The man with leprosy, in coming to Jesus for healing was demonstrating three qualities that would do well in any Christian’s life:
Coming close to Jesus demonstrates courage—not only to break society’s barriers but also to approach him intimately
Kneeling before Jesus reveals his desperation and his humility; he was abandoning the law, risking ultimate suffering
Asking of Jesus his HUGE request reveals his faith that Jesus can do for him what he desires; the only barrier is, will Jesus choose to do so
Contrast this leper with Namaan—a decorated war hero and a leper. However, at every turn, he feels insulted by what he is told to do in order to be restored. In fact, everybody in the story has a nose out of joint because of what they are asked to do—all except the servant girl—a child, a slave, a captive from Israel.
The maidservant offers these simple words, “If only my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy” (2 Kings 5:3).
Complete trust that Elisha would cure Namaan, spoken with that great caveat, “If only.”
How often do we find ourselves with the words “if only” on our lips? Today’s scripture from Mark teaches us to make the HUGE ASK of Jesus and not to hide behind the procrastinator’s flimsy cloak of “If only.”
JC Ryle said, “People are not lost because they are too bad to be saved, but because they will not come to Christ so that he may save them” (Life Application Bible Commentary, p 40).
Now, Namaan would think that he should not have to go to a poor, homeless carpenter for the eradication of his disease. He wanted to wash in the clean and mighty rivers of the land, for he was a man worthy of this honor, though he was a leper.
In Jesus’ day, lepers were corpses “haunting the edges of the community [they] could no longer enter” (Preaching Through the Christian Year B). He or she is worthy of nothing. Not only is this painful disease ravaging his body; the misery of being completely ostracized from family, friends, and community relentlessly burns throughout his soul, leaving him bereft of love and relationships …basic human needs.
Had Namaan lived in Jesus’ day, he probably would never have approached the Lord, but for a very different reason. He did not have the “right stuff”: faith, courage, and humility. And he would not have accepted a poor man’s touch.
The scripture says that Jesus was moved with pity by the leper’s request. Jesus had compassion for him. The Lord stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, “I do choose,” he said. “Be made clean” (Mark 1:41).
I find it very difficult most times to ask for what I need; probably most of us do. If fear keeps us from making the BIG ASK of Jesus, our faith needs work. I believe Jesus does choose to touch us with his compassion, yet we are inclined to hold back—not like Namaan but more like Mack, the lead character who is also suffering with great pain at the loss of relationships in The Shack.
“Why do I have so much fear in my life?” Mack asks Jesus, who answers, “Because you don’t believe. You don’t know that we love you. The person who lives by their fears will not find freedom in my love…To the degree that those fears have a place in your life, you neither believe I am good nor know deep in your heart that I love you. You sing about it, you talk about it, but you don’t know it.” And Mack breathed a huge sigh of the soul, “I have so far to go.”
The Lord is compassionate beyond all human understanding. He stretches out his hand by choice. He is the balm in Gilead of which we sing. We have a choice: to live with Christ in beloved community or live outside of him in dis-eased captivity.
What, then, shall we choose? For choice is the only barrier we face. Defy all fear and ridicule; override any doubt and sense of unworthiness and come close to the Lord. Let’s seek to be close enough to him that he can stretch out his hand and touch us.
“Jesus does not minister long distance. His work of forgiving brought him into contact with sinners; his work of lifting put him in places with the fallen; his words of encouragement were given among the hopeless; his healing put him with the diseased; his giving new life took him to the tomb.” (PTTCYB, p 103).
And he was willing to do it all; it was his choice, even unto the point of death on a cross, to die for us, to cure our sin, to save us for God.
The irony of this passage is that while Jesus brought the leper back into beloved community, Jesus was forced to seek out lonely places—the wilderness, the desert. Jesus Christ is willing and able to do for us what we are unwilling or unable to do for ourselves and for our community---this is the chasm of love across which we must extend not only our hands, but our very selves, our whole soul.
If we look to Jesus as a vital example of compassion, we find him embodying love in real, active ways: feeding people, physically and spiritually; touching and healing their bodies, minds and souls; giving them good wine to drink; rubbing mud on their eyes; holding their hands, speaking and listening to them—all these are actions to change people’s physical conditions, personal situations, and relationships with each other and with God.
Yes, we have so far to go; but to not take the journey is to reject the beloved community for which we were created; to refuse to make the HUGE ASK is to leave people in finite misery. Open yourself to the Lord; come and hear what Jesus will choose to do for you and see if you can contain the good news—the great healing you have received—Let the Lord hear your request; and may we both hear these words come back to our ears, spoken from our mouths and from our hearts, “I do choose.”
Share in the Lord’s compassion. Create the beloved and compassionate community. Wade in the muddy waters and be made clean for the work of the gospel must spread throughout the earth.
Unless we who have experienced the gospel speak, then the one who desperately needs the good news may never hear it—and the Lord is not willing that even one of us should perish. Rise up, compassionate community, and let us show ourselves to the people. IF we choose, we can lead them to the one who can—and will—make them clean. Amen.
February 15, 2009
First Parish Federated Church, South Berwick, ME
The Reverend Donna Lee Muise, Pastor
