When in doubt...

Today's readings: Psalms 63, 149; Isaiah 56:1-8; Galatians 5:25-6-10; Mark 9:14-29

Doubt is an inescapable factor of the human condition. From checking an iron we aren’t sure we unplugged to wondering whether a God could possibly exist, we all experience doubt, most of us on a fairly regular basis. Many of us fall prey to the false choice between doubt and faith. In a world that emphasizes an "either/or" mentality, we can find it difficult if not sometimes impossible to embrace a "both/and" perspective. It is entirely possible to balance both doubt and faith in our lives.

After her death, Mother Teresa became a famous example of the embodiment of both doubt and faith. The publication of her private papers revealed her inner struggle with God and faith. For some people, this revelation confirmed their skepticism of faith. But rather than undermine her previous image, perhaps it really served to make her more accessible: if such a revered religious figure struggled with the same doubts we do, our faith also has the potential to be as great as hers.

Jesus did not turn away doubters. One day a man brought his son to Jesus. The main claimed a demon had struck the boy mute and convulsed him with seizures. When the man asked Jesus to help "if you are able" (Mark 9:22), Jesus replied all things were possible to those who believed (v 23). The man replied "I believe; help my unbelief!" (v 24). Could there be a more desperate, humble and honest response? Jesus went on to heal the boy through prayer. Yet this man, while his belief was bolstered in the moment, certainly continued to experience doubt throughout his life, just as the rest of us do.

We are built to juggle contradictory emotions and ideas. At a good memorial or wake, we grieve loss and laugh at memories. Sending a child to the first day of kindergarten or college is often bittersweet. Our relationships with loved ones are a complicated mix of love, anger and countless other simultaneous feelings. These conflicting emotions do not invalidate each other or the experiences that drive them. God has given us the ability to harbor both faith and doubt, so let us use each wisely.

Evening readings: Psalms 125, 90

Raise The Roof

Today's readings: Psalms 97; 147:12-20, Isaiah 41:17-29, Ephesians 2:11-22, Mark 2:1-12

When people learned Jesus had returned home after several days away, a crowd gathered outside his home. It was so large that one man, whose friends had carried him there on a mat because he was paralyzed, couldn't get near the door. Undeterred, they tore an opening in the roof and lowered him into the house. Jesus rewarded his faith first by forgiving his sins, then by healing his infirmity.

This healing was performed partly as a demonstration to those who questioned Jesus's authority to forgive sins. The faith of the man helped Jesus further his ministry.

How hard would we work to get our friends to Jesus? Would we tear open a roof? Open a door to give them a place to stay? Open a window to freshen a room they can't leave? Open our mouths to speak of the good news?

Of course we shouldn't try to force the unwilling to meet him. But we can lend a hand to lift up those who are paralyzed by fear, addiction, or guilt. When we suffer those same conditions ourselves, we may need to lean on the strength and faith of others to deliver us to Christ's presence. Even when it seems impossible that we might reach him, there is a way to be found if we persevere.

When we break through whatever barriers are between us and Christ's healing presence, we may be surprised to find what we really need is forgiveness -- from God and from ourselves. Without a clean start, any other type of healing we experience will be incomplete. We are healed not just for our own sakes, but also to further Christ's ongoing ministry by sharing our own witness of the good news.

Evening readings: Psalms 16; 62

One Body to Heal

Today's readings: Psalms 51, 148; 2 Kings 23:36-24:17; 1 Corinthians 12:12-26; Matthew 9:27-34

If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.

- 1 Corinthians 12:26

Today’s reading from 1 Corinthians can be read on many levels. It is often used to describe the importance of each person’s role in the body of Christ and to celebrate the many gifts they contribute. It also describes the importance of diversity within the church. Read in context with today’s healing story in Matthew, there is yet another meaning.

When one part of the body is sick, it depends on the others for healing. An ailing tooth does not walk itself into a dentist’s office, but relies on the feet. A foot with a splinter cannot remedy itself, but depends on the hands to remove it. Hands that tremble from hunger cannot feed themselves, but rely on the mouth and teeth to chew and swallow. Each part is not only equally important, it is equally interdependent.

