Healing Choices

Healing Choices
Epiphany 6; 2 Kings 5:1-14; Mark 1:40-45
If a slave girl had not shared
faith in godly power to heal,
if some servants had not cared,
spoken out with frank appeal,
would his body be restored,
soul washed clean of futile pride?
Naaman's servants saved their lord,
braved his wrath, set fear aside.

Banned from contact, yet he came
close to Jesus, begged and knelt,
knew he need not cringe in shame,
saw compassion deeply felt.
"If you choose, you'll make me clean."
Jesus touched him and then said,
"I do choose, so be made clean."
Maybe cleansing tears were shed.

Hear this! Healing power is shared:
distant prophet for proud lord,
risky touch to leper dared -
choice for both sees life restored.
Servants made the choice to speak,
Jesus let the man come near,
strong man bathed though seeming weak,
let his self-pride disappear.
  Barbara Messner 8/02/2024