Psalm 103
Praise the Holy One, my soul; all my
inmost being, praise God’s holy name.
Praise the Holy One, my soul, and
forget not all God’s benefits—who forgives all your errors, heals all your
diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and
compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is
renewed like the eagle’s.
Mark 1:21-45
Jesus and the disciples went to
Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began
to teach. The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one
who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. Just then a man in their
synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, “What do you want
with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the
Holy One of God!”
“Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come
out of him!” The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with
a shriek.
The people were all so amazed that
they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He
even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.”News about him spread
quickly over the whole region of Galilee.
As soon as they left the synagogue,
they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed
with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her. So he went to her,
took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on
them.
That evening after sunset the people
brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. The whole town gathered at
the door, and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out
many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he
was.
Very early in the morning, while it
was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place,
where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone
is looking for you!”
Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere
else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have
come.” So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and
driving out demons.
A man with leprosy came to him and
begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”
Jesus was indignant. He reached out
his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately
the leprosy left him and he was cleansed.
Jesus sent him away at once with a
strong warning: “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.” Instead the one who was healed 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.
*****
Will you pray with and for me? Holy
One, you open the doors of this new year for us; give us the wisdom and grace
to accept this gift, and to be open to your presence in our lives. Bless us
that we may perceive and appreciate your love in our lives. In all your names,
amen.
Jesus begins his ministry by
selecting his first followers, the first disciples. He doesn't offer them
miracles or angels. He simply says, to Peter and John and James, "come with me." And, amazingly,
they do just that-- they drop their nets to go with him. He doesn't perform
miracles for them, he doesn't give them promises of riches or power--he just
says, "Come."
We hear this story so often that I
think we have become a bit numb to how amazing this really is. Would you follow
someone who simply looked at you and smiled and said, "Come with me, and I
will have you fishing for people?" Would you get up and walk away from
your desk, put down your tools--whether they are wrenches or computers, chalk
or a book--and go off with him, leaving your family behind, all that you
knew--to go with this odd man who made no promises and yet had so much to give;
this man who could cast out demons and evil spirits, comfort and heal--even
leprosy--one of the hardest diseases to treat without antibiotics, and an
illness to be feared in Jesus' day. And still is today in many parts of the
world.
This is the man you are
following--this carpenter (probably) from the medium sized and unremarkable
town of Nazareth, who has wisdom and knowledge beyond his upbringing and
environment.
As we move through Epiphany, this
season between Christmas and Lent, we come to the realization--which is what an
epiphany is, a sudden realization of a truth--that this Jesus person was unlike
any other person who ever lived. We will hear about the cures he effected, the
people he fed, his wise words--the doing of his ministry.
You know, the liturgical colour for
the season of Ordinary Time, as the Sundays between Epiphany and Lent are
called, is green--for growth, against what we see in the natural world this
time of year. Here in the Northern Hemisphere, it's colder, we usually have a
lot of that stuff we won't name, but which starts with an s and ends with a w;
this is not the time of year we associate with growth and development.
But it certainly can be. I tend to
think of this time as the reflective, contemplative time of year--a time to sit
with a mug of tea and think about the year just past and the year to come; what
to change and what to keep; what to add and what to pare away.
I have been thinking and reading a
lot recently about New Year's resolutions. They are rarely kept, unless you
make one like a friend does, who every year declares she resolves not to become
a neurosurgeon... Many people are suggesting that rather than resolutions, we
look at our life as a whole, and decide what we want to maintain in our lives
and what needs to be cleared out. New Year's resolutions tend to be about
specific behaviours we want to
change--exercise more, quit smoking, call your mom more often--but psychologists
will tell you that it is very difficult to simply change behaviour. The better
course is to look at the underlying causes and reasons, and work on those
instead, as addiction counsellors can attest. Why don't I exercise more? I can
come up with a lot of excuses--the gym is too expensive, the weather's bad, I
feel awkward in exercise clothes, I don't have time--but the reality is that I
see exercise as wasted time--whether it is or not is another question--and that
keeps me from a regular exercise program. But if I can change the way I think about
exercise--as a time for thought and contemplation, keeping my body working
while my mind is free to wander--then I am more likely to exercise, especially
if I am walking or doing yoga rather than weight-lifting in the gym.
We aren't told about what happened to
the people Jesus healed. We don't know if they became followers or not. We
don't know if they stayed healed or not.
But we do know that Jesus was present
for them in a way that healed them--that gave them the opportunity for a new
life.
So as we stand at the threshold of a
new year, I urge you to review 2015--your 2015. What worked? What didn't? What
things are you regretting or finding a burden instead of a joy, and why? What was wonderful, and why? Instead of a
list of behaviours, create a description of your ideal life--and the whys of
it--and use that as a guide in the coming year. When you are offered an
opportunity--for a new job, or a social event--measure it against that ideal
life. What do you need to add or take away to have your ideal life? Maybe a
reconciliation with someone, or maybe letting go of trying when the other
person doesn't want to; maybe it is finding time and space for
creativity--remodeling your home, writing a blog, painting, gardening.
These are things we can change. We
are unlikely to have Jesus come to town and heal us, or stand before us and
say, "Come with me." But we can recognize the healing, the changes we
want in our lives, and make them happen. That is far better than easily ignored
resolutions about smoking and exercise--because we will be examining who we
really are and who we want to be. You can find lots of resources online--google
"Rule of Life."
When we do this, we are on the path
to healing; Jesus is with us on the path, encouraging us as we make the
changes.
2016 can be a year of profound growth
and change for us--if we are willing to be healed. In all God's names, amen.
