Tuesday, 14 October, 2003

Text: Matthew 8:1-4



Note: Monday through Wednesday's devotions will be from the July 2000 archives



When Jesus had come down from the mountain, great crowds followed him; and there was a leper who came to him and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean." He stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, " I do choose. Be made clean!" Immediatesly his leprosy was cleansed. Then 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, a s testimony to them."



Not only does Jesus choose...to have the leper healed, he chooses to be defiled - made unclean by touching the leper. He doesn't simply say "be clean" - he touches him! In essence, Jesus becomes like the leper. And yet, withing the Reign of God there are no lepers to be excluded. In fact, Jesus goes to touch him - even as he is still a leper. The leper's faith is amazing for he already expects that Jesus can make all things whole...if he chooses. The way thing were, there was just the pronouncement of his leprosy and his condition of being outcast...that's all the "religion" did for the leper. The religious action in the past was come back and we will check you to see if you ever get rid of this disorder. But with Jesus makes clean all people. Usually the unclean makes the clean - unclean. But for Jesus, it is reversed. The clean make the unclean - clean and once again a part of the whole people and not left out anymore.



Connection: We have the power as followers of Jesus to make those considered unclean - clean - welcome - whole. Notice the change in attitude when we see things like that. What an openness is available to us! Today, take note of what it is in your life that you consider unclean. ( One author notes that dirt - to use another idea around unclean - is simply matter out of place. Maybe it is our calling to make sure that which is "out of place" can have a place.



God of an ever-expanding love, encourage us to step forward and let the world know that we choose to make all people whole and that we will be instruments of the making of shalom (wholeness) in our world. Amen