pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

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Praise and Thanksgiving

Reading: Luke 17:15-19

Luke 17:18 – “No one returned to praise God except this foreigner?”

As we continue in the story of Jesus healing ten men of their skin diseases, we turn to the second step in the spiritual discipline called the Examen: relish. This step is the expression of gratitude for the way(s) that God has worked in our lives. While I did not notice the subtitle yesterday, today I did. It is this: “Jesus heals a Samaritan.”

All ten men are cleansed of their skin diseases as they make their way to the priest. The cleansing must not have been immediate but somewhere along the journey. At that time, one saw he was healed and turned back toward Jesus. The other nine continued on to the priest to complete the next step: passing inspection so that they could be declared “clean.” This priestly step allowed them to rejoin society, to go back to their old life – to life before disease.

The Samaritan returns, praising God in a loud voice. He falls at Jesus’ feet to express his deep gratitude. This is what “relish” looks like. Jesus then muses aloud, wondering where the other nine are. He points out the fact that ten were cleansed. Jesus then asks, “No one returned to praise God except this foreigner?” The cleansing was the first step in healing the Samaritan. His faith has been deepened because of his experience. His praise and gratitude build up his relationship with God. The other nine were surely grateful for being able to go back to their old life. But then they just returned to their old faith. This is what saddens Jesus. God moved the needle for a moment, then it just went back to empty.

Most of us pray to God all the time. When we’re serious we likely seek to enter into God’s presence (request.) In those instances when God does restore health or open a door or whatever, do we relish what God has done? If so, we begin to experience healing as we move closer to wholeness in our relationship with God. In our daily lives, may we choose to make time to praise and thank the Lord our God.

Prayer: Lord God, how often we are like the nine. We whisper a quick “thank you” and get right back to the buzz of life. O God, slow us down, draw us closer. Lead our heart to fully recognize how you’ve moved or acted, and then guide us to offer our praise and thanksgiving. Taking this time builds our faith, our relationship with you, healing a bit more of our brokenness. Teach us to relish you and all you do. Amen.


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Jesus’ Healing Touch

Reading: Luke 6: 17-19

Verse 19: “All tried to touch Him, because power was coming from Him and healing them all”.

When I read the verse above, I first think that maybe Jesus was in a level space right next to the biggest hospital in the region. “All” came to touch Jesus. It is not four friends bringing a lame man on a his mat so that Jesus can heal the man. It is “all” people who seek Jesus’ touch so that they can be healed. But what if people are not just seeking physical healing?

What if the majority of the “all” are seeking Jesus for spiritual and/or emotional healing? Why then, they are just like us today. When I consider all the people I know today, most of them are healthy physically. Maybe a little high cholesterol here or a cold there, but otherwise pretty healthy. When I turn my thoughts to our emotional and spiritual health, there is a whole different picture that comes to my mind. Then “all” is the correct word for who needs Jesus’ healing touch.

I, you, everyone we know is in need of healing from the sin in our lives. Sometimes they are sins that occur spontaneously – jealousy over another’s success or anger at an unintentional slight. Sometimes sins are more regular – battles with pride, ego, judging, lust – just to name a few. This alone includes at least 99.999% of us. All of us need the healing touch of Jesus to be cleansed of our sin. Many are also dealing with emotional issues from experiences in their past and/or situations in their current realities.

I would wager that most reading this are in a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. If not, it is as simple as asking Jesus into your heart, finding a local church to worship and learn in, and committing to reading the Bible and following its ways. But for most of us, we have wandered our path to Jesus and have come to know and follow Him. We’ve humbled ourselves and admitted our need for Jesus’ healing touch.

One last “all” – all of us know someone (or many someones) who need Jesus’ healing touch today. May we be intentional about connecting them to the touch of the great Healer, Jesus.

Prayer: Lord, may I connect others to you. As I engage others and share Valentine’s cards, may I help folks to feel your love and healing power. Amen.


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Cleansed

One of the unique and powerful ideas found in the Christian faith is the idea of cleansing.  Early in the Bible God used water to cleanse the earth – only Noah and his family survived to flood.  The ides of water as cleansing agent is also picked up in the New Testament.  John the Baptist uses the waters of the Jordan River to baptize people.  People confessed their sins, were called to repentance, and were baptized.  The water washed them clean.

Our baptisms cleanse us too, but more so they mark us as members of God’s family.  For most Christian denominations baptism represents the formal declaration of belonging to Christ.  For many denominations it is also the point at which God’s grace starts to work in and shape our lives.

God’s grace becomes what washes us clean.  Through His death on the cross, Jesus conquered sin and death.  In His resurrection He showed all that sin and death hold no power over His followers.

Through our baptism and the inflowing of grace that follows, we are called to walk as children of the light.  Our call in the midst of a world that pursues so much else is to share our story of faith and the story of what He can do for all of mankind.  As we learn to surrender more and more to His good will, we grow to live more and more into the life we were first called to in our baptism.

Scripture reference: 2 Peter 3: 18-22