Give the glory to God

Once, when he was in one of the cities, there was a man covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground and begged him, ‘Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean.’ Then Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, ‘I do choose. Be made clean.’ Immediately the leprosy left him. And he ordered him to tell no one. ‘Go’, he said, ‘and show yourself to the priest, and, as Moses commanded, make an offering for your cleansing, for a testimony to them.’ But now more than ever the word about Jesus spread abroad; many crowds would gather to hear him and to be cured of their diseases. But he would withdraw to deserted places and pray.

One day, while he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting nearby (they had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem); and the power of the Lord was with him to heal. Just then some men came, carrying a paralysed man on a bed. They were trying to bring him in and lay him before Jesus; but finding no way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the middle of the crowd in front of Jesus. When he saw their faith, he said, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven you.’ Then the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, ‘Who is this who is speaking blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ When Jesus perceived their questionings, he answered them, ‘Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, “Your sins are forgiven you”, or to say, “Stand up and walk”? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins’—he said to the one who was paralysed—‘I say to you, stand up and take your bed and go to your home.’ Immediately he stood up before them, took what he had been lying on, and went to his home, glorifying God. Amazement seized all of them, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, ‘We have seen strange things today.’

- Luke 5:12-26

Commentaries tell me that leprosy was the most dread disease of its day. It created great physical suffering, and the sufferer was also banished from society. For Jesus to heal this leper, it means that his gospel, his healing and teaching, goes to all, even (or perhaps especially) to the outcasts. This man, I read, is told to follow the law and go to the authorities because it would have been necessary for him to get a certificate in order to rejoin the society and lose his banishment. I personally am struck by the notion that Jesus does not want credit to be given to himself personally, but that the healed leper should give credit to God as thanks for his healing. I tie this healing of the leper (as "outsider") in with the recent passage prior to this one where Jesus chides those in his hometown, telling them that Naaman the Syrian was cleansed of leprosy although there were many lepers in Israel.

In the case of the man lowered down through the ceiling we also have an image of the literal "outsider" who can come before Jesus. If it was accepted that this man suffered because of sinfulness then it is indeed a message that nothing can keep us from the throne of God - or the presence of Jesus. What we need to gain that access is faith. Again, it would have been considered that only God has the power to forgive sins and to create such healing, so in the presence of the crowd Jesus' healing is stunning indeed. All are stunned into awe and amazement.

But Jesus uses his power sparingly. Not everyone is healed. Not everyone in all these crowds is given whatever they want at any time they want it. And these sessions of healing and preaching before crowds are repeatedly punctuated with trips to the wilderness, to deserted places, in order to pray. Jesus has a job to do, we are so often reminded, and it's not just to create miracles. In order to build that kingdom and bring it properly into the world Jesus needs time to himself to be with the Father, to pray. He needs direction, and both direction and power come from one source.

Luke seems to remind us always that Jesus' purpose was not merely to grant wishes, to create miracles in order to convince people to have faith. Rather we are given these repeated instances of Jesus' need to withdraw and pray, to escape those crowds and their demands, and to renew his spirit and understanding alone in prayer. There is, as we are so often reminded, a job to do. Awe and wonder are now beginning to spread about the whole of the Jewish communities where Jesus teaches, he has made his splash although repeatedly has told some not to reveal by whom their healing has come. As Jesus goes forward we will see the plan unfold for the release of the good news. It's not a plan that you or I might think up. It has its own wisdom and its own reasons, and times and places for revelation. I too, still need that withdrawal in order to participate in the same Mystery. I don't have all the answers and all the plans for what's right for my life. While Jesus teaches the leper to follow the rules, at the next healing it is those who enforce the rules who question what he is doing and where his power comes from. Jesus sets a good example for us in his withdrawal for prayer, I think. At least he does so for me. We are always reminded of the outside view, which will then be brought inside. And what will be the result of this?