Will it?

Today's Scripture

I've always loved the exchange between the leper in today's Gospel and Jesus. First the leper recognizes and calls upon Jesus' amazing abilities - 'Lord if you wish, you can make me clean.' I think most of us rightly read this as 'if you desire to'. Jesus wasn't really in the business of wishing for things, but it's also more than a desire.

The classic definition of love is this: to will the good of the other. How is this different than 'desiring' the good of the other? It puts the desire to action. The will activates the body and mind to carry out the decisions that are made within the will. When we will the good of the other, when we love them, we activate our body and mind to make it happen.

Jesus' response to the leper is this: "I do will it." In John 6:38, Jesus says: “I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me." So when He says HE wills it, He means the Father wills it. What do they will? That the leper be clean! While this does mean his healing, it also means clean from sin - this is the greatest good that the Father can will for Him.

When we turn this to ourselves, we have to wonder, what is that we would want God to do for us, if He really loves us and wills our good? Would we want to be made clean? Or is there another good? Is there a greater good for us? All of the greatest goods that we can desire are related to our eternal life, because it is, well, everlasting. These 'goods' will go on forever so they must be better than anything that will be temporary in this life.

Consider today what might be the greatest good and ask yourself: do you love yourself enough to will it, and to ask for it?