Immersed in Christ: February 8, 2021
Monday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Job 7:1-7; Psalm 147; 1 Corinthians 9:16–23; Mark 1:29-39
A Friend Who Has Compassion
He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up… Mark 1:31
When someone needed help, Jesus gave it. As soon as they told him about Peter’s mother in law, “he approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up.” Then “they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons,” and he healed them.
This made people want to use Jesus as a healer. And some accepted him as a teacher. But what we want is relationship with him as a friend—because we look, not just at what he does, but at why he does it.
Why did Jesus heal? It wasn’t to impress or attract people as a faith healer. He asked them to keep his healing miracles quiet. He came to teach. But above all, he came to enter into relationships of love.
When Paul said, “Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!” it was not just because of “an obligation.” He wrote, “For the love of Christ urges us on....” His burning desire and prayer was that each of us might “know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (2Corinthians 5:14; Ephesians 3:19).
Look at the heart behind the healing miracles. Is this someone you want for a friend?
ACTION: When you pray for people, think of how Jesus feels about them. That is more important than their healing.
PRAYER: “Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted.”
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