Good morning brothers and sisters. Good morning, everyone.
Don’t touch.
Don’t hug
Stand 6 ft apart or at least 3ft apart.
Many are losing hope and the joy of life is ebbing away, as they seek to battle the many challenges which they face. Memories of good times are fading, while the expectation of experiencing new ones is gradually disappearing. However, when persons are introduced to Jesus, when they have an opportunity to meet Jesus hope springs alive once more.
Matthew 8: 1-4
It was a rainy day. Rain everywhere, the dark clouds filling the sky were ominous but that was of little concern to me. The pain in my body was excruciating. Pus oozed from my sores, and I was miserable. I looked around in the cave where we were forced to live, and I saw others in various stages of the disease. Groans emanated here and there as someone turned and pressed on a womb causing pain, but too tired to get up at this time.
The rain was a blessing. It cooled the air, reducing the heat of the day.
Today was a special day. I had heard about a man called Jesus. They said that he was the Messiah, and it was said that, he could heal anything. I was so excited if I could meet this man, I could be healed it was said that he was a prophet sent from God. I told the others come let us go and see this man he could heal us of our disease, but they laughed at me. Oh yea, right they said. Be careful you are not stoned instead. It is better if you keep yourself quiet and remain here. Cast off from their family and society they had found comfort in each other and were content to rest of their lives in the wilderness.
They were in a stage of depression.
They had lost all hope.
They were in the stage of despair. But I was going to see Jesus.
There is a saying that misery loves company. People love to keep you down with them. Rather than get up and seek help, they would rather hold you back from seeking help for your self.
It was a long way to travel but, in my mind, it was short!
Hope beat strongly in my heart.
I could feel it pumping against my ribs as lion trying to escape from its cage.
I heard the commotion before I saw him. I was so afraid, as I shouted leper and my bell rang to warn those around that a leper was approaching, but I wasn't about to turn around.
I had to see Jesus and I saw him.
My knees became wobbly and I fell to the ground and worshipped the Messiah. The whole world stopped. I heard myself in a trembling voice say “ Lord .. if if you will ….you can make me clean.
My mind became black and void. Not a thought dared to enter as I waited for what seemed an eternity for the answer. Then, I felt a touch that took my breath away. I just could not believe it. he touch me and out of the darkness, out of the void I heard him say
“I am willing, be cleansed.”
I felt a tremor ran through my body.
I felt a strange sensation.
The sores were gone.
The white blotches were gone.
I felt strong.
I was healed.
I was so happy.
I was overjoyed.
My life had changed in an instant. I now can't see a future for myself I wish the others were here. My feet and hands no longer kept quiet, my hands went up and my feet went up and down, as my mouth yelled praises to Jehovah.
Shackled by a heavy burden,
'Neath a load of guilt and shame.
Then the hand of Jesus touched me,
And now I am no longer the same.
He touched me, Oh He touched me,
And oh the joy that floods my soul!
Something happened and now I know,
He touched me and made me whole.
Since I met this blessed Savior,
Since He cleansed and made me whole,
I will never cease to praise Him,
I'll shout it while eternity rolls.
When Jesus saw me.
He did not see a leper, he saw a man.
A man afflicted by a disease.
A man with a history and a possible future.
I became a person.
He could have spoken only and I would have been healed but he put the icing on the cake and touched me.
He went beyond that which was necessary. The touch of God was laid upon me and He created in me a memory that would never be forgotten.
Too often we group people and give them labels. ZR men, Policemen, prostitutes. We see them and judge them collectively, forgetting that each person is an individual, a person with a history, memories, and aspirations. A person who desires to be touched and to be loved. A soul to be reached for Jesus Christ.
In the book of St. John chapter 9: 1 -34 there is another story of Jesus’ healing.
I was born blind. I had never seen the light. I had never seen my mother’s face nor my father’s. I had no idea what colours looked like. All I was familiar with was darkness.
People would look upon my parents as sinners. They would accuse them of having done something wrong which resulted in me being born blind.
God had made me blind in order to punish them for their sins.
I was their punishment.
This was a burden l lived with from childhood. As I gained understanding I realized that my parents were looked down upon because of me.
They lives were limited because of me.
As they grew older, they worried about what would become of me when they passed on.
They had to take me everywhere.
I had no dreams for myself. No aspirations. I had resigned myself to fate.
No hope of becoming anyone of significance. I will live and die as “the blind man.”
You did not have to know my name. Just the “blind man”
I sometimes wondered if anyone would want to marry a blind man. and would I have children. My future was bleak. One in which I always had to have someone to depend on. It was frightening.
One day I was standing near the temple while Jesus was passing by. He took some clay and anointed my eyes and he said to me go and watch in the pool or Siloam.
