Do you know God can break ‘boundaries’, ‘rules’ and ‘regulations’ in order to bless and save His own? Are you in doubt or fear because of certain limitations surrounding you? Listen, there is no boundary too high or too deep for the Lord. He can exchange your shame for confidence! If you are still locked out and bound in your predicaments, it is because you want to remain so or don’t know how to experience this transformation. If you want to experience this, then read slowly…
Mark 1:40-45
A leper came to Jesus and pleaded on his knees: ‘If you want to’ he said ‘you can cure me.’ Feeling sorry for him, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him. ‘Of course, I want to!’ he said. ‘Be cured!’ And the leprosy left him at once and he was cured. Jesus immediately sent him away and sternly ordered him, ‘Mind you say nothing to anyone, but go and show yourself to the priest, and make the offering for your healing prescribed by Moses as evidence of your recovery.’ The man went away but then started talking about it freely and telling the story everywhere, so that Jesus could no longer go openly into any town, but had to stay outside in places where nobody lived.
POINTS FOR REFLECTION
1. Child of God like the leper whose contagious health condition comes with ostracism following Jewish traditions of separating lepers from the community (Lev 13, 46), we are sometimes beset by needs or difficulties that place certain restrictions on us making us not to live our full potentials: sometimes you feel separated or cut-off from those you love because you are not financially stable to care for their needs. Some other times you are forced to settle for less because those around you make you believe you can’t achieve certain positions because of your limitations. And you recoil in despair and hopelessness. Don’t give up!
2. Jesus knows your condition and He feels sorry for you. He wants to touch you as he touched the leper. Even though restrictions abound around you, He is willing to break those boundaries as He did by touching the leper. He is ready to break laws for your sake! He is ready to take your shame away and restore you.
3. Lepers don’t have the confidence of walking openly and freely without announcing their shame (Lev 13, 44) but after the touch by Jesus he went about speaking freely and openly while Jesus went into hiding outside the town: the hiding man became free while the free man went into hiding! Your situation may have caused you public shame but your story will not be different so long as you believe and pray like the leper: Jesus heal me; touch me!
TASK: If your life is blessed it is your duty to bless the lives of others: if the Lord transforms your life, make sure you transform the lives of others. Pray Psalm 18:1-29 now. Focus on verses 28 and 29 and pray: You Lord are my lamp, my God who lightens my darkness: With you, I shall break through every barrier before me; with you my God I shall scale every wall in Jesus name. Amen.
© Fr. SimOne Madu, OSJ
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Amen. Touch me Lord and my family members, amen.
Thanks padre.
May the lord grant your prayers and the intentions of your heart. Amen