Luke 17:11-19
Read this passage which is the Gospel text for 10/14/07.
The lepers in Jesus' time were not just people with a dreaded disease --they were ritually unclean. Consequently, his healing ofthese people required him to cross the boundaries of the church rules of the day. It was not that long ago that some people thought AIDS was a disease that represented God's vengeance on people who were gay. Now we know that gay and straight alike can catch AIDS and suffer horribly.
But what about the lepers? When have you ever felt so left out of everything that you wanted to hit someone or just sit down and weep? Jesus not only heals the lepers and us, his healing enables us to have a full life. Consider how God is at work in your life now healing and restoring. If you wish God were in your life but you think God is not, you need only ask. Asking for God's presence, brings God's presence.
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This is an online bible study presented by All Saints Episcopal Church in Frederick Maryland
2 comments:
This ties in well with the Sunday devotional from Day By Day. Even after all these years, I don't get it. I see the relentless suffering and opression of people from other parts of the world and I don't get it. I have students here who are afraid to go home. We do the interventions and still the suffering goes on. I don't get it. I lead a relatively pampered existance. It's very easy for me to list the blessings and answers to prayer. Why do I "get off easy" and so many innocents don't. Did I mention, I don't get it.
If this is God's help, don't bother. I've heard the arguments for the "ministry of presence" and nine times out of ten I think its a cop out. If hurting people are praying for God's presence, they need Him or us to do more than just show up.
I've felt the "peace that passes all understanding" Thant's nice for me but so many others need physical intervention to give them help or safety. I don't get it.
I share your doubts. For me, it's through good people like yourself and the rest of us that God/Jesus shows his power. If there are miracles, they mask themselves within the whole so as to be always debateable. If we want heaven on earth, we need to create it by loving our neighbors as ourselves. John
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