Tag Archives: healing

Gospel of Mark

Only Believe! Mark 9:14-29

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Jesus heals the boy possessed by an evil spirit

14 When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. 15 As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him. 16 “What are you arguing with them about?” he asked. 17 A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. 18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.” 19 “You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”

20 So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. 21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” “From childhood,” he answered. 22 “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” 23 “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” 26 The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.

28 After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” 29 He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.[a]”

Mark 9:14-29

See also Coming Down from the Mountain: Mark 9:14-18

Horsham: 20th November 2024

The story is simple. There is a young man who is suffering from what looks rather like epilepsy. Everyone believes that the boy is possessed by a demon. The disciples had tried to exorcise the demon, but they had failed. An argument developed. It attracted a crowd. I wonder whether the Jewish leaders were goading the disciples for their inadequate attempts at healing.

Jesus appears on the scene with James, John and Peter, ‘What are you arguing with them about.’ Is this question aimed at the Teachers or the disciples? The answer comes from neither, but from a man in the crowd who had brought his son to be healed. He speaks of possession by a mute spirit, and describes symptoms which sound like severe epilepsy. The effect is devastating and dangerous. He has been like this for years. ‘Bring him to me!’

The instant that the boy sees Jesus he fits. He’s on the floor, thrashing about. The father is desparate. ‘if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.’ This man lives in fear of serious harm to his son. He has watched him suffer over and over again. 

3 “‘If you can’?” said Jesus.  This is spoken in the midst of a medical emergency. This is the voice of compassion. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”

Misunderstanding of this instruction is problematic. I have seen people pray for the sick and then, when it doesn’t work, they blame the victim for their lack of faith. “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” I do believe, but I’m not sure I have enough faith for this! The integrity of this poor man is humbling. Jesus can take a mustard sees size faith and amplify it for his glory.

Jesus rebukes the spirit. Accept the demonic explanation or not, something extraordinary happens here. There is a scream before the man becomes deeply unconscious. These people are familiar with death. They think the young man is dead.

He is not dead. He is healed.

18 Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.

Matthew 17:18

Jesus quietly bends down, touches his hand, and helps him to his feet. He is given back to his father (Luke 9:43)

The End Piece

Being the victim of something like epilepsy is unspeakably horrible. To watch the effects of a fit is frightening, and when the victim is someone you love, it is devastating. One feels boundless anxiety and utter helplessness.

Something of the father in this story really moves me. He’s lived with a very sick son for many years. For me, his complex and painful emotions leap out of the story. His love for his son. His desperation for him to be released from the grip of whatever has a hold of him. I have huge empathy for this man.

And then he meets Jesus.

So often I have faced a challenge and I have sense Christ saying ‘trust me,’ ‘have faith,’ ‘only believe’. So often I lack faith, or at least I lack confidence in my faith. So many times, he has taken my ‘mustard seed faith’ and done something with it.

I have been spared the challenges faced by this man, but I deeply identify with him. Time and again, I say the same thing to Jesus.  I pray the same prayer.

“I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

Richard Jackson, West Sussex: LifePictureUK

Epilepsy – First Aid advice (Red Cross)

Epilepsy Action UK

Gospel of Mark

Blind Man at Bethsaida: Mark 8:22-26

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Jesus Heals a Blind Man at Bethsaida

22 They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. 23 He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?” 24 He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.”

25 Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 26 Jesus sent him home, saying, “Don’t even go into the village.”

16th October 2024: Horsham

Medical experts would love to be able to deliver immediate relief to their patients. In reality, it rarely happens like that, and there are circumstances where, to avoid complications, significant changes need to be managed over a period of time.

In these verses I see  Jesus serving in the style of a caring doctor, completely focused on and responding to the needs of the individual  patient. The restoration of sight after a lengthy period of profound blindness is a big deal – it takes time to adapt – it will be a shock to the system. Before healing him, the man is taken by the hand and gently led to a quiet place, away from public gaze to help him cope with the healing process. At the touch of Jesus, his sight is partially restored. Perhaps there is a pause while the man explores partial vision, before Jesus touches him a second time and completely restores his sight.

The power and authority of Jesus is, in this case, applied with compassion and gentleness, in a gradual way which perfectly meets the needs of the individual. It makes sense that Jesus says to him, ‘Don’t even go into the village.’ For some time, probably for years, he has been unable to work or look after himself, reduced almost certainly to begging. He needs some time alone to adjust to this life changing healing.

