Yesterday was crazy, huh? We live in difficult times with division and violence. We can feel helpless, adrift in a world out of control sometimes. What can we possibly do here in our hometown to influence what’s happening “out there”? To change the world. To bring unity and peace. 

I sometimes think that today is unlike anything we’ve ever encountered before. It’s never been this bad, right? But then I wonder if that’s true. This world has seen civil wars, world wars, famine, dark ages… our history is fraught with division, challenge and misery. Today, unfortunately, is not unique. Which, in a strange way, gives me hope because humanity has gotten through times like this, and we will again.

Prior generations got through, they had a formula. In times like this I think we need to go back to basics like they did. Find a constant amidst the scary “out there.” A way to protect our families and to seek help from a Savior who, over the centuries, has seen it all before. A formula for prayers answered.

Which brings me to today’s Gospel. Israel was, at that time, living as an occupied land. There was tension with Rome, hatred, and distrust. And here is our Savior preaching a new message, a message of hope. A message of going back to the basics. A path to prayers answered. We may not have the power to change the world, but we can return to the basics and find the power to save us. When I want to get back to basics, I find myself thinking about what my parents and grandparents did.

They always had these sayings that pointed to important life lessons like ‘don’t put the cart before the horse’. Follow the recipe. Or get the order right. Something we all try to remember, because when we don’t, we have to back up and start over. 

Well, when I read this Gospel, I saw some similarities to the messages we hear from Jesus and John the Baptist throughout scripture about getting the order right. Let’s take a look.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus sends the disciples out two by two on a mission to bring Jesus’s message and healing to a broken world. He famously told them to bring nothing with them, and if rejected, to “shake the dust off your feet” and move on to the next village. But what really caught my attention were the last two verses. It says, “So they went off and preached repentance. The twelve drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.” 

Repentance, driving out demons, healing. What lit the bulb for me was the linkage between and the order in which they accomplished this. You see, the disciples did drive out demons and they did cure many people, but it is linked to and came after repentance. In fact, it started with repentance. It says they “preached repentance” and people who were healed accepted that they needed to repent. By repenting for their actions or inaction, their words and deeds, they demonstrated faith. And by demonstrating and practicing their faith in God and faith that he can heal them, they were in fact healed. 

How many times in scripture do we hear John the Baptist say, “Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand”. Similarly, we hear Jesus consistently say, “Your faith has saved you” after curing someone. Repent. Faith. Cure. There is an order here to pay attention to.

When we pray for a healing, when we pray for our needs, do we take that first step in our faith life and actually repent? Do we first ask God what needs to change in our lives? The starting place should be repenting for wrongs and asking forgiveness. Like in our own lives, saying I’m sorry, and meaning it, is powerful. 

By talking to and confessing to God about our wrongs, we live out our faith. And by living out our faith, we strengthen it and build our relationship with Jesus Christ. Saint Paul reflected on the importance of faith, on admitting our weakness, to bring to perfection the power of God to heal. God told Paul: “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” When Paul surrendered to God and placed his total faith in Him, God’s power was made manifest in his life.

When our faith is strong, our faith can save us. Our faith can power our prayers. Our faith can heal us. Just look at…

The women with the hemorrhage.

The Centurion with the sick servant.

The blind beggar.

The women at the well.

Repent and faith brings healing and hope. The proper order matters.

We may not be able to change the world, but we can change our relationship with our Savior to get to what really matters. To focus on how we live our lives and how we create hope for us individually and for our families. That’s what we can control.