As members of the body of Christ, we must rely on each other and be present for each other in times of illness and distress. None of us is completely self-sufficient. We receive care when we need it, and we offer care when it is needed. And as the feet don’t feel burdened by the tooth, and the hands don’t feel burdened by the feet, we do so not out of obligation nor to secure help for ourselves in the future, but because we are one. The well-being of one is inseparable from the well-being of others.

Christ was extravagant in his love was for all people. Christ was extravagant in his healing. As we are now his body, we are called to the same extravagance. Let us heal not out of duty, but out of extravagant love.

Evening readings: Psalms 142, 65

Forgiveness First

Today's readings: Psalms 97, 147:12-20; Isaiah 41:17-29; Ephesians 2:11-22; Mark 2:1-12

In today's Gospel reading, Jesus spoke  to a large crowd gathered in and around his home. As he did so, "some people came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay. When Jesus saw their face, he said to the paralytic, 'Son, your sins are forgiven'" (Mark 2:3-5). The scribes present were offended that Jesus felt he had the authority to forgive sins. The man lowered through the roof may have been more than a litle disappointed his faith was rewarded with forgiveness and not healing. His friends were probably not looking forward to carrying him back.

As he always seems to do, Jesus turns the situation on its head. To demonstrate to the scribes the level of his authority, Jesus commands the man to pick up his mat and walk. What's a little forgiveness compared to a miracle? While we have a suspicion Jesus intended to heal the man all along, his decision to first emphasize forgiveness is a powerful statement. In the text leading to this moment, Jesus seems increasingly exasperated by the folks following him to receive and witness miracles. While these are signs of his authority, they are only signs - which exist to point to something more important.

The most important healing Jesus offers is not of our temporal bodies, but of our eternal relationship with God. Some of us are convinced we are unworthy, and live our whole lives as if that was true. Others place blame on everyone else and live lives of petty grudges. Both situations demonstrate a lack of faith in forgiveness. These mindsets can be nearly impossible to shake. When we can fully accept that love and forgiveness are at the core of our beings and the center of our relationship with God, well ... there's the miracle.

Healing is not the end of the story, but the beginning. Once we accept God's love and forgiveness, we can in turn love and forgive ourselves and each other. We heal the world. We are resurrected.

Evening readings: Psalms 16, 62

Use Me

Today's readings: Ps 96, 148; Jer 31:1-14; Col 2:8-23; Luke 7:1-17

Today in Luke we read two short healing stories. Luke offers us many healing stories, but these two have particular lessons for us. Unlike the stories where a faithful woman touches Jesus’ garment (8:40-47), or a blind beggar calls out to him (18:25-42), the characters in today’s story are healed because of Jesus’ work through others

A Roman centurion who was too humbled to petition Jesus directly on behalf of a beloved servant. Instead, he sent Jewish elders and then friends to tell Jesus he had faith that if Jesus willed it, the servant would be healed; he didn’t need to impose a face-to-face meeting. When we pray or intercede for others, are we as wise and humble as the centurion? When we see an ailing co-worker, or a friend in a bad marriage, are we tempted to “fix” things? If so, we may think we need to pray or work hard enough to “convince” God to act. The truth is none of us can fix anyone else, and God will act as God will. Like the centurion and his friends, often the best we can do is to stand ready to let God use us. This is not a passive state – it is a decision to trust and to be open to possibility.

Jesus encountered a widow grieving her only son. His heart went out to the woman, and he commanded the son to rise from his funeral bier. Compassion is a powerful tool for God to use in the world. We may be unlikely to witness someone raised from the dead, but even in our greatest grief, God’s presence can spark new life. Consider John and Reve Walsh who, after the murder of their son Adam, founded the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Compassion both for the Walshes and from them made such an endeavor possible.

So are we to jump from cause to cause and expect miraculous results from every prayer dashed off on our way to the next one? Of course not. Such a life would be shallow and ultimately frustrating. But we learn from the centurion and the widow that we may knowingly or unknowingly become God’s instruments for someone else’s healing. Our faith life does not unfold in just our own lives, but in the lives of those around us. Let’s be alert and open to the time God chooses us to bring others to new life.

Comfort: God’s compassion is boundless.

Challenge: Pray for God to open your eyes to needs you might address.

Prayer: God of Freedom, thank you for the opportunity to serve.

Evening readings: Ps 49, 138

Discussion Question: When do you feel has God used you in someone's life, or used someone else in yours? (please comment)