Loving the Unloved

A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!”

Mark 1:40-41

I saw District 9 at the cinema earlier this week.  It’s a film set in an alien colony in South Africa, which starts out as a humanitarian camp, set up to provide for aliens who had become trapped on earth.  Over the ten years of the camp’s existence, it gradually evolved from something that was meant to benefit the aliens into a slum, a shanty town, in which the aliens were forced to live in absolute squalor.  As the colony expanded, people become more and more hostile to the aliens, which they nicknamed “prawns.”  Having initially been keen to help the extra terrestrials, as a consequence of mistrust and ignorance, people began to despise them and thought that they should either be destroyed or sent back to their own planet.  It amazed me how in just ten years, the whole situation could change; the aliens were initially given a warm welcome and put up in a humanitarian camp, but ten years later they were despised and living in squalor.

Yesterday, we looked at the rule in Leviticus which states that lepers had to live on their own outside the camp.  Just as the original purpose of the District 9 camp had been forgotten over the ten years of its existence, people had forgotten that the Leviticus rule was imposed for very practical reasons.  People in the first century AD were using it as a basis to victimise lepers, people who were suffering from a disease that they didn’t really understand.

Jesus, however, has a different approach to this particular leper.  He reaches out and touches the man, and he is instantly healed.  This action would have shocked many people, not simply because the man was cured, but because Jesus had actually touched someone who they considered to be ‘dirty’.

Jesus came to show the world how to follow God.  Whilst the laws in Leviticus had a specific purpose at a specific time, people had lost track of what they were for.  By the first century, people were using the law of Leviticus to justify the  victimisation of lepers.  Jesus, on the other hand, shows compassion for the man, touches him and heals him.  Whilst society was saying to reject this man, to isolate him and have nothing to do with him, Jesus drew him to himself and showed that he loved him as he loves anyone else.

Do we always have compassion for those around us?  Do we reject people for reasons we can’t really remember?  How would Jesus handle these relationships?  Let’s try today to show love and compassion to all we meet.

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.

Mark 1:35

Sometimes life can get stressful and hectic. I know that only too well; we were a member of staff down in my department last year, and we all had to work extra hard to compensate. When I’m feeling stressed and under pressure, I like to go and think and refocus for a little while, free from the many interruptions of my busy daily life. I have a fantastic little place where I go for peace and quiet known only to me. I’d love to tell you that when I’m in my quiet place I think spiritual thoughts and spend the time in prayer – that’s what you might expect to hear from someone who runs a Christian website. But more often than not, I don’t. Just like many of you, I suspect, I find prayer hard. My mind whirrs away, and, whilst trying to take my worries to the Lord in prayer, those things I should be doing always pop into my mind; have I marked those essays? Have I remembered to pay my credit bill this month? What’s on at the cinema tonight?

In today’s verse, Jesus escapes from the crowds that have been following him for the last few days, desperate for him to heal them or to cast out demons. Jesus wanted to escape for a bit of peace and quiet. And what did he do when he was there? He prayed to God the Father. I think that’s quite a powerful message for us. Jesus was so close to God that he was God, yet he still turned to God the Father in prayer. He still wanted time to speak and listen to his heavenly father.

What a great model for us to follow. When we’re busy, tired and stress, we too should take time out to just be peaceful and pray.

I’ve said I find this difficult myself, so please do not think for one moment I have this sussed. But I’ll do a deal with you – if you try harder to follow this example of Christ, then I will too. Perhaps we can support each other. Let me know in the forums how you get on.

Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.”

Mark 1:38

At the tender age of 30, I already find that I’m becoming quite forgetful.  I’m renowned at school for being absolutely hopeless at remembering names.  I also occasionally suffer from that problem that older people often tell me about – that one where you walk into a room and can’t remember what you went there for.  At home, my study is in the attic room.  Sometimes, when I’m working on my laptop in the sitting room, I’ll think of something I need to get, walk up two flights of stairs, then get into my study and completely forget what I went in there for.  Normally I remember as soon as I get back to the sitting room and have to climb the stairs again!  Still, it’s good exercise, and I certainly need that at the moment!