I did as Jesus suggested. I went to the pool and washed my face.
Let me tell you, after I washed my face light flooded my eyes and collided with my brain. I struggled to make sense of all that my eyes were consuming. I saw all the strange objects. I saw men and women, boys and girls. I saw green trees. Stone houses, dusty streets, I saw, I saw, I saw….
I was astonished. I was so happy. I was exhilarated.
I could not believe it a whole new arena was opened up to me.
I was experiencing “UNBELIEVABLE SIGHTS INDESCRIBABLE FEELING”
I jumped and pranced and shouted and screamed. People saw me and asked isn’t that the guy who was born blind how is it that he can jump and dance and run as if he can see. A crowd soon gathered around me. Somebody asked how is it that you can see now? I said a man called Jesus took some clay and anointed my eyes. He said to me go to the pool of Siloam and wash and so I went to the pool and washed. Now I can see. Then they asked me where is he? But I did not know.
These people were not rejoicing with me. They did not share in my joy. They had no idea of the impact of this experience on my memories. This moment was burnt into my brain forever. All they wanted to know, was the reason for my weird behaviour.
Paul says in Rom. 12:15
Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep!
My brethren seemed only to be interested in the source of my good fortune, perhaps to see if they too could benefit in some way. We must not behave in this way. We must be able to share the joys and sadness of others. To empathise and have compassion and at the same time celebrate when need be. We must break the strangle hold of selfish thoughts and desires.
When my answers did not satisfy them, they took me to the authorities.
Instead of allowing me to celebrate my new found freedom these people sought to dampen my enthusiasm for praising God. People will always judge you based on their experience. They have not walked in your skin nor felt your pain, they do not share your memories, but they believe they know how you should behave when God blesses you. Brothers and sisters, we must continually look for things to be thankful, to celebrate. Life is far too short to live in a moody state.
It was a Sabbath day.
The Pharisees took they turn now in asking me questions:
How did you receive your sight?
What did he do to you?
What do you think of the man who healed you?
Not satisfied with my answers they called my parents to verify that I was their son who was born blind. My parents verified it and they came back to me again.
What was the purpose of all this?
Because the miracle was done by Jesus they were looking for some reason, some pretext to vilify it. All they could focus on was that he healed me on the Sabbath day!
None of them sought to express pleasure with me. To consider how this man must feel now that he could see.
I concluded that I was physically blind but now I can see but these men chose to be blind. I did not have the education they had, I was not as familiar with the temple worship, the Levitical Law, ceremonial offerings and sacrifices as they were. But I knew that Jesus had healed me.
They turned to me again saying “Give God the glory we know that this man is a Sinner.”
Sometimes we allow our minds to be filled with bitterness and hatred. Our memories are dark and sinister such that even in good we seek to find evil. We feel that we are so important that no one deserves praise except us. They could not deny the miracle so they chose to attack the man.
“well.” I said, “I don't know if he is a Sinner or not but I know one thing that once I was blind but now I see.”
I said “I have told you already and you did not listen. why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples?”
The people turned on me and began two reviled me and criticise me as if they knew me. They said “You are his disciple, but we are Moses disciples. We know that God spoke to Moses as for this fellow we do not know where he is from.”
I said to them:
“Well this is a marvellous thing that you do not be know where he is from; yet he has opened my eyes! We know that God does not hear sinners but if anyone is a worshipper of God and does his will, he hears him. Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone open the eyes of one who was born blind. if this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”
They were stunned. They knew this. But they had no answer. Instead of taking of their blinders, they turned to me with ridicule and said “you were completely born in sin and are you teaching us?”
And they cast me out of the synagogue.
It was then that I saw Jesus. He asked me if I believe in the son of God. I asked him who is he Lord that I may believe in him? He said to me you have both seen him and it is he who is talking with you.
I said to him Lord I believe, and I worshipped him.
He could have spoken and allowed me to see. But he chose a longer route, increasing my suspense and allowing me to exercise my faith. Jesus is a master at creating exciting moments and lasting memories.
As we struggle amid the many crises of today, floods, storms, fires, violence and pandemics that causing so much loss and pain, it is wonderful to know that God is still at work. He is the one who can use us to create lasting memories in the lives of those we meet. We cannot chose the person nor the method but we can chose to obey the prompting of the Holy Spirit.
One method that my family employed is to put money ( $10.00; 20.00) into a small pretty envelopes along with a card, expressing a scriptural promise or an encouraging note. Whenever a vagrant ask for money we pull out a card and give to them. To surprises bring a smile to their faces: 1. the amount in the envelope and 2. the note.
The good news is that God is still in charge. So, we can overcome natural blindness, traditional blindness, and spiritual blindness and touch a life, make a lasting memory.
