Thursday 17 October 2024
After sternly warning him, he [Jesus] sent him away at once, saying to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” But he [the leper] went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the word. (vs 43-45)
Background
Mark's Gospel is the most well-known of the gospels for containing the concept of 'the Messianic Secret' as part of the overall narrative. In other words, it is the one in which Jesus most often commands those whom he has healed not to tell anyone about what he has done. Mark is also the only gospel in which Jesus does not proclaim himself as the Messiah.
There are many scholarly studies about this 'Messianic Secret' with several different theories explaining why Jesus is described this way in Mark's Gospel. The one I want to focus on here is that Mark wanted to demonstrate that the ‘good news’ (which is actually the meaning of the word ‘gospel’) that Jesus brings is impossible to contain.
In our passage for today, Jesus ‘makes clean’ a leper. It’s important to note this use of language, as it indicates not just the physical healing of the leper, but also the ritual purification that was required in order for the man to re-enter society. For a leper, re-entering society was virtually impossible, as they were considered both physically and spiritually unclean, and their affliction was seen as the manifestation of their own sin. Lepers couldn’t have any contact with non-lepers, including their own family members. They couldn’t hold a job, go shopping or own property. Someone with leprosy even had to ring a bell and shout 'unclean' if anyone approached them.
Clearly, what Jesus did for this man was utterly and completely life-changing. So, really, how could the man be expected to keep it to himself?
I sometimes feel the men I work with in prison are seen rather like the lepers of Jesus’ time. They are often outcasts. They are regularly rejected by friends and family. When they are released from prison, they struggle to find a job or a place to live. Of course, I know it’s not easy to change how we see a person that society has deemed ‘unclean’, especially when we think about the crimes for which they have been convicted. However, the ‘good news’ we see in Jesus – the one who can ‘make clean’ anyone who asks him – can’t be contained. And the effects can be life-changing.
To Ponder:
- Who are the ‘lepers’ in the world today?
- What ‘good news’ can I share with those who are outcasts, like the lepers of Jesus’ time?
- What is ‘good news’ that I would not be able to keep to myself?
Prayer
Loving God, I know that you are the one who brings good news that is life-changing. Help me to see others the way that Jesus did, and help me to be a source of good news to everyone I meet, especially those who are the outcasts of society. Amen.
Bible notes author: The Revd Rachel Frank
Rachel was born and raised in the Northeastern United States. She came to the UK in 2013 – first as a student at the University of Bristol – then continuing as a Recognised and Regarded Presbyter in 2014. She was received into Full Connexion in 2019. Rachel has felt called to prison ministry since her seminary days, and she’s had the opportunity to live out this calling since November 2023, as a chaplain at HMP Leyhill in Gloucestershire.