Healed and Made Whole

When Jesus had come down from the mountain, great crowds followed him; ²and there was a leper who came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean.” ³He stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I do choose. Be made clean!” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. ⁴Then 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.” Matthew 8:1-4

People with leprosy were untouchable. The disease was thought to be so highly contagious that those who contracted it were often forced to leave their communities and relationships behind and form colonies. It is also a painful and disfiguring disease which historically has been most prevalent among people of poverty. In Jewish custom, those with leprosy were considered permanently "unclean" and ineligible to worship. Anyone who touches a leper would also become unclean, so they were avoided. It was also widely believed that a person with leprosy must have done something to deserve it. Thus, when Jesus chooses to heal the man by touching him it would have caused the crowds to gasp in amazement.


The man with leprosy asks Jesus to heal him, believing he could make him well again. Jesus heals the man by touching his hand and declaring "be made clean!" The man is immediately healed of his affliction and sent to see the priest so he can worship in the Temple. Jesus attends to his physical healing and his social and spiritual healing as well. Because of Jesus' compassion, he can now be included in community and no longer suffer the pain of the disease and the accompanying social marginalization.


As powerful as the healing of the man was, it must have had an even deeper impact on the crowds who were gathered. Jesus took the time to heal a leper, a man everyone else had given up on. He heals him, not just by speaking a powerful word (which could have done the job) but by touching him. Jesus becomes untouchable for a leper. He takes on the mantle of being unclean for the sake of an invisible and despised person. And so it is with us. We are all lepers in our own way. We all fall short and are sinful and broken people. Yet, Jesus looks upon us, diseased though we are, with compassion and love. "Be made clean" are Jesus' words to us. Jesus came to include all people in God's family and no one is beyond redemption or restoration. This is the promise of gospel and is true for you and all people.


Prayer: Lord, cleanse me from all my sin and brokenness. Heal my physical, social and spiritual pain so I might live the life you call me into. Allow me to see all people as beloved children of God, in Jesus' name, AMEN.

Grace not Judgment

Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him and he sat down and began to teach them. ³The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery; and making her stand before all of them, ⁴they said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. ⁵Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” ⁶They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. ⁷When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” ⁸And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground. ⁹When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders; and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. ¹⁰Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” ¹¹She said, “No one, sir.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.” John 8:1-11

One of the most natural human tendencies is to judge others. We judge how people act, how they parent, how they spend their time and money, how they dress, and on and on. We judge others silently even more than we ever let on. And there is a perverse side of us that enjoys seeing others who we can judge as worse than ourselves. The truth is, in God's eyes, we all sin and fall short. We all deserve judgment from God and no one is truly better than anyone else. Without God's grace we are all in big trouble. So why then do we persist in judging when we should know better?

The story of the woman caught in adultery exemplifies how Jesus understands human brokenness and sin. There is no denying that adultery is a sinful behavior. The text makes it clear the woman was guilty (although the man is not implicated for his role in the adultery which is quite telling). The Pharisees' and scribes' approach to sinful behavior is punishment. Punishing wrongdoers allows us to feel superior and in control, but does not bring change or transformation. Jesus' approach on the other hand, does not deny the sinful behavior but offers grace rather than punishment. He refuses to condemn her and tells her go and "do not sin again." This is a moment of pure grace and one that would certainly shape her life from then on. He also does not allow the self-righteous crowd off the hook, but forces them to reflect upon their own sin. No one is perfect and we all deserve God's wrath, but by the grace of God we have peace with God.

Judging is God's work not ours. God has given us the gift of grace, through which we have peace with God and the promise of eternal life. We did not earn it and do not deserve it. When we judge others for their behaviors, choices or lifestyles, we deny God's grace and subject ourselves to judgment from others (cf. Matthew 7:1-5). If we truly receive God's grace our response to brokenness and sin would be graciousness and mercy rather than judgment. As humans, our instinct is to judge and condemn but the Spirit working within us can help us to remember God's grace and share it.

