Epiphany VI Mark 1:40-45. "If you choose, you can make me whole."

Rational understanding knows there is a difference between being in or out of the Presence. Spiritual understanding knows how it feels to be in or out of the Presence.

The Scripture is about a leper who comes to Jesus saying you can make me clean, if you want to.  Jesus' response was I want to, be clean. The leper is healed.

Rational understanding sees God either as a God of Power or a God of Love. "You can if you will", may mean Jesus has the power, if He is willing to do it. We believe in the Power of the Almighty God. This is not just a Superman's power. It is Almighty Power. God can heal any and every one of us, if He wills. So why doesn't He heal us all?  If He is so powerful of a God and will not heal, then He is a powerful God who is unloving; a loveless power.

We have got to reject this concept.  This is a God of Love: "God so Loved the world". He wants to.  If He is a loving God, then He does not have the power to do it. He is a powerless, Loving God.  "He would", if He could.

What is the Answer?  Spiritual understanding hears the leper saying "you can if you will." Jesus replies "I will." Then there are further silent words of Jesus "I will, will you?"  Spiritually, that is what He is saying to all of us.  "I want to heal you, but are you willing to come into my Presence to be empowered?"

Our God is not a loveless power, nor a powerless love.  Our God is the Power that is in Love. God loves us too much to leave us where we are.

Rational understanding depends on how we see what happens to us in our life. We are subject to be a victim of past injuries and future worries. The story of the ten lepers is an example. They all were healed, yet only one returned to be in the Presence of Jesus. The other nine were healed but stayed in the same previously, spiritually poor, powerless condition.

Whether or not we are healed is not the issue. The issue is to not become a victim of the sickness. We can choose, through spiritual understanding, to become victorious over the illness by being in His Presence.  Jesus' words are to "take no heed for what you shall wear or put on.  Seek first the Kingdom and all these things shall be added to you." Luke 12:31

The Kingdom of God is within us. Luke 17:21

He will, will we?