#cleanse lepers

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

The Leper’s Prayer (Leviticus 14:1-32; Mark 1:40-45; Luke 5:12-16)

1 And when he had come down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. 2 And behold, a leper came up to [him] and did him homage, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou art able to cleanse me. 3 And he stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, I will; be cleansed. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4 And Jesus says to him, See thou tell no man, but go, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift which Moses ordained, for a testimony to them. — Matthew 8:1-4 | 1890 Darby Bible (DARBY) The Darby Translation of the Holy Bible is in the public domain Cross References: Exodus 4:7; Leviticus 13:49; Leviticus 14:2; Matthew 7:29; Matthew 8:25; Matthew 9:18; Matthew 9:30; Matthew 11:5; Matthew 12:13; Matthew 15:25; Matthew 18:26; Mark 1:44; Luke 4:27

Read full chapter

Healing the Leper

[jfarvin]

Matthew 10:5-15

Jesus sent out the Twelve with these instructions: “Don’t go into any Gentile or Samaritan territory. Go instead and find the lost sheep among the people of Israel. And as you go, preach this message: ‘Heaven’s kingdom realm is accessible, close enough to touch.’ You must continually bring healing to lepers and to those who are sick, and make it your habit to break off the demonic presence from people, and raise the dead back to life. Freely you have received the power of the kingdom, so freely release it to others. You won’t need a lot of money. Travel light, and don’t even pack an extra change of clothes in your backpack. Trust God for everything, because the one who works for him deserves to be provided for. “Whatever village or town you enter, search for an honorable man who will let you into his home until you leave for the next town. Once you enter a house, speak to the family there and say, ‘God’s blessing of peace be upon this house!’ And if those living there welcome you, let your peace come upon the house. But if you are rejected, that blessing of peace will come back upon you. And if anyone doesn’t listen to you and rejects your message, when you leave that house or town, shake the dust off your feet. Mark my words, on the day of judgment the wicked people who lived in the land of Sodom and Gomorrah will have a lesser degree of judgment than the city that rejects you, for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah did not have the opportunity that was given to them!

On Sunday we gather for temple worship and pray for people and the rest of the week we heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, and cast out demons.  Anywhere!  Everywhere!  In Jesus name!!!

ToDa, Abba, Toda

Jesus & jfa

[assmaster-8000]

cain, first... son of man.

-

limbo prophesies of a wanderer of worlds who will save them all from harrowing grief. and what have they, now? the man in chains before the 7 sovereigns is, for certain, a wanderer.

a wanderer in the sense a criminal runs; a wayward child betrays their home; a leper lingers on the outskirts of town.

to save... what a heavy word.

even god will purge you through the fires of hell before you are cleansed, for this is the salvation he pledged to mankind.

to save— could limbo handle such bitter redemption? the 'chosen one' is not always the martyr.

my mc who's gonna romance cécile BECAUSE WHO AM I KIDDING RAGHHHHH CÉCILE!!!!

this man is a convicted criminal btw lel

[artandthebible]

Christ Healing the Blind

Artist: Domenico Fiasella (Italian, 1589-1669)

Date: c. 1615

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota, Florida, United States

"The blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them."

~ Matthew 11:5, ESV

[pharmaciacatholica]

Jesus answered: Amen, amen I say to thee, unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.

John 3:5

For thus the prophet has sworn to us, saying, "Verily I say to you, Unless ye be regenerated by living water into the name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Saint Clement of Rome (AD 99)

And therefore it behoves those to be baptized who come from heresy to the Church, that so they who are prepared, in the lawful, and true, and only baptism of the holy Church, by divine regeneration, for the kingdom of God, may be born of both sacraments, because it is written, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."

Also according to John: "Except a man be born of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. For that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."

Saint Cyprian of Carthage (AD 258)

For since man is compound, and not simple in his nature, being combined of two, to wit, the sensible body and intellectual soul, he will require two-fold healing for his new birth akin to both the fore-named. For by the Spirit is the spirit of man sanctified, by the sanctified water again, his body. For as the water poured into the kettle, being associated with the vigour of fire, receives in itself the impress of its efficacy, so through the inworking of the Spirit the sensible water is trans-elemented to a Divine and ineffable efficacy, and sanctifieth those on whom it comes.

