URC Daily Devotion 7 December 2024
St Luke 5: 12 – 16
Once, when he was in one of the cities, there was a man covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground and begged him, ‘Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean.’ Then Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, ‘I do choose. Be made clean.’ Immediately the leprosy left him. And he ordered him to tell no one. ‘Go’, he said, ‘and show yourself to the priest, and, as Moses commanded, make an offering for your cleansing, for a testimony to them.’ But now more than ever the word about Jesus spread abroad; many crowds would gather to hear him and to be cured of their diseases. But he would withdraw to deserted places and pray.
Reflection
We have been reading Luke in one of my church’s Bible study groups and this time, I’ve appreciated how Luke, the Doctor, uses his medical training to report and observe Jesus’s ministry.
Like many of the reported healing stories, this one reminds us, if we reach out to Jesus, he willingly turns our courage in making ourselves vulnerable into welcome and healing. And that healing is reciprocal, Jesus does not heal from afar, he heals by coming alongside us, by touching those who are diseased or considered unclean, risking the same fate for himself. This type of healing demands vulnerability and courage from the healer too.
And he heals us completely at every level. By sending this man to the temple, presumably something he could not do when he was physically unwell, he is restored not just in body but to his place in the community. Although Jesus knows this risks unwanted attention, he considers this man’s full restoration more important. This is an entire person not a patient with multiple, unrelated symptoms. Luke, the physician, clearly sees the importance of this compassionate and wholistic approach to wellness offered by Jesus.
And linked is the almost throwaway line in verse 16, telling us Jesus both healing a lot of people and often took time out alone. Anyone who gives of themselves whether offering a sympathetic ear or as a full time carer, knows this can be simultaneously rewarding and draining. Jesus leads by example showing that carers also need to care for themselves. He takes some time with God to replenish himself. So many, who offer themselves in serving the church, whether volunteers or ministers, put themselves at risk of burnout. This example of Christ, carefully noted by Luke, reminds us there is another way.
Prayer
Compassionate God,
we thank you that you are interested in our lives
and want us to be wholly healed people
We bring before you today those in need of healing,
that they might have rest and restoration of body and soul.
We pray for all who serve you,
that they take time to strengthen and refresh themselves
so they can better serve your Kingdom
so that all may live life to the full. Amen