Reading: Matthew 14:13-21 (Click to read text)
This is the account of the Feeding of the Five Thousand—a great and marvelous story. When I read it this time, I read something I don’t ever remember seeing before: When Jesus went ashore, He saw a great crowd; and he had compassion on them and cured their sick. And cured their sick. Spoken as a matter of fact. No fanfare, no preparation, no celebration, just “he cured their sick.” Like, that’s what Jesus does. One recent Friday night staff worship this summer included a service of healing and anointing with oil. We were broken in so many ways. Illness, worry, tired, mindful of others’ struggles. We gave our brokenness to Jesus trusting that He can make us whole. Well that weekend one of the staff’s dog was diagnosed with Lyme's Disease. A friend’s cancer returned. Another staff member broke her elbow. Another bruised an elbow. A knee got sprained. Head stuff is going around. It seems that this staff is just plain broken. Some of us laughed and said, “So much for a healing service.” But, we trust in Jesus, that we will experience the wholeness he has for us. And we continue to “Live in God’s Time” with our campers. Jesus does make us well. Even if we continue to have the sniffles or have to wait for bones to knit. Even if our friends continue to be sick. Or when we wait for death to bring wholeness. Or the world seems to experience new brokenness every day. Still we trust Jesus. We trust that he will hold us in our pain. We trust that he will give us what is good for us. We trust that the wholeness he has for us is better than the wholeness we want for ourselves. And he cured their sick. --Jim Bricker, Chaplain to Camp Mount Luther’s Summer Staff
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