Saint Cyril of Alexandria (AD 444)

For as we are lepers in sin, we are made clean, by means of the sacred water and the invocation of the Lord, from our old transgressions; being spiritually regenerated as new-born babes, even as the Lord has declared: "Except a man be born again through water and the Spirit, he shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."

Saint Irenaeus (AD 202)

How then shall we be able to give account of the unseen generation by Baptism, which is far more exalted than these, or to require arguments for that strange and marvelous Birth? Since even Angels stand by while that Generation takes place, but they could not tell the manner of that marvelous working, they stand by only, not performing anything, but beholding what takes place.

Saint John Chrysostom (AD 407)

For, in the name of God, the Father and Lord of the universe, and of our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Spirit, they then receive the washing with water. For Christ also said, "Except ye be born again, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

Saint Justin Martry (AD 165)

Besides, he had certainly not forgotten what the Lord had so definitively stated: "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God; "

When, however, the prescript is laid down that "without baptism, salvation is attainable by none chiefly on the ground of that declaration of the Lord, who says, "Unless one be born of water, he hath not life"

Tertullian (AD 220)

As if He said, Thou understandest me to speak of a carnal birth; but a man must be born of water and of the Spirit, if he is to enter into the kingdom of God. If to obtain the temporal inheritance of his human father, a man must be born of the womb of his mother; to obtain the eternal inheritance of his heavenly Father, he must be born of the womb of the Church. And since man consists of two parts, body and soul, the mode even of this latter birth is twofold; water the visible part cleansing the body; the Spirit by His invisible cooperation, changing the invisible soul.

Saint Augustine (AD ~400)

[myremnantarmy]

𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝟐𝟒, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 𝐆𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐥

Monday of the Third Week of Lent

Luke 4:24-30

Jesus said to the people in the synagogue at Nazareth:

“Amen, I say to you,

no prophet is accepted in his own native place.

Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel

in the days of Elijah

when the sky was closed for three and a half years

and a severe famine spread over the entire land.

It was to none of these that Elijah was sent,

but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon.

Again, there were many lepers in Israel

during the time of Elisha the prophet;

yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.”

When the people in the synagogue heard this,

they were all filled with fury.

They rose up, drove him out of the town,

and led him to the brow of the hill

on which their town had been built,

to hurl him down headlong.

But he passed through the midst of them and went away.

[from-the-notebooks]

Just dropping this in the Arcane tag for no reason at all

When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. Mathew 8:1-5

[joanofarcs-stigmata]

The Healing Mysteries of the Holy Rosary

A few weeks ago, before the beginning of Lent, I posted a rundown of the "hopeful" mysteries of the most holy rosary that I had found through hopefulmysteries.com I fell in love with the idea of a layperson's spiritual fruit shining out through their own understandings of the mysteries, and since then have been keeping my eyes out and ears perked for any new ones I could find. And new ones I did! This post will be on the 'Healing Mysteries', and I will make and link a second one on the 'Miraculous Mysteries'.

The First Healing Mystery: Jesus Restores the Outcast to Community (Luke 17: 11-17)

On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten men with a skin disease approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” When he saw them, he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus’s feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, “Were not ten made clean? So where are the other nine? Did none of them return to give glory to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.”

If there is one thing we can be certain of, it is Christ's love of the outcast. The Beatitudes make this clear, but we also see it here, in the cleansing of ten lepers. These men did not even approach Jesus, knowing their status well, begging from afar that Christ have mercy. Jesus brought them healing, loving them even when no one else did. Their belief in Jesus brought them cleanliness, but it was the Samaritan's faith and thanksgiving that made him well. Let us be like the Samaritan, proclaiming God's grace, that we may be made well as we are welcomed into the family of the heavenly host, outcasts no more. And let us remember as we live each day to welcome others to us, including the outcast and unwanted, just as our Lord did.

