In tomorrow’s Gospel (January 7, 2011), the leper sees Jesus, falls prostrate before him and says, ““Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.”
The act of the leper falling prostrating before Jesus means he recognizes that Jesus is far greater than he. I know that God is far wiser, stronger, powerful, and compassionate than I am. This does mean that I have low self-esteem. I know that I do good works. I believe that I am a good person. I also know that I am good and am able to do the good works that I do by the power of God dwelling through the Holy Spirit in me. God is better than me because he is all-powerful and all-knowing.
What does the leper say to Jesus? “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” The leper has no doubt that Jesus has the power to heal him. In response, Jesus merely says the word, “I do will it. Be made clean.” ” and the leper is healed.
Do you believe in the power of Jesus to transform you and to transform the world? Do you have doubt?
I have no doubt in the power of Jesus to transform the world and to transform me. One might ask then, why is the world not perfect? Why am I not perfect?
It is not a lack of power on God’s part. Sometimes, God has a lesson for us to learn. Much of the time, the problem is our openness to be transformed. Sometimes, the problem might be ‘do we really want to change.’ We might know something is not good for us but perhaps there is some short-term pleasure with it. Sometimes, we might do a behavior that we want to change for no other reason than habit. We do it because we are used to doing it. Of course, addiction can be a problem too.
Other times, when we think God seems to lack the power to do something, we might realize that God is not just all-powerful but also all-knowing. God is wisdom. God knows better than us. When God does not do things the way we might like, it can because he knows more than us and knows better than us.
God has the power to transform the world. May we have the grace to yield to his power and will.
Peace,
Fr. Jeff