I Am Willing

A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, "If you are willing, you can make me clean." Jesus was indignant. He reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" (Mark 1:40, 41 NIV)

It is interesting that in the passage above that it says, "Jesus was indignant." Why was Jesus indignant? I think it was because the man said, "IF you are willing..." OF COURSE Jesus is willing. Why wouldn't he heal a man of leprosy? Jesus had the power, the man had the need and the request had been made. What else is needed?

But can you blame the man for asking? We all have the power to heal at some level... Only we are often not willing. We have the power to keep children from dying from Malaria by providing mosquito netting. We have the power to provide clean drinking water to those who have to walk miles for disease-infected water. We have the power to help feed the hungry and help house the homeless. But so often we are not willing.

We can't individually buy EVERY child mosquito netting or dig EVERY village a well or feed or house the ENTIRE world, but when the request is made to one of us on behalf of one person or one small share of a larger project, shouldn't our answer always be, "I am willing?"

Lord Jesus,
Give us hearts that are always willing so that the world could be healed by you through us. You are willing, but we must also be willing. Amen.

Joys: a really lazy day at home yesterday; looking forward to a weekend away; looking through family photos