The Second Healing Mystery: The Bleeding Woman is Healed By Her Faith & Courage (Mark 5: 25-34)

Now there was a woman who had been suffering from a flow of blood for twelve years. She had endured much under many physicians and had spent all that she had, and she was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, for she said, “If I but touch his cloak, I will be made well.” Immediately her flow of blood stopped, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my cloak?” And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, ‘Who touched me?’ ” He looked all around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

In one of the most famous healing stories in the Bible, the bleeding woman has lived with pain and hemorrhaging for 12 years. What explicitly caused her disability, we do not know, but we do know one thing for certain: her unwaving faith in Christ. She pursued him through a crowd, pushing and shoving of who knows how many people to reach him. Did she fall? Was she pushed to the ground by the clamoring of others, nearly trampled underfoot? Did her blood stain her hands as she reached for the hem of Jesus' clothes, the heel of his sandal, anything she could reach? Did that same blood transfer to the clothes of her Lord as she finally grabbed hold? When the bleeding woman reached forward, she reached with more than faith-- she reached with courage. How frightened she must have been when she came to see him. How scared she must have been to be pressed in by all sides by the crowd! And yet, she persisted. She pushed forward and grabbed his cloak. Her faith and courage made her well.

The Third Healing Mystery: Jesus Cures What The Disciples Could Not (Matthew 17: 14-20)

When they came to the crowd, a man came to him, knelt before him, and said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he has epilepsy and suffers terribly; he often falls into the fire and often into the water. And I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him.” Jesus answered, “You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him here to me.” And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was cured from that moment. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.

There are many different words used to describe the man's son between translations of Matt 17. Two that you may be most familiar with are a 'demon' and 'epilepsy'. Let's not confuse or conflate the two; serious medical conditions are not demons, and an epileptic child is not in need of an exorcism. Regardless, the point of this passage stands: Christ's disciples could not heal the boy, and Jesus could. "Why?" the disciples ask. "You've sent us out already, given us permission to do good in your name. Why not us?" And God answers: faith. A mustard plant is not a pretty plant. It is not easy to control. A small, unassuming seed explodes outward into a plant that devours the farm land in its path. We are called to be the same as this tiny mustard seed. We must explode out, reaching and grabbing and pulling the good in the world, making it greater, and gifting it to God. When we have faith, we too can heal.

The Fourth Healing Mystery: The Healing of the Unclean Spirit (Mark 1: 21-28)

They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet and come out of him!” And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, “What is this? A new teaching—with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.

It is tempting to focus on the declaring by a demon of Jesus as the Holy One of God on this mystery, but I choose to instead focus on the matter of an unclear spirit. What makes one 'unclean'? That answer is different from person to person, priest to priest, church to church and denomination to denomination. To me, that is an answer that can be given to you only through sitting with and asking God. For me, I ask where have I fallen short. Have I lashed out with anger to a friend? Have I hated someone without a care? Have I turned up my nose to one in need? Have I thought myself above others? Above God? Regardless of what the answers to the questions are, or what you may consider unclean, Jesus stands by us. He came to liberate, both society and ourselves, that we be slaves to hatred, anger, indifference, and pain no more. He heals us, and in doing so, we are called to heal each other.

The Fifth Healing Mystery: Jesus heals the Earth (John 21: 3-14)

Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach, but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.” He said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he had taken it off, and jumped into the sea. But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off. When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them, and though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

We have reached the final mystery! In it, the disciples fish, filled with pain after the state-sactioned murder of their Lord. We live in a word torn asunder. Pain and suffering, war and genocide, fractured communities, and a large divide between those who have and have not fill our beautiful green marble, and we work diligently to kill this planet each day. Yet, the Lord promises us prosperity and healing. He heals the outcast, the courageous, the faithless, and the unclean-- and, in this world so full of suffering, he heals the ground beneath our feet and headlines in our newspapers. Peter, John, and the disciples saw their Lord after death, and he provided for them through a miracle all the sea had to offer. Likewise, he provides for us and our beautiful world. Through Christ, all things are possible, including the healing of this cracking, but never broken, world.

[theeldritchdarling]

All Tomorrows/Killer Folk AU: Random lore and Ideas I have currently thought of: TW/CW - Mentions of suicide, death, and cannibalism. Read at own discretion

The vast majority of Areian cultures don't have writing systems. Areians are naturally farsighted (difficulty seeing things up close) so written writing systems are only useful at a distance. To combat this, many cultures have developed variations of tactile writing systems. Variants of embroidery journals, quipu knots, and wampum beads are common tactile writing methods. Corvids also act as the memory part of the Areian mind. They have better memory, so story-telling, songs, and corvid memory are other methods of writing and record keeping.