End Piece

So, what are we learning here?

Here we see Jesus meeting someone at his point of need. There are other examples where Christ simply speaks healing over someone and it is done (Mark 2:3-12). Sometimes, Christ is in a completely different place from the patient, yet the miracle is immediate and complete (Luke 7:1-10). Sometimes, such as the healing of Jairus’ daughter, there is a physical touch (Mark 5:35-43). For the woman with a hemorrhage, it was enough to simply touch in faith the corner of Jesus cloak (Mark 5:25-34).

In this passage, we’re learning that whilst we all long to see immediacy of healing, the healing of Christ may come gradually or in  stages.

Every healing in Scripture is unique. Every one of Jesus’ healings is perfectly tailored to the needs of the individual.

‘It is well to remember, in reading passages of this kind, that the Lord is not tied to the use of any one means.’
JC Ryle: Expository Thoughts on the Gospel of Mark, p119

Whether offering healing, reconciliation or conversion, the Lord does it in his own way. Your experience will be different from mine. Every experience is unique, but all have this in common. Whether or not it looks or feels like it, it will always be the right experience for that  individual.

‘God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform.’ 

William Cowper, 1774

Richard Jackson, West Sussex: LifePictureUK

Gospel of Mark

Ephphatha! Mark 7: 31-37

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Jesus Heals a Deaf and Mute Man

31 Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis.[h] 32 There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him. 33 After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. 34 He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means “Be opened!”). 35 At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly. 36 Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. 37 People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

Mark 7:31-37

Horsham: 27th September 2024

In my previous post, we discovered that Jesus and the disciples had travelled beyond Israel’s borders to the region of Tyre on the Mediterranean coast. It was here that he miraculously healed the daughter of a gentile Syro Phonecian woman. Today we read that some time later, he travelled from there further north into modern Lebanon to the city of Sidon, before travelling back down south, probably passing the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee to another gentile region which we know as the Decapolis. We don’t know how long this journey took, but it is likely to have been months rather than weeks, and it was in this area in which Jesus encountered a man who was deaf  and could not speak properly. The word used suggests that the man’s speech was impaired. The friends of this man beg Jesus to lay his hands on him. You might recall that Jesus has been in this area before, so we should not be surprised the people knew who he was and what he was capable of offering.

This is a huge moment for this man, and we shouldn’t be surprised that Jesus draws him to one side. Look at the things he does. First, his fingers are placed in the man’s ears. Next he spits on a finger and touches the man’s tongue. This sounds a little random to us, and in our post covid world it sounds particularly odd. Notice this – the man was perceived by his friends to have two problems. He could not hear, and he could not speak properly. Jesus touches his ears – actually putting his fingers into his ears. Jesus physically touches his tongue. Do you see how these actions meet this man perfectly at his point of need.

Jesus sighs deeply. The word suggests a deep, heartfelt sigh. ‘Ephphatha’ is an Aramaic word, and it simply means ‘be opened’. The man’s ears were opened and immediately (that word is there in the Greek) he began not just to speak, but to speak clearly. To emerge from a place of silence or distorted hearing and immediately be able to speak clearly is a sign of complete healing.

It’s not so surprising that people couldn’t keep quiet about this. The healer who passed through some time ago and healed that man who was so mentally ill that he was chained up has come back. The guy who has been healed would be known locally for his deafness and his strange voice. The fact that he was now hearing and speaking normally would be exciting news and even if the man himself remained silent, others would want to talk about it.

“He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.” (v37)

The disciples have heard this being said about Jesus. Any Jew would be unable to miss a link here. This verse of the prophet Isaiah anticipates the coming of the Messiah.

‘Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.’

Isaiah 35:5

End Piece:

A group of people brought a friend in great need to Jesus because they knew in their hearts that he could help them. The person in need was a gentile – not the kind of person you would imagine ever going looking for Jesus. Yet the opportunity was there – Jesus welcomed the friend and met him absolutely at his point of need. Everyone who knew this man could see that his life was dramatically changed.
Who do you love enough to bring them to Jesus?

