Who’s the Leper?

If you have read this site at all in the past couple of months, you’ve noticed that I have often linked over to Jon at one of his many, many, sites. Not only do I find his writing to be entertaining (hysterical) and thought provoking, but I also have been moved to tears by the honesty and power of his mini-messages. I feel God getting to me through Jon, and that I think would be the highest compliment I could ever hope to receive as a writer.

Jon is in the process of writing a book that investigates the parable of the Prodigal Son. He refers to this story often in his writings. He identifies with the messages of that story in powerful ways and feels compelled to share. Every time he does that, I understand the story a little more, so I am glad he’s attached to it so powerfully.

But we all sort of do that, don’t we? Identify with the people we read about in scriptures? We see ourselves in the their behaviors and reactions. I’ve been the woman at the well. I’ve been the widow with barely a drop of oil left. I’ve Jonah-ed. I’ve Peter-ed more than I ever care to admit. On very rare occasions I’ve been the boy with a few loaves and a fish. Or you may have seen me scampering up a tree just to get a glimpse.

I’ve never really thought that I would identify with one character so much more strongly than others, the way Jon does.

Until I read about a certain leper. Until I was led to dig deep into his encounter with Christ.

In the coming days, I’m going to share what God laid on my heart when I was led to participate in Celebrate the Call. Only, I’m going to do it without the nervous jitters and the ridiculously dry mouth. And I’m going to take my time. I’ll need WAY longer than 30 minutes, ya know?

You will get Greeked, I warn you. But that’s OK, because it’s in the Greek that I discovered the power of this encounter. It’s in the Greek that I realized how much of a leper I still really AM (never mind how eaten up by it I USED TO BE)!

My prayer is that you will encounter Him with me. Again, or for the first time, it doesn’t matter. Let’s just let God wow us with His Word. Ok?