The Accurst are actually a diaspora. While most of their culture and cultural identity has been lost, they have been able to survive by intertwining with other Areian groups and hiding their identities as mush as possible. This had the backlash affect of erasing their cultural identity even more. To the point that only a few cultural marks exist, but very few Accurst know what they mean.

Areians beliefs are a mish-mash of pagan, shinto, animism, and jewish/islamic eating beliefs. Areians don't believe in good and evil, they believe in the concept of Health and Sickness. Health = Good and Sickness = Bad. Health is meant to be both physical and mental health as strength. Being able to die in battle, having given their full strength is considered a glorious death. Death by old age isn't frowned upon, but being old and not being right of mind is. Sickness is weakness and being weak of mind means you are risk. Most homes have either a separate Sick House/Sick Room to hide away those who are Sick. Blood is fine, but pus vomit, and other sickness related symptoms are considered bad.

This is where the Conventry comes into play. One of their advertised roles is that they are willing to interact with and help the sick. While Areians do have methods to deal with sickness (tonic, pills, food, etc...) most will just leave the sick alone. The assumption being that if a person succumbs to sickness, they were weak and a hindrance. The Conventry, with their access to ancient knowledge, is able to help these lepers and offer them the aid they were denied. Many clans find the conventry invaluable as a result. Hence, why they can influence the advancement of Areian societies. The fear of the very world becoming Sick is strong. So Areians work diligently to care for and cultivate the natural world around them. Anything that may help them, but would risk making the world sick is forbidden.

Sickness (physical and mental) varies across cultures. Most physical disabilities are still considered something to overcome and so are considered Sickness adjacent. Because the person is willing to overcome their ailments, they are still considered healthy. The same goes for mental illness.

This actually leads into another unique cultural aspect. Suicide is considered socially acceptable. Suicide is considered when a person starts to experience Sickness and doesn't want to die from it. Instead they will take tonics or pills to quickly end their lives. It is considered the honorable option because they are still of sound mind (health) and are capable of making such decisions.

Accurst are assumed to automatically be Sick because of their physical "deformaties". Which is why they are either hunted or indoctrinated by others in an attempt to cleanse sickness.

Ritual cannibalism is also a common funerary right. Throwing a large feast and eating the recently deceased is commonplace across cultures. The belief is that one can gain the the deceased strengths or skills and that their life wasn't a waste.

[wotonofficial]

This is for 18/9/2024, by @nessianweek under #nessianweek2024 prompt: AU

Synopsis: This is an AU where after her transformation from the cauldron, Nesta has emerged as the harbinger of oblivion. The humans rejected her. The Fae tortured her. Her father ruined them. Feyre lived as a reminder. Now, with the meaninglessness of existence behind her, before her lives a world in need of cleansing. Sick, ailing, futile. A dying leper in an uncaring universe.

Yet this ends with her. The final blow to hopelessness.

Cassian has been dispatched to strike a peace treaty with the human kingdoms. For a coalition is in the talks. Yet who must he tame? What will this purgatory yield?

The story:

Sour, sordid stench. Sharp, piercing iron scorched the air.

Cassian held his stance, his nerves rooted, his muscles readied like the weapon by his side. His eyes watered, his nose curled, his grimace contorted. That searing, scalding, atomised atmosphere caressed his being. Not right. Not right. Not right.

His hazel pupils widened, that rich brown hint drained from them.

Nesta. No. Nesta. Nesta. Unmistakable. The chanting grows louder, sounding like a drum in his head. The beating grew worse.

Her eyes met his. Her pupils slit like a cat’s, boiling and burning like molten silver. The blizzards of flames grew worse. Every whiff was a crystal expanding through the lung. Her sclera glowed silver, then pitch black, then silver, each cycle brighter than the last. Her figure stood like a pillar of the gods, unchanging, unmoving, unyielding. For she was their instrument of judgement, she was judgement itself.

The cold, cutting, cruel inferno was but a breeze to Nesta. For though they slashed like a sword, they could not compare to the worrisome winters she weathered.

Damnation.

Damnation.

Damnation.