Jesus didn’t seem to suffer from this problem.  He always knew his purpose for being on earth, and never lost sight of his ministry.  You wouldn’t have found Jesus wandering around first century Palestine wondering what he went there for.  He is quite explicit in this verse – he had come to be amongst his people with the specific purpose of preaching the gospel. He knew exactly what his mission on earth was – to tell people about the good news, that if we believe in him, accept him as our saviour, and repent of our sins, we will have eternal life with God in the new creation.  He was consequently looking out for new places to preach.  He didn’t simply focus his efforts on the big cities, either.  His was an inclusive ministry; he doesn’t neglect the smaller towns and villages because not so many people lived there, but went to share the gospel with these smaller population settlements.  Here, Mark tells us that Jesus wanted to visit the nearby villages so that he could preach there also.  Jesus has already used the language of fishing for people; here it becomes clear that he’s not just concerned with getting a big catch, but for ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to hear him.

Clearly Jesus considered his gospel worth sharing.  Perhaps we should make sure, therefore, that we are listening.  Even more than that, perhaps we too should be concerned with sharing the gospel with everyone we can, even when our catch might be small in number.  Maybe that is our purpose for being here too.

That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. The whole town gathered at the door.

Mark 1:32-33

When I worked in London, I used to sneak out from work occasionally to get myself a coffee from Starbucks.  I worked right in the middle of the City, and the nearest Starbucks was the other side of St. Paul’s Cathedral.  Tourists were a perennial problem for us City workers as we tried to grab our coffee, so I got quite used to fighting my way through crowds.  On one occasion, however, there were substantially more crowds than normal outside St. Paul’s.  Being quite nosey, I tried to see what was going on, and was just in time to see the back of the Queen’s head as she walked into the cathedral.

I’m sure the Queen is used to crowds.  I’m sure that everywhere she goes she is surrounded by large numbers of people.  I guess you get used to it being a Head of State, and a global icon.  She has had quite a long time for her fame to spread around the world, after all!

In today’s verses, Jesus is besieged by crowds of people.  Here we are, still in the first chapter of Mark’s gospel, and Jesus has barely begun his ministry.  Already, however, crowds are gathering.  He’s not rich, he’s not a head of state, he certainly hadn’t had years to get himself known, but already people are coming to see this man Jesus.  Clearly news that he can heal the sick and cast out demons had spread far and wide, and people had enough faith in him to make the journey to see him.  Perhaps some remembered his teaching in the synagogue, where he spoke as one with real authority.  I’m sure that many would still have been talking about his baptism, when the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove came upon him, and God himself announced that Jesus was his son with whom he was pleased.

Whatever the draw was, people flocked to see Jesus.  He had something that they wanted.

In offering us all eternal life, Jesus has given something that we should all want, that we all need.  Are we desperate to catch a glimpse of him?  Do we have the confidence to drop what we’re doing and seek him out?

And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.

Mark 1:21-22

Everyone remembers a good teacher. But everyone remembers a bad one too! When I was at school, I had experience of both. I had a Biology teacher, who I’m sure had been good at his job at some point in the past, but a combination of family problems and loss of vision meant that by the time I had him his lessons were dull, and not particularly stimulating. He knew his stuff, but failed to communicate this to pupils in an interesting way. My History teacher, however, was superb. Not only did she live and breathe her subject, and have a deep fascination with the past, but she was also extremely skilled at making her lessons fun, lively, interesting and memorable to her students. Consequently, I did much better in History than Biology – and subsequently went on to be a History teacher myself!

One of the features of Mark’s gospel I find most interesting is Mark’s emphasis on Jesus’ teaching; he makes it absolutely clear that teaching was at the heart of Jesus’ ministry, and stresses that he was good at it. In these verses we see Jesus teaching in a synagogue, and the people being astonished not just by what he said, but also the way he said it. They were used to the scribes, who like my Biology teacher, almost certainly knew their subject well, but lacked the passion and excitement that would grip their listeners.

The people listening to Jesus are clear why he is such an astonishing teacher; he teaches with authority. Here is someone not just repeating the platitudes of others, but teaching as one whose views are definitive, and against which no-one can argue. This, of course, is because he is the Son of God, and therefore teaches with the wisdom and understanding of God.

The challenge then goes out to you today; will you listen to Jesus teaching as we go through Mark’s Gospel? Will you prepare to be astonished?

21They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. 23Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out,24“What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”

25“Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” 26The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.

27The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him.” 28News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.

29As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. 30Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told Jesus about her. 31So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.

32That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. 33The whole town gathered at the door, 34and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.

