Wilderness is a powerful image for the people of Israel. Yes, it is a place where water is scarce, and crops do not grow. It is wide and dangerous. It is easy to get lost.
But the wilderness is also a place of flight and freedom.

The season of Advent is one of those times when followers of Jesus have the opportunity to be deeply countercultural. While the society and culture in which we live counts down the shopping days of Christmas, we observe the days of Advent.

In November, you will see many people observe a month of gratitude on social media. Every day, they will share something for which they are thankful. It is often accompanied by a comment and a picture. I do not do it every year, but I have done it in the past.

Gentleness is a virtue that seems to be rarely seen in our world. It might be helpful to wonder why it is so absent.

There is a paradox to gentleness. It is something that we all want. It is something we want to experience from people in their interactions with us. And yet, even while it is something we all want to experience, we don’t see much gentleness in the world.

Gentleness is a spiritual practice that has been ignored, even set aside.  We may speak of others as gentlemen or gentlewomen, but that is mostly about being polite.

What are these men asking for when they ask about eternal life? It is a burning question for both of them.

When someone knows your name, they have an influence over you, a power in your life. If I am standing in a crowd at the mall or at a football game and someone shouts out my name, I turn and look.

With all that is happening in this scene, Jesus’ eyes focus on one man. Who knows why, but Jesus is drawn to this man. He walks up to him, and the man looks up, perhaps hoping for a coin or two. Instead, Jesus looks deep into his face and asks: DO YOU WANT TO BE MADE WELL?

And yet, the question is not, “What do I want for my life?” The question is “What do you want me to do for you?” The question is not one we ask of ourselves. The question is one that we hear another asked of us. It is a question we hear Jesus ask of us.