and wanted to offer Him this precious gift of healing. He did it out of compassion and, in return, only wanted the man’s gratitude. He did not need to make this a public spectacle, He only wanted the man to be grateful.
The same is true with us. We need to know that God loves us so much that He wants to lift our heavy burdens and heal our weaknesses simply because He loves us. He doesn’t do it first because it will benefit Him, rather, He does it out of love for us.
One lesson we can learn from this has to do with our own acts of love and mercy toward others. When we go out of our way to show love and compassion, are we OK with no one knowing? Too often we want to be noticed and praised. But the nature of an act of love and compassion is such that it should be done simply out of love. In fact, doing something loving and compassionate that is not noticed by anyone helps us grow in love and compassion. It purifies our intentions and enables us to love for love’s sake.
Inspired by the man who suffered with leprosy, I begin my prayer not with my demanding a request, but with the phrase. ‘Lord, if you choose to, you can…’
Jesus sends the field man away telling him to keep the miracle to himself, bringing the wonder to God and showing his thankfulness. I think of how I may need to take more time in reflection, prayer or in acts of thanksgiving.
Reflect, today, on your motivation for the acts of kindness you do. Pray that you also can desire to act in hidden ways in imitation of our divine Lord.
God Bless you. Have a wonderful day.