My 2016 Lenten Journey--Day 24

March 4, 2016 ~ Day 24

My 2016 Lenten Journey: Exploring the Gospels to discover what following Jesus and becoming more like him would look like? ‘And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself” (John 12:32 NRSV).

Matthew 8:1-17 ~ Jesus heals (1) a leper, (2) an Italian soldier’s servant and (3) an indiscriminate number of people with demons and diseases.

There were three ways a Jew could become ceremonially unclean: coming in contact with a sexual or menstrual emission, touching a Gentile and touching a leper or anything dead. Some were so legalistic that it was reasoned that, since the wind blows the dust around and, since you never know whether a particular grain of sand or dust has been in contact with any of the above, it’s just best to consider that you may be “unclean.”

So, here is Jesus, healing a leper, a Gentile and who knows what other “untouchable” may have been in the crowd.

We have untouchables in our society; only, we don’t call them that. We call them “welfare queens” and “voter frauds” and “burdens on society.”

If I am to follow Jesus, I will be as indiscriminate as he in dispensing help to people.

Whoever has seen me has seen the Father (John 14:9 NRSV)

‘And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself” (John 12:32 NRSV).

That's the way it looks through the flawed glass that is my world view.

Together in the Walk,

Jim