Richard Jackson, West Sussex: LifePictureUK

Gospel of Mark

Jairus (Part 2): Mark 5: 35-43

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Jairus was the leader of the synagogue in Capernaum, a fishing port on the coast of the Sea of Galilee. He was an important and well known figure in the local community. Capernaum is also the town where Jesus had made his home. This is the second part of the story of Jairus. You can read the first part, when Jairus asks Jesus to come to his house urgently here. You also need to read about an incident which occurs when Jesus is on his way to Jairus’ house. You can read about it here.

35 While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?” 36 Overhearing[a] what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” 37 He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. 38 When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. 39 He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” 40 But they laughed at him.

After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41 He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). 42 Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. 43 He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.

Mark 5: 35-43 (NIV)

Horsham, 9th July 2024

This is an awesome story. It speaks of the humanity and deity of Jesus. I just want to tell this story in the way I believe it happened. You can read it in Matthew 9:18-26 and Luke 8: 40-56.

Jairus had a daughter who was about to turn 12 years old when she became gravely ill. Jesus had agreed to come to his house and lay his hands on the daughter. They made their way through the narrow streets, accompanied by the disciples and a growing crowd of people, eager to be close to Jesus. On the way, a life changing miracle takes place, in the healing of a sick lady in the crowd (read about it here). Almost before that incident is over, here are members of Jairus’ household. The news is blunt and horrific. ‘Your daughter is dead.’  I can’t begin to imagine how devastating this news was for Jairus. Jesus knows this man. He is a man of compassion. In my mind I see Jesus physically reaching out to this broken man, perhaps putting his hand on him, perhaps even embracing him. Barely loud enough for anyone to hear except Jairus and one or two of the disciple, Jesus says ‘Don’t be afraid. Only believe.’

I think that they kept the crowd in the street, outside the courtyard of Jairus’ house. Only Peter, James and John went on and into the house. Peter and John are fishermen in the town (Mark 1:16-20). As Jewish men, they probably know the family. Perhaps James does too. Are they familiar faces to Jairus’ family?

Jesus silences the mourners. ‘ The child is not dead. She is asleep.’ No wonder they laugh at him. They know death when they see it. They know the girl is dead. He throws them out into the courtyard – perhaps into the street. Sense the moment. Feel the stillness in the room. Smell the incense. Sense the grief Mum and Dad. Three disciples. One little girl. A precious daughter. And Jesus.

Talitha. Koum!

This is not Jesus casting out a evil. This is not Jesus teaching or raising his voice before a crowd. Look at the compassion on his face. The gentleness in his manner.

‘Little one’. In some dialects, ‘Talitha’ can mean ‘Little Lamb’. Jesus is on his knees by the bed, holding the child’s hand. Whispering to the child. Luke tells us that in that moment the child’s spirit returned (Luke 8:55). In my mind, I see the child stirring – stretching – as if awakening from the deepest sleep. It’s possible that she knows who Jesus is.  She sees her Mum and Dad, kneeling beside her, overwhelmed by emotion. Slowly, she rises from the bed. She gets to her feet and straight into the arms of her parents.

‘Give her something to eat.’

I was surprised that Jesus tells the parents not to tell anyone what happened. After all, this is a massive miracle and surely most of the town already know! Those who didn’t hear the wailing mourners will have seen Jairus in despair out in the street. There’s a huge crowd in the street outside. It’s difficult to explain, except, if you imagine you were there, it seems so obvious. It’s not that no-one is to know anything about this. After all, the story brings huge glory to God.

That gentle voice of Jesus. ‘Take a moment. You need some time. She needs peace and quiet, and so do you. Don’t rush outside and tell people. All that can wait. Keep everyone outside. Just allow what has happened to sink in – become real.’

This is a powerful story. Few moments in the gospel so plainly show the humanity and compassion of Jesus, and in the same moment his power and authority. As I try to contemplatively walk through this scene from the Gospel story, I find myself in awe of the one whose still, small voice, calmed and encouraged a father in despair, and called back the spirit of a much loved dying child, gently restoring her to her parents.

Richard Jackson, West Sussex: LifePictureUK

 

 

Gospel of Mark

My name is Legion, for we are many: Mark 5:1-20

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‘My name is Legion – for we are many!’

5 They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes.[a] 2 When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. 3 This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. 4 For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. 7 He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!” 8 For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”

9 Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

“My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” 10 And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.

11 A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. 12 The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” 13 He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.

