Today’s appointed Gospel reading is taken from the eighth chapter of Luke:
Soon afterwards he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their resources.
When a great crowd gathered and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable: ‘A sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell on the path and was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. Some fell on the rock; and as it grew up, it withered for lack of moisture. Some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it. Some fell into good soil, and when it grew, it produced a hundredfold.’ As he said this, he called out, ‘Let anyone with ears to hear listen!’
Then his disciples asked him what this parable meant. He said, ‘To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God; but to others I speak in parables, so that “looking they may not perceive, and listening they may not understand.”
‘Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. The ones on the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. The ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe only for a while and in a time of testing fall away. As for what fell among the thorns, these are the ones who hear; but as they go on their way, they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. But as for that in the good soil, these are the ones who, when they hear the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patient endurance. (Lk. 8: 1-15).
There are no coincidences with God. Recently, I have spent some time thinking and reading about healing prayer. The more I think and read, the more questions arise. What is it all about? Why don’t we see more healing? What if someone we love is not healed? What does it say about our faith if someone is not? Questions, questions and more questions. It has been so much on my mind, that right before I began this daily reflection, I was just talking about it with someone who is very close to me.
Then I looked at the readings for today's Daily Office and there it was again: “he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others…” There is Jesus healing again, and my questions come back again. What is God up to?
The passage regarding healing is followed immediately by the Parable of the Sower. Here God speaks in response to my questions, and God says: “hear the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patient endurance.”
The idea of God’s healing through healing prayer has challenged me recently raising questions. Perhaps you feel the same way from time to time.
In today's Gospel reading, God is telling us that we are on a journey, with questions and all, which requires patient endurance. We cannot receive the words joyfully only to lose heart or become discouraged. We cannot be distracted by skepticism. We must, with God’s grace, keep on the journey being honest with ourselves and others, walk with patient endurance holding fast onto God's word. Be open to God's healing power as radical as it might be.
Let us pray: Loving God and Father, give us open hearts and minds to Jesus Christ’s healing work in the world through the Holy Spirit.
Your servant in Christ,
Fr. Chester J. Makowski+
Sr. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550
Soon afterwards he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their resources.
When a great crowd gathered and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable: ‘A sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell on the path and was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. Some fell on the rock; and as it grew up, it withered for lack of moisture. Some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it. Some fell into good soil, and when it grew, it produced a hundredfold.’ As he said this, he called out, ‘Let anyone with ears to hear listen!’
Then his disciples asked him what this parable meant. He said, ‘To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God; but to others I speak in parables, so that “looking they may not perceive, and listening they may not understand.”
‘Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. The ones on the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. The ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe only for a while and in a time of testing fall away. As for what fell among the thorns, these are the ones who hear; but as they go on their way, they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. But as for that in the good soil, these are the ones who, when they hear the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patient endurance. (Lk. 8: 1-15).
There are no coincidences with God. Recently, I have spent some time thinking and reading about healing prayer. The more I think and read, the more questions arise. What is it all about? Why don’t we see more healing? What if someone we love is not healed? What does it say about our faith if someone is not? Questions, questions and more questions. It has been so much on my mind, that right before I began this daily reflection, I was just talking about it with someone who is very close to me.
Then I looked at the readings for today's Daily Office and there it was again: “he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others…” There is Jesus healing again, and my questions come back again. What is God up to?
The passage regarding healing is followed immediately by the Parable of the Sower. Here God speaks in response to my questions, and God says: “hear the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patient endurance.”
The idea of God’s healing through healing prayer has challenged me recently raising questions. Perhaps you feel the same way from time to time.
In today's Gospel reading, God is telling us that we are on a journey, with questions and all, which requires patient endurance. We cannot receive the words joyfully only to lose heart or become discouraged. We cannot be distracted by skepticism. We must, with God’s grace, keep on the journey being honest with ourselves and others, walk with patient endurance holding fast onto God's word. Be open to God's healing power as radical as it might be.
Let us pray: Loving God and Father, give us open hearts and minds to Jesus Christ’s healing work in the world through the Holy Spirit.
Your servant in Christ,
Fr. Chester J. Makowski+
Sr. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550
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