Walking With God, Not Carrying God

 Readings 011526 

(Today was the Liturgy of the Word at OLF Elementary School, so here is the message I shared with the children)

Good morning, Falcons.

I want to start with a question you already know deep in your bones.

Who loves you?
Jesus loves me.

Let’s make sure the whole school hears it.

Who loves you?
Jesus loves me.

Beautiful.

Now I have a question for you.

What do you have in your pockets today?
Maybe a pencil.
Maybe some paper.
Maybe a piece of candy.
And if you’re really lucky… maybe a little money.

But let me ask you this:

Does anyone have God in their pocket?

Some people act like they do.
Instead of seeing God as a good Father…
instead of seeing Jesus as a friend…
They treat God like something they can control.
Something they can pull out only when they need help.

But that’s not who God is.

Today’s readings show us two very different ways people come to God.
One way doesn’t work.
And one way opens the heart wide.

First story:
God’s people are in a big battle.
And they’re losing.
They’re scared.
They’re confused.

And instead of talking to God…
instead of praying…
instead of asking for help…
they say, “Let’s go get the Ark of the Covenant! If we bring that into battle, we’ll win!”

They treat God like a lucky charm.
Like a magic object that guarantees success.

But that’s not how God works.
God isn’t a thing we carry.
God is Someone we trust.

And because they didn’t turn their hearts back to God…
because they just grabbed the Ark and hoped for the best…
things didn’t go well.

They forgot the most important part:
relationship.

Now look at the Gospel.

A man with leprosy—someone sick, lonely, and pushed away—comes to Jesus.
He doesn’t bring an object.
He doesn’t try a trick.
He doesn’t demand anything.

He kneels down and says,
“If you want to, you can make me clean.”

That’s trust.
That’s honesty.
That’s a heart wide open.

And Jesus does something amazing.
He doesn’t just heal the man.
He touches him—someone no one else would even go near.

Jesus shows us that God’s love is not magic.
It’s personal.
It’s close.
It’s full of mercy.

So what does this mean for us?

It means that when we’re scared…
or worried…
or confused…
when we feel like we’re losing our own little battles…

We don’t need a lucky charm.
We don’t need the “right object” or the “right trick.”

We just come to God the way the man did—
with a simple, honest heart.

“Lord, I need you.”
“Lord, help me.”
“Lord, be with me.”

And God always hears that prayer.

So today, remember this:

God doesn’t want to be carried around like an object.
God wants to walk with you as a friend.
And when you open your heart, God brings healing, courage, and hope.

That’s why we can always answer with confidence:

Who loves you?
Jesus loves me.

Prayer

Lord Jesus,
You are not a lucky charm we carry.
You are our friend who walks with us.
When we are scared or worried,
open our hearts to trust you.
Help us say, “Lord, I need you,”
and know you always hear us.
Thank you for your love
that is close, kind, and strong.
Amen.