14 Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. 15 When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 16 Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. 17 Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region. 18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. 19 Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis[b] how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

Mark 5:1-20

Horsham. 9th June 2024
‘My name is Legion, for we are many’

This story deals with a very dramatic incident of demonic possession. Such a concept was ‘quite familiar to people in Palestine in the days of Jesus but quite alien to us.’ (Barclay, Loc 2543).

Most of us are not used to thinking of our world as being populated by demons. Some people feel more comfortable approaching this story as an encounter with a man who is suffering from some kind of psychological disorder. That’s fine. You can find your own place in that conversation, but  to understand what happened, we need to accept that to the people of Jesus’ day, demons were both real and ever present. 

It was widely assumed that demons were most likely to be found in dark, deserted places, so here, probably in the early hours of the morning, is a man emerging from the tombs. The place of the dead would be an obvious place for demons. Here is a strong man, dressed in rags, and given to bouts of violence. Local people would avoid him. They would doubtless have been fearful of his immense strength and also of the risk of contamination by the powers of evil.

If he were ill, I have been asked, rather than under demonic control, why would Jesus treat him as if he was possessed. A contemporary approach to mental health would rightly abhor an intervention based on that assumption. The answer is, I think, surprisingly simple. I believe that Jesus wants us to meet people at their point of greatest need, and here He is doing just that. The man utterly believes that he is possessed by not one, but huge number of demons. That, then, is the point at which Jesus meets him, and that is the condition from which Jesus delivers him.

If we prefer to take the alternative view, that this is a case of chronic psychological disorder rather than deliverance from demons, we are witnessing an extraordinary and supernatural healing which affirms the power of Christ to respond to psychological as well as physical needs.

Christ’s first direction that the demon should leave the man was, it seems, resisted. The spirits not only remains within the man, but they beg Christ not to torture them. This affirms that the demons are in fear of Christ (James 2:19). In many cultures, there is a belief that knowing the name of a person or a demon gives one a degree of control over them. ‘What is your name?’ says Jesus. Unable to resist such a question from the One who is the Son of God, the man, or the spirits within him, reply ‘My name is Legion, for we are many.’ For me, there is something extraordinary and powerful in this name, reflecting the desperation and hopelessness of the man.

 

The Roman army was divided into fighting units. A legion comprised 6000 troops. They were a strong unit and an extremely powerful fighting force, and they were capable of great violence. Like this poor man, who believes himself to be possessed by a small army of demons, they were best avoided.

We might read think that the departure of these spirits is contingent on Christ permitting them to move to a nearby herd of pigs. However It is Jesus, not the spirits, who are in control. He has a plan for this man and for the demons. The dispatch of the demons into a herd of pigs enable the man to see that they have departed from him, and so he, and others around him, can know that he is free. In order to be healed and restored, he needed to know that he had been delivered.

The tenure of the spirits within the pigs is fleeting because they immediately fling themselves into the waters and are killed. The suffering man can be convinced that his torturers are gone, and so his mental health is restored. He is healed.

The panic of the herdsmen, and fear of the local people are understandable. The transformation of their neighbour, dressed and in his own mind, is undeniable. For them, the destruction of a herd of pigs is terrifying.  They can only understand these things in terms of the supernatural. No wonder they want this small band of men who have arrived from the far side of the Lake to leave.

Not for the first time, having witnessed his power, someone wants to physically remain with Jesus. The message to this man, as to all of us who encounter Christ, is to return to our people and tell them what he has done for them.

’20 So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis[b] how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.’

Richard Jackson, West Sussex: LifePictureUK

 

Gospel of Mark

Forgiven (even for trashing the roof!) Mark 2: 3 – 12 (Part 1)

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Horsham, 14th January 2023

 3 Some men came, bringing to him a paralysed man, carried by four of them. 4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralysed man, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’ 6 Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7 ‘Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ 8 Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, ‘Why are you thinking these things? 9 Which is easier: to say to this paralysed man, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to say, “Get up, take your mat and walk”? 10 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.’ So he said to the man, 11 ‘I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.’ 12 He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, ‘We have never seen anything like this!’

 (New International Version)

Part 1: Verses 3-5

There is no evidence that Jesus owned this house, but there are indications that this is where he was staying. We know that he spent time at Peter’s house, possibly as a guest. Regardless of circumstances, this was the house to which Jesus went on His return to Capernaum. This was the house where people came to see Him. If the crowd came to see something amazing, they left satisfied.

