Luke 5:12-16
While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy; and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and besought him, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.”
And he stretched out his hand, and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him. And he charged him to tell no one; but “go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, for a proof to the people.”
But so much the more the report went abroad concerning him; and great multitudes gathered to hear and to be healed of their infirmities.
But he withdrew to the wilderness and prayed.
Homily:
His will is to make us whole, but first we need to seek Him and ask.
It is impossible to experience blessings and not share the testimony. Sharing follows gratitude.
As His popularity grew from testimonies, He withdrew and prayed more often. One who prays cannot be too far from the ground. Prayer keeps one grounded (aka humble). This is because prayer is premised on the fact that you need another’s input.
For most of us, popularity is the greatest distraction from a connection with God. It actually becomes our god, and we do everything to remain connected to our claim to fame. There is value in finding our own wilderness that we can withdraw to, zone in on our true essence and connect with the compass of our lives, to ensure we are still in the right direction.