Fourth Sunday in Lent

“So Pharisees also asked him how he was able to see. The man told them, “He put mud on my eyes, I washed, and now I see.”

Some Pharisees said, “This man isn’t from God, because he breaks the Sabbath law.” Others said, “How can a sinner do miraculous signs like these?” So they were divided. Some of the Pharisees questioned the man who had been born blind again: “What do you have to say about him, since he healed your eyes?”

He replied, “He’s a prophet.”

~ John 9:15-17

I’ve spent a lot of time this week thinking about different healing modalities – western medicine, eastern medicine, acupuncture, chiropractic care, Ayurveda, energy healings, Reiki, sound healings… this list goes on and on…

As I’ve thought of them all, I couldn’t help but think about how God is in them all and yet, so often, people sometimes think one isn’t Christian, or it’s evil, or … I don’t even know.  Just because it’s different, it must be evil… 

I don’t think so.  Just like I don’t think just because someone is different from me, thinks differently, has different ideas and beliefs than me, makes them or me evil.

I’ve never really understood the fear of other faiths, other beliefs.  I’ve feared them for a while occasionally because someone told me it was evil or bad but then as I looked in to it myself, it usually wasn’t bad, just different.

I’ve usually found that I can learn something quite valuable from the differences!  We can learn from each other, if we can just listen to each other.  

Today, it seems that listening to one another is too hard.  We hear a lot of “my way or the highway” type of thinking. 

Reading the scripture above, reminded me again, that God is in the healing, even when done on the Sabbath.  

I don’t think the Pharisees were really upset that Jesus healed on the Sabbath, I think they were afraid of what they didn’t understand.  How could this man heal someone with just mud?  They were scared of him leading the people astray from their faith, from the familiar. They were afraid of losing power.

But in healing on the sabbath, Jesus was teaching us to listen to those in need and reminding us that people are what’s important, caring for and loving God’s people is more important than letting a man suffer just because of what day it is.

Listening and loving.  Those two right there can do a lot of healing – maybe not the physical kind but healing of the spirit, of the heart.  

This week I think I’ll practice listening like Jesus, loving like Jesus and maybe I’ll learn something new that can help me to walk a little closer with my friend, Jesus.

Dear God,

It’s me again, with my friends.  Help us to listen more and talk less.  Help us to not turn away from differences but take time to learn from them.  Thank you for showing us the way through Jesus.

Amen.

Until next time,
♥️ Sherri