Prayer: Lord, help me to truly understand and receive your grace and love. Help me to understand not only my deep need for forgiveness and mercy, but also your deep love for all people. Help me to not judge others, but share your love and grace, in Jesus' name, AMEN.

Giving Witness

Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you want?” or, “Why are you speaking with her?” ²⁸Then the woman left her water jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, ²⁹“Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?” John 4:27-29

The encounter between the woman at the well and Jesus illustrates the transformational power that meeting Jesus had on people. The woman has a long exchange with Jesus that concludes with Jesus revealing to her that he is the Messiah she has been waiting for (4:26). Once she realizes the impact of this truth, she immediately leaves to share the good news with her community. She was so excited to tell everyone about Jesus that she even forgot to bring her water bucket with her! Her response to Jesus stands in marked contrast to those who demanded a sign from Jesus in order to believe. She was open to being changed by God and then mobilized into action. This is the Holy Spirit at work. If we truly understand the good news of salvation, given through Christ, why wouldn't we run off to share it?


As powerful as her response to Jesus was, it is even more remarkable the impact her proclamation had on those she shared the good news with.

Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I have ever done.” ⁴⁰So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. ⁴¹And many more believed because of his word. ⁴²They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world.” John 4:39-42

The woman at the well shared her story with her community and they believed her! This woman, who had been married five times and had been shunned by her community was now the town evangelist. She shared about the power of her encounter with Jesus and what it meant to her. The people were so moved by her testimony they invited Jesus to stay with them to learn more. This led to even more believing that Jesus was the Savior of the world. All of this took place among the Samaritans who were historic enemies of the Jewish people, demonstrating God's desire for salvation for all people.


God desires all people to be reconciled to God and redeemed through Christ's death and resurrection. Salvation is not limited to a select few or for those the world deems acceptable. No, God's salvation is for all people no matter where they were born or what they have done. The woman at the well believed God's love was for her and she shared this good news with all she knew. How will you respond?


Prayer: Lord, let me receive your love and grace fully, so that I may rejoice and give thanks. Help me to share the good news of all you have done for me, and trust that through the work of Spirit, lives can be transformed. In Jesus' name, AMEN.

The Woman at the Well

Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come back.” ¹⁷The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; ¹⁸for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true!” ¹⁹The woman said to him, “Sir, I see that you are a prophet. ²⁰Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem.” ²¹Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. ²²You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. ²³But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. ²⁴God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” ²⁵The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us.” ²⁶Jesus said to her, “I am he, the one who is speaking to you.” John 4:16-26

Jesus met the unnamed Samaritan woman at the well during the middle of the day (John 4:6). This detail is significant because the normal custom for those getting water was to go to the well either in early morning or evening. When Jesus meets her at the well they were most likely the only people there. She goes to the well by herself because she had been shunned by her community. We are not told the circumstances of her previous relationships, but having five husbands and living with one who is not her husband would have been quite scandalous at the time. She goes to the well when no one else would be there to avoid further shaming and judgment.

When the woman meets Jesus she does not lie about her story or pretend to be something she wasn't. Instead she has an open conversation with Jesus and sees what God is doing through Jesus. She also confesses her hope that the Messiah will come and bring liberation not only to the Jewish people, but to Samaritans as well. In other words, this ostracized and shunned woman knows she has a place in God's kingdom. She has not allowed what others have said about her to change her belief that the Messiah would come for her too. She reminds us that our worth depends upon what God says about us and no one else.

Jesus' encounter with the woman at the well is remarkable in many regards. She displays great spiritual insight, perseverance and belief that through God all things are possible. She believes the Messiah will come for her and her people; that God's plan of salvation is for all people. For this faith, Jesus reveals to her his true identity. He reveals that he is the Messiah she has been waiting for. While so many others have either misunderstood who Jesus was or rejected him altogether, Jesus reveals the fullness of God's promise to the woman at the well. No one is excluded from God's love, no matter what their life has been like. God sees our heart and knows us fully and for those ready to receive it, Jesus speaks transformational truth to our hearts.

Prayer: Lord, help me to remember that no matter what we have done we are loved by you. Help me to see in others the child of God you created and extend the same love and grace you show me to others, in Jesus' name, AMEN.

