I’m traveling in a few weeks on a 13-day trip to the Holy Land with 30 people from my church, St. George’s Episcopal Church in Nashville, TN. A few people in my group have been before, but it’s my first trip and I’m trying to read up on the places we’ll visit and match the stories from the Bible with the locations.
A few weeks ago I was at a political breakfast gathering and mentioned to a new acquaintance that I was headed to the Holy Land. He’d been before and said that it was the most significant travel he had done in his life. I asked him why: “Because I walked where Jesus walked.”
Pretty simple and pretty profound, but for me it is more than just where Jesus walked, I want to experience the places where Jesus healed.
Our Sunday School Class with Rev. Leigh Spruill is thoroughly examining the Gospel of Mark and today’s lesson was from Chapter 1:21-34, with the recounting of Jesus’ healing in Capernaum.
A man with an unclean spirit approached Jesus when he was teaching in the synagogue. The demon recognized Jesus and called him the Holy One of God. Jesus immediately commanded the spirit to be quiet and come out of the man, and the spirit left the man immediately.
Next Jesus walked with four of his disciples to Peter’s house where Peter’s mother-in-law lay sick with fever. Jesus immediately healed her and, “she began to serve them.” Then the whole city gathered around and He “cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons.”
We’ll be in Capernaum on the 4th day of our journey (November 12) and I want to experience the air and ground there, feeling the anticipation of the crowds who were spiritually, emotionally, and physically broken, but they had hope that just maybe this was the Messiah and He was there to heal them.
Healing and healing prayer have become an important part of my life. I’ve lived a good life, but at my age I’ve also experienced life’s sadness with the loss of close family members, broken marriages, and errant children. My brokenness has included physical concerns and I’ve wandered away from my faith too many times to count.
In His travels, Jesus healed the sick showing both the authority that He had from God and the love God has for human beings. When healed, the person was then called to serve.
I pray that as the people of Capernaum, we will all recognize Jesus as the Messiah, be healed, and then be ready to serve Him to bring glory to God.
Blessings, my friend,
Agatha