The press of the crowd is so intense that a small group of men, carrying their sick friend, stood no chance of getting into the house where Jesus was teaching. The traditional houses would have used the roof as an area for storage and retreat in the cool of the evening, and the stairs by which you accessed the roof would be on the outside.

So I’m seeing these guys struggling to get their incapacitated friend through the peripheral crowd to get to those stairs. The patient was lying on a sleeping mat. Carrying a sick man up the steps isn’t easy, and they won’t have been doing this quietly.

Maybe Plan A was to lower him into the yard, right in front of Jesus. As it turned out, Jesus was actually inside the house, so Plan A didn’t work out. So then, one of the friends has an idea. They’ve brought him this far. They can’t drag him back downstairs and they certainly can’t leave him here in the sun. So, they need a Plan B. Even by middle eastern standards, Plan B is a bonkers idea.

The middle east has a wonderful culture of providing hospitality. The gate to the yard was often left open and it was expected that people could wander in. They might be offered water to wash their feet. They might be offered refreshment. They will not be expected to cause damage to the house.

Damaging the roof is a serious business. It leaves the living space open to the elements and  renders the house insecure. Plan B affirms that these guys know that Jesus can heal their friend. These guys are absolutely desperate for their friend to meet Jesus.

Fighting their way through, mainly using their hands and feet as tools, they make a hole large enough for them to lower their friend to the floor below. I can almost hear the shouts of encouragement and the  exclamations of disbelief as the people below, even Jesus, are showered with plaster, mud and debris from the roof. Some of them – especially the house owners – must have been furious. I can see people running to the roof and trying to stop the vandalism.

I wonder whether, when thought of as the active scene that it must have been, this is one of the most dramatic scenes of healing in Scripture.

No wonder Jesus was impressed by faith of this group of this daringly resourceful group. ‘Son,’ he says, ‘you are forgiven of your sins.’ All of them. Even trashing the roof.

 

Gospel of Mark

Touching the Untouchable: Mark 1: 40-45a

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‘Leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease, is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae. The disease affects the skin, the peripheral nerves, mucosal surfaces of the upper respiratory tract and the eyes.’ (www.WHO.int/healthtopics/leprosy)

Jesus Heals a Man With Leprosy

40 A man with leprosy[a] came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” 41 Jesus was indignant.[b] He reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” 42 Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed. 43 Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: 44 “See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” 45 Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.

Mark 1: 40-45 (NIV)

In a part of the world where we take medical advances for granted, leprosy, especially if caught early, is curable. In 1st Century Palestine, it was not. The biblical word lepros could have referred to a number of conditions, but we can draw two key conclusions. Firstly, the man was visibly sick. Untreated, this sickness would have been debilitating with visible deterioration of the man’s skin and flesh. Secondly, because of his sickness, he was excluded from the city, banished to live either alone or in what we might think of as a rough encampment of other sufferers of skin diseases. Such people were, in effect, the living dead – abandoned by society to their slow, miserable, lonely and painful death. They were a class apart. Reduced to begging on the open road, from travellers who would avoid contact with them at all costs.

The actions of this man tell that after the extraordinary events in Capernaum, the fame of Jesus as a man of healing had spread beyond the town. The sick man knows who Jesus is. He is absolutely confident in the ability of Jesus to heal. Jesus is moved by compassion, and the extraordinary faith of this man.

I can feel the disciples tensing as this man approaches. Jesus reaches out his hand and actually touches the man. I wonder whether you remember the disciples trying to come between Jesus and small children who were coming to sit with him and perhaps to distract him. This man is unclean, wrought with incurable disease, and rushing to get close to Jesus. Against every cultural norm, Jesus allows him to approach and fall to his knees. We struggle to grasp how this would have looked to the first followers of Jesus. The minds of the horrified disciples are divided, perhaps, between creating a physical barrier between Jesus and the leper, or keeping their own distance from this desperately sick man.

In that instant, at the word of Jesus, the man is healed. His condition is not simply improved. As with Peter’s mother in law, the healing of this man is immediate and absolute. The visible marks of his sickness are gone. They are no longer there. No wonder that, in spite of Jesus’ appeal, he ran off down the road declaring his healing to anyone who would listen. A moment before he was facing a ghastly premature death. Jesus has given him new life. His joy must have been utterly overwhelming. What the disciples think at this point we can only imagine.

