(You can listen to this reflection here. Sunday's gospel reading is here.)
Imagine you have a defective hand; it just hangs limp at the end of your arm, a useless appendage, but still your hand, still a part of you. You know the Law of Moses says you are less than others; you are not whole and therefore not holy. Yet you come to worship on the Sabbath day, hoping not to be noticed, hoping just to listen and pray once again for God’s mighty hand to heal your withered one.
And, instead of blending in with the crowd, you find yourself at the center of a debate – no, an altercation between the learned doctors of the Law and that teacher who heals people. The Pharisees are baiting Jesus to heal you – not so he’ll reveal God’s power, but so they can charge him with violating God’s law. In the middle of this argument Jesus calls you forward. There is no hiding. He says, “Stretch out your hand.” You and your useless hand are front and center for all to see. If you do as he says, will the religious leaders accuse you too? But how could you disobey this holy man?
You stretch your hand toward Jesus, and as you do, you see life returning to its flesh and bone. Sensation pulses down your arm into your fingers, which tingle and hurt, but lo and behold begin to move. You make a fist, and relax the muscles. It is impossible, but your hand is alive again.
Then he said to them, ‘Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to kill?’ But they were silent. He looked around at them with anger; he was grieved at their hardness of heart and said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.
This is not the only time in the Gospels that we see Jesus heal someone to make a point in an argument, to prove his power and connection to his Father in heaven, to shut down his detractors. Jesus has different motivations in different healing stories. It doesn’t matter why Jesus heals – the power comes through even when he’s angry, locking horns with the religious authorities. The man’s hand was restored no matter what else was going on in that room.
I call this “collateral blessing,” the notion that anytime we are engaged in the mission of God, blessings can flow to those around us, just as in war “collateral damage” is unintended harm to allies or bystanders. One person consciously filled with the life of God brings Christ into any room, any conflict, any place of pain or deprivation or cruelty or injustice. Everyone around may be touched by God’s grace just by being in the vicinity.
The key is intentionality. What if each time we left our homes or set out on our day or evening, we prayed, “Come, Holy Spirit. Fill me.” And when we found ourselves confronted with tension or injury, we prayed, “Come, Lord Jesus, be here now.” Who knows how many might be encouraged or refreshed or even healed by being around us as we go about the mission of God to reclaim, restore and renew all of creation to wholeness in Christ?
God’s blessing cannot be contained. Once we begin to release it, it spills out over everything and everyone, even those we aren't focused on. God is in the business of blessing, and has chosen to work through us. Get ready to bless!
To receive Water Daily by email each morning, subscribe here.
No comments:
Post a Comment