Collect for Thursday in the Second Week of Lent
O Lord, strong and mighty, Lord of Hosts and King of glory: Cleanse our hearts from sin, keep our hand pure, and turn our minds from what is passing away; so that at the last we may stand in your holy place and receive your blessing; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Mighty Miracles (Matthew 8:1-9:34)
This powerful passage brims with mighty miracles performed by our Lord Jesus Christ. In these two chapters alone, Jesus heals a leper, a centurion’s servant, a woman with a fever, two demoniacs, a woman suffering from hemorrhages, a paralytic, two blind men, and a mute person. If that weren’t enough, he restores a girl to life, calms a raging sea, and heals many more people at Peter’s house. That’s quite a series of accomplishments by any standard.
As followers and believers of Jesus, it’s tempting for us to say, “There’s no way we can perform such mighty miracles.” And on the surface that is true. In the entire history of the human race, there has been only one Jesus, only on person capable of performing such deeds, only one person able to cure “all who were sick,” as verse 16 in chapter 8 notes.
A key to this Gospel passage is the willingness of Jesus to heal. Notice how he responds by word or touch to all whom he encountered – and it is a call for us to do likewise. We are called to be Jesus to our friends, co-workers, relatives, and even outright strangers. There is no greater need in the world today than to bring the love, mercy, care, concern, compassion and peace of Christ to those we encounter.
Our actions, however small they may seem, can often provide much-needed healing and comfort. Just as Jesus “stretched out his hand and touched” the leper, so too can we hold someone’s hand in ours or wrap an arm around their shoulder as we speak gentle words of comfort and encouragement that can help dispel dark clouds of despair or loneliness. Our words, spoken with the love of the Christ we serve, can help calm a raging storm of angry emotions. They can provide soothing comfort during a time of heart-wrenching grief.
Through our words and actions, miracles can be performed. We can guide people down paths of restoration, provide them with hope and comfort, and help them experience the peace of God that passes all understanding. That is our call and that is our commission.
John Koski
Candidate for ordination to the vocational diaconate
Currently interning at St. Thomas of Canterbury Episcopal Church, Greendale
1 comment:
It comforting to know that even the small acts matter. In chapters 8&9, I noticed that twice after Jesus healed, the lepers and the blind man, he told them to not tell anyone. Why is that? Well, they spread the news anyway. There isn't any indication of how Jesus felt about them telling people about the miracle.
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