She was damned. She became damnation. The cauldron welded her. Where was warmth? Where was wealth? Where was the world? These insolent implications pulsed through Nesta, stabbing her being like the bite of an asp. Yet the world’s abasement had fled. As it fled, she claimed her power. She was not the rat who fled from the viper. She was a mongoose that crushed the skull of its adversary, that, unflinching from the serpent’s weapon. Her fist tightened, her fingers jammed right into the soft, slippery sockets of the lord’s face. Her grip alone pulverised his feeble skull, like a leopard sinking its fangs into an ape.

A thousand images, a million words, a billion impulses. Her eyes met the Illyrian. His audacity. Him. Him. His comrade. Feyre. Feyre. Betrayal. Dead. Dead to Nesta. The drums of war surged and pounded her skull. His gaze quivered, if even by the slightest fraction.

False. He was false. For how could so vicious a creature as he delude himself. Why show mercy now? They would never appreciate it. They were fit only to lick the dust of the world. The Fae? But an imitation of the most restrained human. A well-trained animal. She was the one to end this. To silence the clamouring and calumny of fools. No more competition. No more betterment. Silence.

Their gaze locked with each other. Destiny. No hope. Destiny. Final fight. Destiny. Better. Better life.

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

The late S. M. Lockridge wrote this encouragement to trust in Jesus.

No barrier can hinder Him From pouring out His blessing. He’s enduringly strong; He’s entirely sincere; He’s eternally steadfast; He’s immortally graceful; He’s imperially powerful; He’s impartially merciful. He’s the greatest phenomenon that has Ever crossed the horizon of this world. He’s God’s Son. He’s a sinner’s Savior. He’s the centerpiece of civilization. I’m trying to tell you, Church— You can trust Him! He does not have to call for help, And you can’t confuse Him. He doesn’t need you and He doesn’t need me. He stands alone in the solitude of Himself. He’s august and He’s unique. He’s unparalleled; He’s unprecedented; He’s supreme and preeminent. He’s the loftiest idea in literature. He’s the highest personality in philosophy. He’s the supreme problem of higher criticism. He’s the fundamental doctrine of true theology. He’s the cardinal necessity of spiritual religion. He’s the miracle of the age. He’s the superlative of everything good that you can call Him. I’m trying to tell you—you can trust Him! He can satisfy all of our needs And He can do it simultaneously. He supplies strength for the weak. He’s available for the tempted and tried; He sympathizes and He sees. He guards and He guides. He heals the sick. He cleansed the lepers. He forgives sinners. He discharges debtors; He delivers captives. He defends the feeble; He blesses the young. He guards the aged; He rewards the diligent. He beautifies the meek. I’m trying to tell you—you can trust Him! He’s the key to knowledge. He’s the wellspring of wisdom. He’s the doorway of deliverance. He’s the pathway to peace. He’s the roadway to righteousness. He’s the highway to holiness. He’s the gateway to glory. You can trust Him. He’s the Master of the mighty. He’s the Captain of the conquerors. He’s the Head of the heroes. He’s the Leader of legislators. He’s the Overseer of the overcomers. He’s the Governor of Governors. He’s the Prince of princes. He’s the King of kings. He’s the Lord of lords. You can trust Him. His office is manifold. His promise is sure. His life is matchless. His goodness is limitless. His mercy is everlasting. His love never changes. His Word is enough. His grace is sufficient. His reign is righteous. His yoke is easy. His burden is light. I wish I could describe Him to you! He’s indescribable because He’s incomprehensible. He’s irresistible and He’s invincible. You can’t get Him off your hands. You can’t get Him out of your mind. You can’t outlive Him And you can’t live without Him. Pilate couldn’t stand Him When he found out he couldn’t stop Him. Pilate couldn’t find any fault in Him. The witnesses couldn’t get their testimonies to agree. Herod couldn’t kill Him. Death couldn’t handle Him. And thank God, the grave couldn’t hold Him. There was nobody before Him. There will be nobody after Him. He had no predecessor, And He’ll have no successor. You can’t impeach Him, And He’s not going to resign. You can trust Him!

