Mon., Dec. 7: Isa 35:1-10; Luke 5:17-26

We have seen incredible things today. Sometimes it’s helpful to imagine oneself as different characters in a Gospel story. In the healing of the paralyzed man we might be Jesus the healer, the afflicted man himself, his resourceful friends who let him down through the roof, the homeowner who is anxious about folks tearing up the roof, the person in the crowd who is finally about to have a long-awaited audience with Jesus when these guys butt in line, the religious leaders who wonder at this itinerant rabbi’s power and audacity. Try telling the story from each character’s point of view and see what lessons emerge.

*Jesus, healer and teacher, show us your way that we may be your presence in the world.