JESUS AS THERAPIST

INTRODUCTION

Sometimes people are looking for a therapist.

Someone is depressed – or they feel their life has gone blank for them. They are looking for meaning - so they want someone to turn to - for help – for healing – for a cure – for meaning.

JESUS AS THERAPIST

The title of my homily for this Saturday after Ash Wednesday  is, “Jesus as Therapist.”

The word “therapy” comes from a Latin word, “therapia” and the Greek word, which is identical -  but with a tiny spelling difference: “therapeia” -  meaning the remedy, the treatment, the method of curing someone.

I’m grabbing the word, “therapeia,” for my title. I want to point out that the Greek has several other words for healing in the New Testament – and you know that the New Testament’s original language was Greek.  It has “IAOMAI”– meaning “made whole,” or “healed”. That word is  used more than “THERAPEIA”. It also has “SOZO” meaning “saved” or “healed”. “SOZO” is a very familiar New Testament word.

Those of us who come to Daily Mass and hear the gospels over and over again, we know everyone wants Jesus over and over again – for what?  To be healed – to be cured.

People are always trying to find out where Jesus is. They want to catch him – in the desert – on the road – on a mountain – in a garden – back behind a house – on the other side of the lake.

And what do they want him for?  It’s healing?

So, the title of my homily is, “Jesus as Therapist.”

DS FS Q

Jesus’  Number 1 method of healing consists of an action step. “Do something for the good of another.”

His Number 1 method was to do something for the other quickly.   And he would touch people and they would be healed.

They would say, “Jesus just touch me!” “If I could only touch the hem of  his garment.”

His prescription was simple and direct.  It was a simple prescription: “DSFSQ”. 

And he might add, “30 or 90 doses of DS  FS   Q.”

Which stands for: “Do Something for Someone, Quickly.”

I love those scenes in the gospels where someone who has been healed – then wants to follow Jesus – but he says, “Go back home to your family and be there for them.”

DOCTOR  PATCH  ADAMS

A lady once told me that her  oldest son had dropped out of college and was floundering.  Someone told her to attend a talk in New Orleans given by Doctor Patch Adams.

So, she  went to hear him speak. You might have seen the movie about him: Patch Adams.

Doctor Patch Adams was a depressive at time.  He was suicidal there for a while.

But he got an idea or how to help people around the world. He had a dream to build a 40-bed hospital  - so he went around the world giving his talk – his lecture – sometimes 10 a day – on the road 300 days a year – speaking everywhere – Russia, Cuba, Bosnia, Afghanistan.  He preached humor, wholistic approaches, visiting the sick, doing for others.

He was considered a kook by many.

Well, this lady said she went to hear Patch – who said the following. “If you have a young adult who is lost, floundering, milking you, get him to volunteer with the local rescue squad.”

Well this lady went home and looked up “Local Rescue Squad”, checked it out – and then got her son to try it.  Surprise he loved it. Surprise he was good at it. Surprise he’s becoming a male nurse – with the idea of maybe becoming a PA – a Physician’s assistant and loves it.

THIS IDEA

When I read the first reading for today, there was the same idea.

Isaiah say “If you remove from your midst - oppression, false accusation and malicious speech;  if you bestow your bread on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted; then light shall rise for you in the darkness and the gloom shall become for you like midday.

Isaiah says if you do for others, your strength will be renewed. You’ll be like a watered garden.  You’ll be like a spring that never fails.  The ancient ruins will be restored.  You’ll be called “Restorer of ruined homesteads..

Read Isaiah’s first reading for today again and you’ll find a there is a lot more in the text.

CONCLUSION

Too many people are like the folks in today’s gospel. They spend their lives complaining about others who are taxing them – instead of being like Levi – who dropped everything and followed     Jesus.