[jesuslivingwater]

Matthew 8:2-3 (NKJV)

And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”

Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

[dear-wormwoods]

Rising from the dead to express a thought I had at the gym the other day while listening to IT again. I don’t know if anyone is still around to read this, and this post will probably be a bit incoherent, but - here it goes:

Okay, so we all know that Eddie feels a ‘rot’ inside him and that’s why he relates to the leper and goes back to Neibolt to put himself in the leper’s shoes before IT shows up.

I’ve written about this a few times over the years, so I don’t need to get too deep into it, but Eddie’s fascination with Neibolt only begins after he finds out that the leper doesn’t actually have leprosy but syphilis, at least according to Richie, and that the STD can be transmitted between men, not just men and women. It’s only then that his experience with the hobo transforms from a scary encounter with sexual overtones to something he identifies with in a way that’s confusing to him. He takes the feeling of ‘badness’ he’s had his whole life (see: church/toilet anecdote and shoplifting sign anecdote) and applies it to something he can actually visualize - physical rot, like he witnessed on the leper. He subconsciously associates the sexual nature of the leper’s disease with his own feelings - the rot is tied to sexuality, which IT used to target Eddie. The reason all this is relevant to THIS post is that Eddie is never able to express his thoughts and feelings in a way that is helpful or healing for him - he spends his entire life subconsciously repressing his sexuality, and thus is never able to rid himself of that ‘rotting from the inside’ feeling.

Which brings me to the scene I want to actually write about: the scene where Bill and Richie talk about Georgie’s death.

Like Eddie, Bill is weighed down by something rotting inside him - his feeling of guilt over Georgie’s death and thinking he’s responsible because he’s the one who made the paper boat. Unlike Eddie, Bill is able to voice his feelings, and voicing them allows him to let them go. He unloads on Richie, and subsequently receives some comfort, albeit not the best comfort because Richie is not very nurturing. Specifically, Bill feels clean after that release, which I’ll come back to in a bit.

On the same page, still on the subject of Georgie, Bill expresses that maybe Georgie didn’t know that Bill never meant for him to die, to which Richie responds:

This idea that death is like a window and everything becomes clear when you die, including knowing what others think and feel, seems like a relatively unimportant line at first glance. It definitely seems like Richie is making shit up - the closest line I could find to what he’s talking about is in Corinthians I, but that verse isn’t about death, it is about love and doesn’t mention any windows, only a mirror. Richie is just talking out of his ass. To be honest, I never paid this quote any mind any other time I’ve read or listened to the book. This time it jumped out to me because —

The concept returns upon Eddie’s death! Now, obviously Eddie’s death is incredibly important and meaningful because it symbolizes self acceptance in his last moments, but I never realized before that the window imagery had come up in the text previously.

As Eddie’s dying, both the ‘clean’ feeling Bill felt and the clarity Richie described come into play. This is the first time in Eddie’s life that he feels the ‘impurities’ leaving him. His death is cleansing him of his rot, allowing him to accept himself in a way he never has before. In addition, he’s able to see through a clear window and bask in the light of it, which, if what Richie said is true, means that he now has a true understanding of what others think and feel about him. This adds another layer to Eddie’s death that I never realized before - he is suddenly aware that the other Losers love and accept him for who he is, because he has that death clarity, and not only does that allow him to let go of his own pain and confusion (the rot), it almost allows him to voice his own feelings.

Richie loves him. The other Losers do too, but Richie is the one talking to him, the one he’s looking at in this moment, the one whose face he touches before he dies. He wants to voice his own love, because now that he’s let go of his self doubt he finally CAN, but dies before he’s able to.

The full Corinthians verse Richie MAY have been referring to before is often read at weddings:

Now, Richie was obviously inventing shit when he was comforting Bill, but there is something to be said for this verse re: Eddie’s death. It was not just about self acceptance, it was about accepting love from others and giving it in return.

After the fight is over, after ‘but he knew well enough’, when the Losers are back outside, this moment occurs:

Love overcomes everything, it’s the only thing that lasts, the thing that allows for full clarity and ‘knowing’.

All this dot connecting is to say that Eddie was going to say ‘you know I love you’, not ‘you know I hate that’.

[awfullybigwardrobe44]

“And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean." And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, "I will; be clean." And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” —Matthew‬ ‭8‬:‭2‬-‭3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

[steveezekiel]

THE WILLINGNESS OF GOD TO HEAL AND DELIVER

"THEN He [Jesus] put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I AM WILLING; BE CLEANSED.” IMMEDIATELY THE LEPROSY LEFT HIM."

