And said to him “See that you do not say anything to anybody, but go show yourself to the priest and make the offerings that Moses directed on account of your cleansing, for an attestation to them.” Mark 1:44 (Byington)
One may wonder why Jesus sent the healed leper back to the church authorities. He had just been with Jesus and had been cleansed from his ailments. Why did he need to go back to an archaic ritual-based system and follow the old routine and pay them a fine?
The natural sensation after an encounter with the Lord might not include running back into the formal and external rituals. Perhaps the reveling worshipper would prefer to stay in his or her secret place alone with their Savior. It is difficult sometimes to lift ourselves from our knees and think again of all the systematic ways of worship when we have come face to face with our God and spent special moments with Him. Yet this is what the Lord asked of this man.
Jesus is forever thinking of the ones left outside of His fold. As overjoyed as He is in the healing of another of His lambs, He can´t forget that there are other´s out there too who could be celebrating with us.
The seeker of the Lord may be very involved within a church body. His testimony is a powerful tool in the healing of others and what one has shared with Jesus can be offered unto those whom that person comes in contact with. We are not pushing cold rituals but we are offering actual encounters and true relationship with Jesus. This is the most precious commodity and well worth sharing.
Perhaps the blessed servant of the Lord does not belong to an organized religion or house of worship. Maybe this person has been edged out of the religious organization through whatever devious work of the Devil. This does not mean that we should hold the church to blame. This did not mean for the leper, that he shouldn´t go back into the temple and pay the Jews what they asked for his ritual cleaning.
Jesus did not send the man off into an organization which obviously wasn´t the final determining factor in finding salvation. Jesus did send him there to witness.
Therefore we shouldn´t give up hope if we find ourselves faced between two worlds of thought. If we see a true relationship with Jesus in personal experience, set against the formal and traditional systems of worship, we should not grab our swords and prepare to fight. Maybe we are placed in situations like these by our Lord for the purpose of sharing a better light. Perhaps our testimony that Jesus is here and that each and every believer can come to Him and can know Him in a very real sense, still needs to be demonstrated to others who are caught in a trap of their religion.
Dear Jesus, send us. As you wash away our impurities and restore us to health in You, send us each out to share our testimony to those left behind. Let us share how wonderful it is to meet You and to spend time with You. Even if it means going to people who already have their religion all wrapped up in a neat package, let us go to them. Give us hope that there are some who will listen and will want to come to You personally for healing.
Amen
Searching For Christ 
Leave a comment