But he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the word, so that Jesus could no longer go into a town openly, but stayed out in the country; and people came to him from every quarter. When he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door; and he was speaking the word to them. (Mark 1: 45-Mark 2: 2)

As already confessed, I am not entirely comfortable with the ministry of healing. I go so far as to wonder if Jesus may also have found it troublesome.

I perceive wholeness to be a major goal of his ministry. Jesus does not separate the physical and spiritual as I am inclined to do. A physical illness may have a spiritual source. A spiritual achievement may depend on physical strength.

Jesus came to restore humankind to the wholeness of God's original intention. Whatever the impediment - spiritual, emotional, intellectual, or physical - Jesus was ready to reconcile the created to the creator.

But the work of physical reconciliation could sometimes obscure the work of spiritual reconciliation. No doubt it gathered a crowd, but the crowd often seemed more interested in the spectacular than the spiritual.

This is between you and God, he seems to be telling the leper. But the leper cannot be quiet. Nor could I. When the crowd gathers Jesus speaks the word - logos - a deep teaching of fundamental reality, of God's purposes, and God's intent.

But I have the impression that most of the crowd was milling about waiting and watching for the next act of physical healing and ignoring the source of spiritual healing being poured upon them.

Help me, dear God, to move closer to wholeness by whatever path to which you may call me.