The Jewish Law requires that having received healing, the man present himself to the priest who has the power to declare him clean. Jesus direction to go to the priest demonstrates respect for the Law of Moses. But why is this extraordinary healing to be kept quiet. As simple, perhaps, as the fact that Jesus has told us that his purpose in going to the villages is to preach. He needs to be seen as the one who has the words of life, rather than being pursued as some kind of celebrity healer. He has left Capernaum to escape the crowds who want to receive or at least witness healings, and the profound testimony of this man means that his attraction as a healer will only continue to grow.

We are privileged to live in a time and place where leprosy is rarely diagnosed, and where the effects can be addressed and managed.  Our distance from the impact of this dreadful disease means that we might miss the grace of Jesus highlighted by Mark. Here is a lesson for the us, and for those first disciples.

Here is Jesus, ready to very deliberately cross one of the most clearly defined social barriers. Moved by compassion, he not only gives time to this man. He reaches out and touches the untouchable. He lays his hand on that which is unclean, and with his power and authority, in the words ‘Be clean.’ makes it completely, wholly, and absolutely clean.

Richard Jackson, West Sussex: LifePictureUK

A note about Leprosy

Whilst we, in the west, rarely have direct contact with sufferers of leprosy, it remains a serious and life changing reality in many areas of the world. ‘Every two minutes, someone is diagnosed with the disease. That’s more than 200,000 new cases a year. Although it is curable, millions of people worldwide are living with the effects of the disease, from physical disability to mental health problems, poverty and discrimination.’

For more information, and how you can help, please visit the Leprosy Mission website.

 

Gospel of Mark

A man with the power of God: Mark 1:29-31

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Three verses. Four sentences. So much going on!

29 As 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 immediately told Jesus about her.

Here’s a reason to read and reflect on a few verses at a time. I have read these verses so many times, but there is so much here that I hadn’t noticed before.

First, Mark gives us such a simple, yet such a profound image. Jesus, leaving the synagogue and just walking up the street with a small group of friends. It’s an ordinary, authentic moment. Here is Jesus, Son of God, Lord of Creation – wandering up the street with a bunch of mates. In those few words, you are confronted by the absolute humanity of Jesus.

Next we learn about this household, living together in one or two rooms. Simon and his brother Andrew share the house. This is their family home. It is likely that they group up in this place with their fisherman father Jonah (i). Simon is married, and (as would have been entirely normal) shared his home with other family members including, not just his brother Andrew, but his wife’s mother. This is not life changing stuff, but it’s a glimpse into the life of these young fishermen.

Simon’s mother in law is sick. She has a fever. There is no health service. No paracetamol. No antibiotics. A fever is serious. The lady is very sick. It’s natural that when a visitor arrives at the house, that they would be told about the suffering of the woman at the heart of the household.

31So he went to he, took her by the hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.

I recently suffered a bout of Covid. Several weeks after the infection I still have some lingering symptoms. The idea of leaping out of bed at the height of the infection and getting straight back to work sounds like some kind of medieval torture. Make it a sick woman, being turned out of bed to serve the men and it smacks of abuse or even slavery. But something very different is going on here.

Jesus, the man, moved by compassion for a sick woman in the household of a friend. Jesus,   taking her by the hand – offering the healing touch with the power of God.  In that instant, at His touch,  the fever is gone. This lady doesn’t just feel a bit better – she is healed. She is cured. No lingering symptoms here. In an instant, her health is fully restored. Absolute healing.

Right next to an image of the true humanity of Jesus, here is an image of the supernatural and generous healing power of the Son of God. The very healing power of God. Jehovah-Rapha (ii).

Her immediate return to work doesn’t reflect some kind of prematurely forcing back into service. It demonstrates her complete healing. It shows her readiness to step straight back into her cherished role of providing hospitality to her guests. Her desire to serve Jesus is a reflection of her gratitude for his grace.

Jesus, in his humanity. Jesus, with the power of healing. A woman, responding to the encountered with His grace.

Three verses. Four sentences. So much going on!

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(i) See Matthew 16:17,
(ii)Jehovah Rapha (more correctly Yahweh Rapha) is a name attributed to God in Jewish tradition, which means ‘The God who Heals’