Daily Devotion for Lent - Day 8

Scripture Reading: Luke 5:1-26

Is God approachable?

I think that most who grow up with a Christian worldview would say yes.  It is how we have been taught to think but there have been various camps on the subject and still are today.  Some believe that you must make yourself holy prior to approaching God.  You would do so by abstaining from unclean materials or actions for a period of time.  Others believe that God is approaching us in our present state.

I think Luke takes the latter understanding.

Note that Peter states in verse 8 his reservations on proximity to Jesus by saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!"  How does Jesus answer him?  Don't be so afraid!

When we encounter the man with leprosy, it is important to note that he shouldn't have been approaching Jesus.  Here's how Leviticus 13:45-46 line out what a person with leprosy should do:

The person who has the leprous disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head be disheveled; and he shall cover his upper lip and cry out, “Unclean, unclean.”  He shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease; he is unclean. He shall live alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp.

Jesus heals him by touching him!

And rather than Jesus getting leprosy and becoming unclean, the man is cleansed and told to show himself to the priests which would allow him back into the community!

Ever feel like you didn't fit in?

Then we see Jesus forgiving sins.  Sins were associated with illness.  If a person was a paralytic, it was presumed that he had sinned.  He probably thought this was true of himself.  Of course, all of us could name something we've done if we contracted an illness.

In essence, Jesus is making God approachable.  The healing implies atonement - the debt is paid and you no longer need to suffer.  Furthermore, you do not have to stand outside of society but may enter freely.

To be healed physically was to be healed relationally.

As we think about the scoffing of Jesus for forgiving someone their sins, we may do that ourselves.  But we all have the power to state either out loud or in our hearts, "your sins are forgiven."  We don't have to hold on to the sins done against us by others.

I wonder if the forgiveness we offer may make us healthier in our bodies as well?  If we're not sure that we can do it, we may hear Jesus saying to us just like he said to Peter, "Don't be afraid!"

Prayer for the Day:

Loving God, we give thanks that we may approach you with boldness.  But we especially give thanks that you approach us first.  May we see that we do not have to keep track of offenses done to us.  Help us to let things go more easily.  Allow us to make "giving the benefit of the doubt" a spiritual discipline.  We pray these things in the name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Photo by Dennis via Flickr.com.  Used under the Creative Commons license.