Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man …

The gospel lesson for our second midweek Lenten service was Luke 5:12-16. Verses 12-13 (NIV) follow:

¹²While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

¹³Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,”  he said. “Be clean!” And immediately, the leprosy left him.

As I was browsing this reading before service last night, verse 13 came to me with an image of Jesus reaching out to us during our final moments in this life. He says, “I am willing. Be clean!” And then we are – we are clean, we are with Him, we are whole and without pain.

I don’t know why that image was so powerfully clear to me – it’s certainly not the traditional interpretation of this story, but at the same time I saw this image, I thought of a friend who is battling an advanced stage of breast cancer and of another friend who is battling an advanced stage of lung cancer. Perhaps I also saw myself in that image, with Jesus’ hand stretched out to me as he said, “Be clean.” Maybe that was because I have been suffering my own health problems, with intense pain, since mid January, and the idea of Jesus reaching out to soothe me was appealing and comforting. And I know, at my age, that one of my ailments will lead to my last ailment, whatever that is to be.

The traditional interpretation (and, indeed, the literal interpretation) has been comforting to generations of people. Jesus can make you well, we remind each other. Just ask Him.

Being made well as we remain in this life is always appealing. It’s what we want, what we pray for. But as I age, this new image of Jesus making me well as I leave this life and enter the promised eternal life is also comforting to me.

Don’t misunderstand. I love living. I love daily life, the mental and physical explorations, the friendships, the energy, the love – I love so much about life. I wish this life could go on forever. That’s a normal wish. It’s like saying I want this moment to last forever. But as a follower of Christ Jesus, I have comfort 24/7, no matter my situation. 24/7, no matter the season, no matter my pain, no matter my circumstances, Jesus reaches out to me. “I am willing,” He says. “Be clean.” He tells me to be whole, to be well, to be happy, to be comforted. No wonder I love this life so much. Jesus makes me whole no matter where I am.