Bible text: “Jesus laid His hands on the sick... went to a deserted place to pray and went around proclaiming the kingdom of God”. Luke 4. 38-44
There are at least two important lessons that we can learn from the gospel that we have just proclaimed. Jesus is the source of healing power. In the gospel the household of Peter asked Jesus to lay His hand on his mother in law due to high fever and on evening time and at the setting of the sun, sick people were again gathered around Him to ask for healing. In this time of pandemic, there are a lot of people who are sick either physically, emotionally or spiritually. We heard a lot of people who are infected with this deadly virus; friends and acquaintances who are ill and weak. Elderly who are sick because of isolation and loneliness. There are also people who are feeling sick because they are terribly afraid of the virus. People are also spiritually sick because they are disconnected from God and not yet comfortable to go back to the church scared of lingering virus. Let us think about these people around us. Let us pray for these people dear to us. Let us bring Jesus to them and bring them closer to Jesus.
The second lesson the gospel teaching us is the act of gratitude for the good health and gift of healing that we received from the Lord. Peter’s mother in law immediately served them as soon as she gets better. Gratitude is not just a word to say but an act to do. She did not delay her service but right away. It’s sad to hear from people that their plates are pretty full so they have neither time to go to church nor time to serve the Lord. It is always good to teach our children and remind people the importance of gratitude. It is an expression of love. Grateful people are actually happy people. To serve the Lord is not just all about joining in the different ministries in the parish but it is also about praying for people and bringing the word of God to them.
This is the very thing that Jesus did in the gospel, He went to a deserted place to pray and spend most of this day to proclaim the kingdom of God.