Sermon by Michael R. Martin
First United Methodist Church of Saranac Lake, NY
Mark 1:40-45 (NKJV)We continue with the Gospel of Mark. It's not often that the Lectionary year focuses on Mark's gospel so I'm taking this opportunity. It is believed that Mark's was the first of the gospels to be written and Mark is no nonsense and action-oriented in his approach. Rather than writing to reach the Jews -- covering Jesus' geneology or predictions of his coming in any great length, Mark writes for the common person to simply prove Jesus is the Messiah. Mark records more of Jesus' miracles than sermons. Jesus is clearly a man of power and action, not just words. Jesus did miracles to convince the people who he was and to teach the disciples his true identity as God.
40 Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean." 41 Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed." 42 As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed. 43 And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, 44 and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them." 45 However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction."
Omitting the birth of Jesus, Mark begins with John the Baptist's preaching. Mark moves quickly: Jesus is baptized and tempted in the desert, he calls is first disciples, he drives an evil spirit out of one who is possessed, heals many, and retreats to pray in solitude. Jesus travels throughout Galilee, preaching in the synagogues and driving out demons -- all this and we are still in Chapter 1.
The Gospel according to Mark begins with these words:
Mark 1:2-4 (NIV)Remember these words from Mark 1:8? “I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."
2 It is written in Isaiah the prophet: "I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way"-- 3 "a voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'" 4 And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
In Jesus' day, leprosy was an awful, incurable disease. Actually, a wide variety of skin diseases were called leprosy. Leprosy itself was a disease characterized by degeneration of nerves and tissue, accompanied with disfiguring comtractions and skin lesions, often with the resultant loss of extremities. Lepers were removed from society and there were strict laws prescribing their life of isolation and how they were to proceed to reenter society should their leprosy go into remission. The Old Testament Leviticus devotes two whole chapters to these laws (Leviticus 13-14) and its worthwhile reading to get some comprehension of the background to today's story.
I see this tale as a bit of a turning point in Jesus' minitstry. Prior to this moment, Jesus was freely preaching in the cities and synagogues, but after this, his act of touching a leper had made him unclean by the Law, unwelcome in the city, and his ministry moved to the hillsides and outskirts of towns and cities.
Imagine the man’s hunger for healing, the faith in Jesus, that he should break all rules of cleanliness and society. It reminds me of the later miracle when Jesus heals the bleeding woman who cries out if she could just touch the hem of Jesus’ garment. I wonder from where does the leper’s faith come? By this time, word of Jesus must have been spreading like wildfire, like crazy rumors. A man, calls himself a prophet, healing with a touch. And so, the leper came. You often hear the verse about how Jesus cares for the sparrows of the field, how much more he must care for us. Personally, I see the stories of the leper and the woman as more indicative of Jesus' love and compassion. Frankly, I think the sparrows can pretty much fend for themselves. But if Jesus could care and heal ones so troubled, so unclean, simply because of their faith, would he not do the same for you? Can you be less deserving?
Michael R. Martin – February 12, 2006
First UMC of Saranac Lake, 8:30AM
portions from Life Application Bible Notes
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