Mark 1:21-34

Every so often, someone appears who really surprises you. Maybe it’s a singer, who seems to have the perfect blend of song and voice. Sometimes it’s an actor, who delivers a performance so scintillating, so authentic, that you really believe they are who they are portraying. Just occasionally, I read a book so outstanding that I feel myself drawn into it, living in its pages, and desperately hoping it’s never going to end. Of course, it always does. I always have to return to my real life. Even the singer and the actor sometimes disappoint: the singer releases an album so undeniably bad that you wonder why you ever liked them in the first place (remember Robbie Williams?), or the actor appears in a series of films that are complete turkeys and you begin to forget that once upon a time you thought they were the best thing on the screen.

In this mile of our marathon, we encounter someone who simply amazes everyone around him. He teaches, he heals, he expels demons, and people are amazed by what they see. He is like nothing they have ever seen before. Here is someone who takes everyone around him completely by surprise.

When we meet Jesus at the beginning of this passage, he is right at the very start of his ministry. The first place he decides to visit, after being tempted in the desert, and choosing his disciples, is the synagogue. The synagogue was not quite like a church, in that it was a teaching centre for the Jewish people; worship and sacrifice would have taken place in the temple. A synagogue would not have had a full time, paid teacher, but Jews who lived in the area would “take to the pulpit,” so to speak, if they felt that they had something to share. Usually, these preachers would back up everything they said with scripture – this was the source of their authority. Jesus, however, teaches in a way they have never heard before; he taught with passion and captivated his audience, but what they noticed most of all was that Jesus taught as if he, himself, had authority. We, of course, have the benefit here, because we know how the story ends; we know who Jesus is. For the people in the synagogue, however, Jesus was an unknown quantity. They recognized just how good a teacher he was, and, as Mark tells us, were “astonished” by what they heard. Here, then, is someone who surprised and amazed those who heard him.

The people gathered in the synagogue were not just amazed by Jesus’ teaching, however. Jesus is taunted by an evil spirit who recognises exactly who he is – the Holy One of God. But Jesus has already shown that he has power over Satan in the wilderness, and there is nothing that the devil or his followers can do to stop him as he seeks to spread the Kingdom of God. Jesus manages to subdue the spirit with just his words. People would have been used to bizarre sorcerers claiming to be able to draw out evil spirits, but this would usually be accompanied by strange chanting and rituals. Jesus needs none of that – he simply tells the spirit to be silent, and come out of the man, and it does exactly that. If the people were astonished by Jesus’ teaching, they must really have been quite shocked by this latest development, and many would no doubt have been left pondering who, exactly, this man was.

Many people over the years have considered Jesus to be a great showman, who attracted attention through his strange acts and miracles. Next in our passage, however, we see an example of Jesus not playing to the crowd, but healing Simon’s mother-in-law in the privacy of her own home. The disciples had not spent a great deal of time with Jesus by this point, yet they invited him into their home, and told him of their concerns about this woman. Jesus, showing great compassion, simply took her by the hand and lifted her up, and she was cured. Again, people would have been used to itinerant teachers and healers, but even by those standards Jesus was someone quite special; there was no chanting, no weird potion – he simply touched her, and she was healed. The disciples must have been constantly surprised by the actions of this man – and, indeed, the consequences of his actions.

News clearly spread very fast in first century Palestine. By the evening, news had got out that Jesus had the power to cast out demons and heal the sick, and Mark says that the “whole city” was gathered at the door of Simon and Andrew’s house – not just a few, but huge numbers of people. Jesus, no doubt fairly tired by this point, nevertheless showed great compassion, and healed the sick and cast out demons from many of those who had gathered at the door. Yet again, the demons recognize who Jesus is, but he commands them not to tell anyone; the time would come when Jesus identity would become clear, but at this point he was just beginning his ministry and had much more still to do.

Mark continues his Gospel account in the way he began – at breakneck speed, showing us just some of the amazing things Jesus did. What I find most fascinating in this passage is not so much the fact that Jesus had the power to heal and expel demons, although clearly they are amazing feats, but the way he chose to begin his ministry in a synagogue. His primary concern is to preach the word of God, and to tell God’s people how they should respond to God’s love for them. How important it is, then, that we listen to God’s word and learn from it. If Jesus saw such importance in telling people’s God’s word, perhaps we should make sure that we’re listening.