From the Daily Lectionary for Friday/Saturday in the Sixteenth Week after Pentecost
Luke 4:31-44
He went down to Capernaum, a city in Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbath. They were astounded at his teaching, because he spoke with authority. In the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, “Let us alone! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God”’ But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” When the demon had thrown him down before them, he came out of him without having done him any harm. They were all amazed and kept saying to one another, “What kind of utterance is this? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and out they come!” And a report about him began to reach every place in the region.
After leaving the synagogue he entered Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked him about her. Then he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. Immediately she got up and began to serve them.
As the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various kinds of diseases brought them to him; and he laid his hands on each of them and cured them. Demons also came out of many, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Messiah.
At daybreak he departed and went into a deserted place. And the crowds were looking for him; and when they reached him, they wanted to prevent him from leaving them. But he said to them, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also; for I was sent for this purpose.” So he continued proclaiming the message in the synagogues of Judea.
Y’all know me well enough by now to know that I’m not one to take much of the bible literally. Of course, there is much in the bible that never was meant by the writers to be taken literally. The bible is a veritable library of genres: myth, legend, allegory, fable, moral instruction, rhetoric, theology. Scripture begs for imaginative and studied interpretation, so that God’s vision for the world might be glimpsed anew relative to our own time, place, and circumstance.
Having said that, there are things in the bible that are meant to be taken literally. The persistent admonition to welcome the stranger, the resident alien, comes to mind. Both the scribes of Hebrew Scripture and the New Testament writers understood that our xenophobic tendencies would lead to our undoing as a just society. They recognized the profound mystery that exists between the “self” and the “other.” Also, throughout Hebrew Scripture and New Testament literature, there are hundreds of stories about healing. Though many of these stories are embellished to be sure, I believe that they were meant to be taken literally as well.
Healing is in our nature as humans. We are made to heal. All of us, at one time or another, will be sick, and, will tend to the sick. Healing is a given, and we are participants in the process. Healing takes place in community, and there is such a thing that some members of the community have a gift for healing. The “shaman” in indigenous cultures all around the planet is a prime example. Healing touches that same mystery between self and other. We humans are electromagnetic beings. We are not only flesh and blood, but a field of energy as well. Acupuncturists have known this for millennia. Why is it that doctors are taught to touch their patients? Is it possible that this energy might be channeled towards healing? It is interesting to me that the rite of healing involves the “laying on of hands.”
I believe Jesus was literally a healer. Josephus, the First Century historian, thought as much. Of the little mention he gives to Jesus of Nazareth, he says that he was a “Wisdom” teacher and healer in Galilee, who was executed by the Romans for sedition. That is all we know historically of Jesus.
Healing takes many forms, of course. There is the healing of the body… and healing of the mind… and spirit… There is the healing of “persons,” and there is the healing of “people.” Healing is a gift from God. It is the way we are made; the way the world is. To imitate Jesus is to pay attention to and participate in the process of healing when it presents itself. It may be a simple matter of touch; or to pray out loud for someone; or a kind word of encouragement. It may take the form of advocacy for a person’s health. I have witnessed social workers in hospitals literally save lives by defending patients’ rights. It may mean marching on Washington for universal healthcare, long overdue. And it may well mean turning the tide of an individual’s illness simply and mysteriously by one’s presence. I believe Jesus and other healers did that. The people of Capernaum called that gift “authority.”
So let me remind you. We follow Jesus. He healed; he restored dignity; he advocated for justice and truth…. He practiced welcoming those who were not welcomed by “polite” society. He called out the abuse of power in his world; he gave hope to the brokenhearted. He stood in the mysterious breach between self and other, with authority…. Go, and do likewise…. Literally.
A Prayer for the Sick (BCP p. 260)
O God, giver of life and health: Comfort and relieve your sick servants, and give your power of healing to those who minister to their needs, that those for whom our prayers are offered may be strengthened in their weakness and have confidence in your loving care; through Jesus Christ our Savior, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
