Daily Gospel Reflection for January 14, 2016

Today's Gospel: Mark 1, 40-45

Today’s Gospel brings to mind two questions. The first is, “How does Christ respond to me in my weakness?” The second is “How does Christ want to respond through me to others in their weakness?

The leper was considered unclean, and was meant to distance himself from the healthy population. He was constantly reminded of his condition and was relegated to a hopeless existence as he awaited certain death. We see ourselves in him. Whether our weakness manifests as disease or habitual sin, we can easily withdraw from society and live in hopelessness. But the leper took a risk, he approached Christ and knelt before him; he risked rejection and rebuke. He humbled himself. And there in his humility he met the Merciful Christ, who perfectly healed him. There is hope in our seemingly incurable condition, but it is only found through the path of humility that leads us to the feet of Christ.

But lest we forget, we are not only the leper. We are Christ’s ambassadors; his hands and his feet. We must go where we went and touch who he touched. Every day we are surrounded by the hopelessly weak. Are we willing to step outside of social conventions, and enter into conversation and relationship with others in order to bring healing to those who are sick and dying (either physically or spiritually)? Let us always be ready to offer the hope of life in Christ.

Ponder:

What weakness do I need to bring to the feet of Jesus? What small way can I give healing and hope to another person today?

Pray:

Lord of Mercy, shine a light on my weakness today, help me see what things I need to humbly offer to you for healing. Give me courage to offer that same healing to others.

Copyright 2016 Timothy Putnam

Timothy Putnam is the host of Outside The Walls, a weekly radio program on Breadbox Media that explores the foundations of our faith and the implications of our faith on our daily lives. He lives in Texas with his wife and five children.