I remember a classic Andy Griffith episode when Andy was invited to multiple dinners in the same night, and being the gracious friend he is, he could not say no. All three hosts served spaghetti, and every one used their "secret ingredient", oregano. Needless to say Andy did not enjoy his third spaghetti dinner nearly as much as his first.
We too are invited to plenty of dinners…
Simon, the pharisee, disrespects Jesus in every possible way. No formal sign of welcome, no customary foot washing available, no anointing. He doesn't simply forget about such ceremonial practices. Surely he would not forget for any other honored guest. Rather he is demonstrating that in his eyes, Jesus is not an "honored" guest.
This sinful woman, on the other hand, goes over and above to honor Jesus far beyond what ceremony and tradition would expect…
Good News - Part 6
Sunday, February 11, 2024
Mark 2:1-12
So many gathered that there was no longer space, not even near the door. Jesus was speaking the word to them. Some people arrived, and four of them were bringing to him a man who was paralyzed. They couldn’t carry him through the crowd, so they tore off part of the roof above where Jesus was. When they had made an opening, they lowered the mat on which the paralyzed man was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Child, your sins are forgiven!”
Mark 2:2-5 (CEB)
Listen to this Week’s Sermon here:
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This may be one of my favorite scenes in the gospels partly because it is so absurd, but even more because it shows how far people will go when something matters enough to them. In this case, what mattered most for these four individuals, was their paralyzed friend.
Most of us are probably good friends. We care for those we love in times of need. We will visit them in the hospital and call to check in if someone is alone. I’m guessing these four also were good friends to the paralyzed man. They probably made sure he could get where he needed to go and helped him with food and other basic needs. Without friends like that, someone in his condition would not have lived very long. It is truly a humbling experience to depend on someone that much just to survive.
At a previous church I regularly visited a man, who at age 18, became a quadriplegic after a tragic diving accident in a pond. He spent 38 years in a hospital bed at home, unable to move except for his head. I was privileged to preside over his funeral in 2015. He was strong and always did what he could to help others primarily on the phone, arranging anything his mom needed taken care of in the house even as she struggled to care for his medical needs. He was also a brilliant artist, having taught himself to paint by holding the brush in his mouth. During the final years of his life, he knew his mother’s health was declining and he constantly felt like a burden to her no matter how much she said otherwise. His last words to me expressed his desire to go home to Jesus so she could finally get the rest she so desperately needed. I imagine Jesus’ first words to him in heaven may have been something like, “get up and walk,” just as he said to the man in this passage.
As I saw modeled in his mom, it takes a tremendous amount of strength to care for someone in that situation. The man’s friends in Mark must also have been like that, even as they carried him on a stretcher for who knows how far, just to see Jesus. But when they got there, it was too crowded. There was no way to get anywhere near this increasingly famous healer. So they raised his stretcher up to the roof, removed a section of thatch, and lowered him down to Jesus. Setting aside the issues of destruction of property and cutting in a very long line, their dedication to him and their faith in Jesus was incredible.
It makes me wonder, as we care for our friends and family and others in need around us, how far would we be willing to go to get them to Jesus? Do we even mention Jesus’ name when we are in their company? Do we share what our faith means to us and how Jesus has strengthened and healed us in our own lives? Do we ask them to share stories of the beautiful things in their lives and celebrate together as we reflect on the amazing ways God keeps showing up?
Who in your life needs you to bring them to Jesus this week?
Good News - Part 5
Sunday, February 4, 2024
Mark 1:40-45, 2:13-17
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.
Mark 1:40-42 (NRSV)
Listen to this Week’s Sermon here:
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“If you are willing, you can make me clean.”
At first glance, I find two very interesting things about this simple line. First, it is not actually a question. The man with the skin disease, likely leprosy, does not directly request healing. Perhaps he feels unworthy or afraid to ask, especially given his unclean status in society. But whatever the reason, he only acknowledges his faith in Jesus’ ability to cleanse him.
The second point is the issue of willingness. Other translations say, “If you want to…” In today’s prayerful language, we might say something like, “If it be your will…” The man seems to be hedging his bets. On one hand, he believes Jesus can heal him, but on the other hand, he’s not sure Jesus would even want to help.
The writer says that Jesus was moved with pity or compassion and declares that he is willing and wanting to heal. This is consistent with Jesus’ actions throughout the gospel, healing sometimes even without intentionally doing anything, such as when the healing power simply flowed out of him to the unknown woman who touched his cloak (Mark 5:28-30).
Other Greek manuscripts, however, say that Jesus was moved with anger, or incensed, when he responded. There is much scholarly debate as to which translation is the most authentic, but regardless of the answer, I find the possibility of anger interesting indeed. I confess, I printed this scripture in the NRSV instead of the CEB which I typically use, precisely because the language of pity felt more comfortably in line with Jesus’ nature than the word “incensed” used in the CEB. However, that choice may reflect my own discomfort at the idea of Jesus’ anger at a man in need of healing. Which raises the question, is there a good reason why Jesus might be angry at this man’s request?
Some say that Jesus was angry at the suffering this man had endured. Perhaps, but I wonder if he might have also been upset about the way the question was raised. “If you want to…”
Almost every day after school our daughter asks “What’s for dinner?” Sometimes, especially if we are going out, I say, “You’ll see when we get there.” Her response is, “Well is it at least something I like.”
In this response, I can imagine why Jesus might get frustrated with the question. I answer, “Have we ever gone someplace that didn’t have something you like?” to which she sheepishly responds, “Well, no…” and then continues on with her persistent curiosity. The negative assumption in the question is that we might not take her into consideration or care about what she wants. Similarly, the assumption of Jesus is that though he could certainly help, he may simply not feel like it, or may not think this man worthy enough. It challenges Jesus’ character. It questions Jesus’ desire for an abundant, flourishing life for all people and God’s nature as one abounding in mercy and steadfast love.
I wonder if in our attempt to hedge our bets about whether something is God’s will, just in case it doesn’t happen, if we may be unintentionally causing people to question whether God would even want to help us at all.