A man with a skin disease came to him begging him, and kneeling he said to him, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I am willing. Be made clean!” Immediately the skin disease left him, and he was made clean. After sternly warning him he sent him away at once, saying to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded as a testimony to them.” 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. Mark 1:40-45
As we move through Mark’s gospel, we discover that word is spreading rapidly about this radical young Rabbi who fulfills the law perfectly in accordance to the will of God. But today Jesus does something no good Rabbi would dare to do. He goes to place where the impure people have been quarantined.
Out of great compassion, Jesus breaks a purity law that God handed down to Moses in order to help this man suffering from leprosy. And in return, the healed man disregards what Jesus asks of him. This is fascinating to me. After all, disobeying God and disregarding Jesus are not the kind of spiritual advice we often give at church. I know what kind of trouble either of those would get me into at home. But then again, I’m not the Son of God. Although we don’t live by ancient Jewish purity laws, that doesn’t mean they should be disobeyed or disregarded. As we learned through the pandemic, such laws - like casting out lepers from the tribe - can be a good thing considering they actually help to keep a virus from spreading. However, unlike when I had COVID, lepers in Jesus’ day weren’t sent to their bedroom to binge watch Ozark on Netflix. Instead, they were sent far away; forced to fend for themselves in the wilderness. No family, no work, no community. Stripped of everything, lepers were condemned to die alone in isolation. Moreover, according to Jewish purity laws, anyone who touched a leper was also considered unclean. They too would be cast out and marginalized. So then why would Jesus disobey God’s law to heal this man? And disregard his own safety to do so? Was he just worn out and needed some time to go away and catch up on rest? After all, he’s been going non-stop healing and teaching, and the like. Or perhaps Jesus was unhappy with how society shamed and demonized people like him. Although this translation said Jesus was moved with compassion (or pity), other ancient versions translate the Greek word σπλαγχνισθεὶς as "anger." Either way, Jesus had compassion for the man and acted accordingly. This should not surprise any of us. God is all about compassion. Which is why Jesus also makes it his number one goal. He places love above any other law or dogma. Which is the lesson I think every Christian should embrace. In taking the risk to heal the leper Jesus showed his disciples how far they must go to follow him. The same is true for us. We must be willing to see everyone with the eyes of a compassionate heart like God does. Sometimes this will require disobeying certain ordinances and disregarding societal norms. As a church and as individuals, we must be willing to make compassion our greatest priority if we are going to proclaim God’s glory. This passage teaches us exactly how to do that. Mark tells us that the leper said to Jesus, “If you choose, you can make me clean.” And Jesus’ response was, “I do choose.” It’s that simple but not. We have to be willing to choose to help, to show compassion and mercy. To give grace and forgiveness when no one else will. Again, following Christ isn’t about obeying a set of rules. It’s about being the visible presence of God’s redeeming love to all people – especially those who have been cast aside. Years ago, Kathleen and I belonged to a church that during the peak of the AIDS epidemic opened their doors to those who were afflicted by this deadly virus. This was at a time when such people were being rejected by their families and thrown out of their churches out of fear that the disease would spread to them. Because the priest at St. Thomas chose love over fear and rejection, hundreds of souls received last rites and did not die alone. Because they chose compassion over condemnation, countless people, like me, who found themselves at the end of their rope, would come to find Christ in the welcoming and loving embrace of others. Because of their willingness to disobey the rules and disregard the norms, this small, dying parish became a bright beacon of hope to those who had none. And they continue to thrive today. Jesus shows us that sometimes we have to step out of our comfort zones and meet people where they are. He teaches us that it’s right to disobey and disregard the rules if those things do more harm than good. As Mark will go on to reveal, Jesus’ mission was to tell the world that the kingdom of God is for everyone – including the sick, the marginalized, and the social lepers of our day. Upon learning that, this man, now healed, couldn’t help but tell everyone the good news…even when Jesus tells him specifically not to. He disregards this command, and as a result sets the foundation for what will become the church. That’s the power of God’s redeeming and restorative love. It’s just too powerful to contain. It has to be shared. The question therefore to us is, will we choose love and compassion over everything else? This was a question Patrolman Matt Lima of the Somerset Massachusetts Police department had to ask of himself when he responded to a shoplifting call. The grocery store wanted to press charges against a mother of four who did noot ring up all the groceries in her cart at the self-checkout line. Officer Lima had all the right to arrest her for this crime. But upon learning that she had lost her job and savings due to her ongoing issues with COVID, he decided to do something different. Instead of putting her in the squad car, he took out his wallet and bought her $250 worth of groceries so her family could eat that week. Choosing to love doesn’t have to be a grand gesture like this one. It could be as simple as visiting a lonely neighbor, or volunteering at a food pantry. Any and every little bit of goodness goes a long way at curing the world of its pain and suffering. Each act of kindness brings heaven a little closer to earth. Henri Nouwen wrote, “Whenever we love our enemy, we exhibit something of the perfect love of God, whose will is to bring all human beings together as children of one Father.” Whenever we forgive someone instead of getting angry at them, whenever we offer hope instead of adding more despair, or welcome someone instead of cold-shouldering them we fill this sacred space we call Anamesa with the visible presence of God’s great glory. Which is exactly what being the church is all about. On Wednesday, we kick off Lent. While it may not be as popular as the Super Bowl or Valentine’s Day, it is the perfect time to practice our call by going out into our communities to shine God’s light to the world. I would invite you to spend the coming days thinking about how you can be the compassionate heart someone might need today. Ask yourself, how can I be the light of Christ, the beacon of hope that shines brightly so others can see God? How can I be the hands that touch a wounded soul? Or offer gentle words that soothe a troubled spirit? How can I be the friend who sits and listens and loves someone simply because I know they too are a beloved child of God? Lent isn’t so much about what you have to sacrifice but what you give as a sacrifice to God’s glory. We know what Jesus was willing to give up. The question to us is simply, “Am I willing to do the same? Am I willing to cross the line to love God, love others, and serve both?” Jesus said, “I do choose.” May his response be ours. Not just on February 14th or the mere forty days of Lent. But every day of every year. And every year after that. Work Cited Bartlett, David L and Barbara Brown Taylor, eds. Feasting on the Word, Year B Vol. 1 (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2008). Logue, Frank. How Far Are You Willing To Go? on February 12 20212 (accessed on February 12, 2021). Metz, Susanna E. His Fame Began To Spread. on February 13, 2000 (accessed on February 10, 2021). Nouwen, Henri. Letters to Marc About Jesus. (New York: HarperOne, 2009)
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Ian MacdonaldAn ex-copywriter turned punk rock pastor and peacemaker who dedicates his life to making the world a better place for all humanity. "that they all might be one" ~John 17:21“Prius vita quam doctrina.”
~ St. Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) * “Life is more important than doctrine.”
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