Luke 5:13 (NKJV)

Comment: It is always the willingness of God to heal whoever is being hurt—someone having one ailment or the other. The leper said If Jesus is willing, He should help him. Jesus said: "I AM WILLING; BE CLEANSED." God wants to meet whatever may be the need of whoever comes to Him.

Thus, do not hesitate to come to Him and receive help in the time of need: "LET US THEREFORE COME BOLDLY TO THE THRONE OF GRACE, THAT WE MAY OBTAIN MERCY AND FIND GRACE TO HELP IN TIME OF NEED" (Hebrews 4:16 NKJV).

What could make someone hesitant in coming to God to receive help in the time of need are:

a. If sins are found in the life of the person.

b. Another thing could be religion bigotry or dogmatism. Someone who is an adherent of a particular religion might find it demeaning to come to God through Christ Jesus in order to receive healing or having his or her needs met.

I have seen some fanatical members of some religions or cultist groups turning down the offer of prayer even in their distresses.

c. Another thing is pride. There are some unbelievers who are going through one predicament or another but because of their affluence or position in the society, they find it difficult to seek help from God through Jesus Christ, which could be gotten through the believers or ministers of the gospel around them.

And a number of other reasons.

Apart from the reasons mentioned and a number of others, whoever comes to God for help, would not be turned down or away:

11 AS THE SCRIPTURES TELL US, “ANYONE WHO TRUSTS IN HIM WILL NEVER BE DISGRACED.” 12 Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. THEY HAVE THE SAME LORD, WHO GIVES GENEROUSLY TO ALL WHO CALL ON HIM. 13 FOR “EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED" (Romans 10:11-13 NLT).

Thus, It is the willingness of God to heal, deliver or set free whoever is being oppressed by the devil. The only condition is, the person should be willing to come to Him, God (Isaiah 1:19).

I have seen or heard some people saying those evangelists claiming to be healing people, Why can they not go to the streets or where the people with paralysis could be found? But the truth is, God would not be able to work in the life of anyone If the willingness to be healed is not in him or her. Even in Jesus' earthly Ministry, He usually would ask the person whom He wanted to minister to; "DO YOU WANT TO BE MADE WELL OR WHOLE (John 5:2); Or WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO FOR YOU? (Mark 10:51). These were the people He met or saw on the streets; yet, He wanted to know what they actually want. He did not force healing on them. God's miracles are not forced on people, there must be willingness in the heart of whoever would receive any good thing from God. It is only the devil that forces his will on people, God does not do that.

If someone is not willing to be prayed for, God will not be able to do anything in the case of such a person. It is through the willingness and obedience on the part of the ailing or distressed person to come to Him, God, that he or she could receive a blessing or anything good from God (Isaiah 1:19).

Are you willing and ready to receive help from God? If you are, tell Him whatever you want, He will not let you down (Hebrews 4:15,16).

Peace!

[anastpaul]

One Minute Reflection – 18 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – Pentecost XIII –Within the Octave of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin – Galatians 3:16-22; Luke 17:11-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/ “Where are the other nine?” – Luke 17:17 REFLECTION – “In our own day we see many people at prayer but, unfortunately, we see none of them turning back to give thanks to God … “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine?” As I think you will remember, it was in these words that our Saviour complained about the lack of gratitude of the other nine lepers. We read that they knew well how to make “supplications, prayers, petitions” since they lifted up their voices, crying out: “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” But they lacked the fourth thing required by the Apostle Paul: “thanksgiving” (1Tm 2:1) for they did not turn back nor give thanks to God. We see still more in our own day ,people who implore God for what they lack but a mere handful who seem to be grateful for the blessings they have received. There is no harm in imploring Him but what causes God not to grant our prayers, is His finding us lacking in gratitude. After all, perhaps it is even an act of mercy on His part, to hold back from the ungrateful, what they are asking for, so that they may not be judged all the more rigorously, on account of their ingratitude! … For, it is sometimes out of mercy that God holds back His mercy! …

(via One Minute Reflection – 18 August – “Where are the other nine?” – Luke 17:17 – AnaStpaul)