Here at the Garden Church we are visited by many who suffer affliction -- which probably includes all for us to some degree -- and we spontaneously wish for them to get well. In the Gospels, people of
ten reach out or call out to Jesus for healing. Yet in other instances, people are brought to Jesus by others. In Mark 7, we read: They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech, and they begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and ... And again, in Mark 8: Some people brought a blind man to him and begged him to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and ... (And yes, they were both healed by Jesus.) I am assuming the that person with difficulties hearing and speaking wanted to hear and speak clearly, and that the person living with blindness wanted to be see. But in fact the stories don't explicitly tell us what they wanted. When we wish for healing for those who are afflicted, we might do well to ask ourselves: How much are we seeking our own comfort when we asking the Lord to "heal" them and how much are we concerned for what is the genuine best for them? Do we remember to ask? People can and do tell us what they hope for themselves. They often can and do tell us how to pray for them. Notable too in these stories is that Jesus immediately takes those brought to him aside. That suggest to me that while we bring each other to the Healer, and while we can pray for each other, and while we can offer each other physical and emotional support, something uniquely profound happens between a person and the One who knows us the most intimately. Join us this Sunday as we lead each other to the Healer. Be well, Rev. Jonathan
Take care, Rev. Jonathan Sunday Rhythm 3pm Work Together 4pm Worship Together 5pm Eat together