Living Water

A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” ⁸(His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.) ⁹The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?” (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.) ¹⁰Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” ¹¹The woman said to him, “Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? ¹²Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us the well, and with his sons and his flocks drank from it?” ¹³Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, ¹⁴but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.” ¹⁵The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.” John 4:7-15

As this text suggests, Samaritans and Jews did not have good relations with one another in Jesus' day. They were of different cultures and religious beliefs and had many wars between them. Jesus was traveling through Samaria to return to Galilee and stopped for water. An interaction between and Jew and a Samaritan would be remarkable enough, but Jesus interacting with a Samaritan woman transgressed cultural norms on two fronts. Yet, this pattern of moving beyond cultural boundaries was central to Jesus' ministry. His ministry is not confined to the children of Israel, and as such he powerfully reminds us that he came for all people and not a select few.

Jesus tells the woman to that if he knew who asked him for a drink, she would ask him for living water. This is the water the fully and completely quenches our thirst. Water can satisfy our thirst for a moment, but we will always need more. Living water quenches the thirst of our soul through the saving grace of Baptism. Living water hydrates our spirit and sustains within us a well spring of God's loving presence. The Samaritan woman may not yet understand who Jesus is or what he is all about, but she is believes Jesus can provide living water for her spirit and asks Jesus to provide it.

Jesus came to give living water for thirsty and weary souls. He came so our lives could be liberated by God's saving love and transformed by God's presence. If Jesus is offering living water, I say: "fill 'er up!"

Prayer: Lord, help me to seek the Living Water you so lovingly supply. Help me to be filled with the presence of Christ and share God's love with a world thirsty for God, in Jesus' name, AMEN. 



Blasphemy or Truth?

So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” ²⁵Jesus answered, “I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me; ²⁶but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. ²⁷My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. ²⁹What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand. ³⁰The Father and I are one.” ³¹The Jews took up stones again to stone him. ³²Jesus replied, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these are you going to stone me?” ³³The Jews answered, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you, but for blasphemy, because you, though only a human being, are making yourself God.” John 10:24-33

A central tenet of the Jewish faith is the belief that God is transcendent and holy. God is so powerful that no human being could stand face-to-face with God and live. When God chooses to communicate to humans it is always through an intermediary. In the Old Testament, we see God communicate through a burning bush, clouds of fire, angels, prophets but never directly. God is totally holy and inaccessible. For this reason, many in the Jewish faith will not use God's proper name (YHWH) in speech or writing, but instead use LORD or Elohim as placeholders for God's name. This is why there was such a strong reaction to Jesus' words about himself: "the Father and I are one." On its face, this statement is blasphemy, but it is also true.


I do not blame the religious leaders of Jesus' day for being skeptical about someone claiming to be the messiah or one with God. We should all take these types of claims with a grain of salt, and there were many who falsely claimed to be the messiah. That being said, if the theological foundation of any religion claims to know what God can and cannot do this is the real blasphemy. God is God and we are not. God can do anything God pleases and there are no restrictions. So while it is true, prior to Jesus, God interacted with humanity through intermediaries this does not mean God cannot communicate directly or in person. The closed and narrow-mindedness of the Jewish leaders kept them from seeing God was doing a new thing in Jesus. God was entering into the world in the flesh. God was showing the world love, mercy and grace. Jesus demonstrates this through a series of "signs" and ultimately on the cross. Jesus does not blaspheme God, rather he speaks a truth that had not previously been revealed.


The truth is God continues to work in our world and in our lives. This can be recognized if we have eyes of faith, but is often overlooked or disregarded. Jesus' challenge to the Jewish people of his time is the same challenge for us: remaining open to what God is doing. We must look for God's work in our lives and be ready for God to do something new. God is not distant from our lives. In Christ, we understand God to be "Immanuel" or "God with us." God is with us and showing us the truth. If we remain open and faithful, God's truth will transform our lives.


Prayer: Lord, help me to remain open to the ways you are working in my life. Help me to see with eyes of faith and be prepared to see something new from you, in Jesus' name, AMEN.