“Jesus came down the mountain with the cheers of the crowd still ringing in his ears. Then a leper appeared and went to his knees before Jesus, praying, ‘Master if you want to, you can heal my body.'” Matthew 8, Msg

“Jesus reached out and touched him, saying, ‘I want to. Be clean.’ Then and there, all signs of the leprosy were gone. Jesus said, ‘Don’t talk about this all over town. Just quietly present your healed body to the priest, along with the appropriate expressions of thanks to God. Your cleansed and grateful life, not your words, will bear witness to what I have done.'” Matthew 8, Msg

BEFORE AND AFTER…
This man had a before leprosy life and an after leprosy life. What should we live today? Our life before being saved by the blood of Jesus Christ or live this new life, without looking back, now overflowing with His Holy Spirit, living expectantly, abundantly, full of love for God and others, grateful to be a light! I wonder if Jesus was telling the man to not dwell on the act of the healing, or spend your life “testifying” about the healing, but to MOVE ON to a new life full of the light of God in him. Mm.

People will be drawn to Light of God in us, living free and open through us…without words but behavior. I am discovering (finally) that people respond to my “after” grateful living than my words of what He has done for me. Why? Because sometimes we humans are jealous or at least put off by people expressing repeatedly “what God has done for me” over just living out the gratitude in our daily walk. By dwelling on the “what God has done for me” we (unintentionally most times) come off as proud and worse yet, above others who feel “not as blessed.” Mm.

One of my favorite quotes comes to mind…”Witness for Christ each day, and if necessary use words.” (Conspiracy of Kindness : A Refreshing New Approach to Sharing the Love of Jesus With Others (1993) by Steve Sjogren, p. 120)

Jesus, was this what you were thinking when you told the healed man to focus on living a grateful life?

Dear Heavenly Father, You are God, the living God of Creation, and we are not. Thank you for teaching us, convicting us, challenging and affirming us with Your Word. Our humble hearts repent and seek to go deeper into our relationship with You. Help us to think beyond what You do for us to living a more grateful life. When necessary give us the words that will be helpful to someone else walking alongside us in the journey. In Jesus Name, Amen