Curing and Healing

When I walked into the waiting room of the hospital lab, I noticed a mentally challenged man whom no one would sit next to. With all the writing I've done lately about recognizing Jesus in the poor, I decided to at least sit next to him. As it became clear to him that I would take the seat next to his, he jumped up and shot his arms up as if signaling a touchdown. He never said anything to me. He just wanted to express his joy at my affirmation of his equal worth as a human being.

Such people - the handicapped, the deformed, the sick - suffer insults to their dignity on a daily basis. They are stared at in public. Their caregivers and family members often talk about them as if they are not there. They are subjected to the messages of society that their lives are meaningless because they are not "productive". Most of the time, they are just ignored or pitied. When they are acknowledged and treated with respect, it draws a response of joy from them that most "productive" people lack.

Jesus' miracles are more than displays of power. They serve to announce the Kingdom of God by restoring communion and drawing forth a response of faith. Lepers were seen as sinners, as being punished by God. As such, they were shunned and barred from worship. Jesus' curing of them signifies that he has come to reunite all those who have been lost to sin and its destructive power. Once the priest has certified that they are clean, they can be restored to the worshipping community.

There's a difference between curing and healing. Jesus did indeed cure. He did remove illness, deformity and leprosy. But, more importantly, he healed. His touch was more than skin deep. It reached into the souls of those he encountered and drew forth a response of faith, gratitude and joy. It took faith for the lepers to approach Jesus not only to believe he had the power to heal them, but to trust that he would not reject them as "unclean". Jesus spoke to the deepest desire of the human person to be recognized as being of equal dignity and to be welcomed into the worshipping community.

But Jesus' healing also works its wonders among those who are "normal". Their hearts are opened to the joy of welcoming the stranger, the sick and the needy. Their eyes are opened to the true beauty and dignity of each person. We all long to see and know Jesus. To be able to recognize and love Jesus in the stranger and in the needy is among the greatest blessings we could hope for.