If you had only four words to describe Jesus, what words would you choose? When we read the passage from Mark 1:40-45 assigned for this Sunday we not only find the message of his whole Gospel as well as what are Mark's four words.
Compassion: Mark doesn't often relate Jesus' psychological state, but he does here. When Jesus sees this man approach him in need, he is moved immediately to compassion. Not judgment: "What have you done to cause this to happen?" No, he just feels compassion. This is Jesus, the Word made flesh; the Son of God. This is God: not judgmental, or demanding, but compassionate.
Touch: There is an intimacy to touch that we can take for granted. Ask the elderly, the ill, the depressed, or the isolated just how rare and beautiful human touch is and we may be surprised (or maybe just reminded) that there are few gestures as profound, loving, and healing as human touch. Jesus could have healed with a word, with a gesture, or with a command, but instead he reaches out to touch him. Here, too, is God's character revealed, as we discover a God so eager to be in relationship with us that God takes on our form and flesh, assumes our lot and our life, so that God can reach out to touch us in love.
Willing: Jesus does more than simply respond to the man's plea; he affirms his deepest hopes that, though a leper, he still has value, dignity and worth. That he is, finally, a child of God. Here we are again confronted by God's often surprising and always uncontrollable mercy and grace.
Lonely: Make no mistake. These acts of mercy, while perhaps free, nevertheless cost Jesus. There is, an exchange going on here. This man, now healed, is also restored to his community, while Jesus can no longer travel freely or even enter the towns anymore. Love always costs something. We don't know why Jesus asked the man to be silent; maybe it’s the whole "Messianic secret" thing, but maybe it was because he knew this would make it difficult to walk and talk and preach and heal freely. Whatever the reason, and whatever the risk, he nevertheless heals, heedless of the cost. He trades places with this man -- losing his freedom that this man may find his -- out of love. Love costs. Ask any parent, or grandparent, or lover, or friend. Yet that is what we find in God.
So maybe one way to get at this text this week would be to think about the images we have of God. These images were often formed when we were children and are as part of our formative years, powerful and often unconscious things. What are the four words do we think best describe Jesus and God? After naming and exploring these a bit, perhaps we could re-read Mark's words and the image that flows from there.
How are Mark's and our visions similar? How do they differ? The point isn't to critique defective images of God as to who really imagines God rightly but instead to keep affirming, keep offering, keep proclaiming an image of a God who is compassionate; reaches out to touch us in love; is so willing and eager to embrace us in healing, forgiveness, and grace; and eagerly embraces the pain and sin of the world out of love for us, for us and the whole wide world we live in .
(adapted from Dear Working Preacher, David Lose,
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