Midrashing with Mark

A leper came to him begging him, and kneeling he said to him, “If you choose, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, “I do choose. Be made clean!” Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. After sternly warning him he 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 went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the word, so that Jesus could no longer go into a town openly, but stayed out in the country; and people came to him from every quarter.

Another healing story.

Notice that in this one the beloved child of God comes to Jesus - feels empowered to name and claim what he needed.

Notice that in this case we hear that Jesus is moved with pity...the real word here is compassion.  Compassion is that physical response, deep within our gut that tells us we have to do something.

Notice that Jesus says, "Let's just keep this between the two of us."

Huh?

Some scholars call this the, "Messiah secret".  Jesus doesn't want fame or fortune or to be fabulous.  But it doesn't work.  The word spreads out and the crowds grow.

Where do you need healing - if you had to name and claim what is needed?

Where is compassion brewing and boiling over to be expressed in your life?

Where do you try to keep a lid on something, but you realize you can't control or spin the story?

Midrash calls us to live the questions...not because we will find the answers but it is in holding the questions lightly that we discover and uncover truths we might need for the living of these days.

To be clear, we have done one chapter of Mark...and perhaps you want to keep going or perhaps you would prefer to move on to another topic.  But I pray that you might have found many traces of God's grace over the last few weeks.  I pray you will continue to find ways to let scripture sing and settle into your soul.  May God's love and peace be with you now more than ever.

Blessings ~~