1507AFC021315 – The Hand of the Prophet
Read it online here, please.
Mark 1:40 – 40 A leper came to him begging him, and kneeling he said to him, “If you choose, you can make me clean.”
Happy Aloha Friday, Beloved. We are creeping up on the season of Lent, so this will be the last of the messages on the readings from Ordinary Time. Next week we may continue with comments about the readings for Lent – or, we may start a series. Any suggestions? I have one recommendation already to focus on the Last Words of Christ during Lent. We’ll see what the Lord provides. Meanwhile, we have this story today of a leper who asks Jesus for healing. Jesus fills the request very simply. He reaches out, touches the man and says, “I do will it. Be made clean.”
I think sometimes when I read that first sentence, it is easy to misread it and say, “I will do it.” That’s not what he said; he said, “I do will it.” That makes a difference doesn’t it? Once again we see that Jesus has authority over illness. The first miracle in the Gospel of Mark is the casting out of an unclean spirit – a demon (Mark 1:23-26), the second is the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law (Mark 1:30-31), and this healing of a leper is the third. In the incident with the demon, it was the demon that called out to Jesus. With Peter’s mother-in-law, Jesus learned she was ill and went to her on his own. In this healing of a leper, the man humbles himself before Jesus and states – he does not ask – “If you choose, you can make me clean.” Other translations might read that as If you are willing, or If you want to. The Greek word for choose or willing or want to is θέλῃς thelo {thel’-o}. This word also includes the concept that one would take delight in, or have pleasure in doing so. If we stretch it a bit we could read this sentence as “If it would please you, you can make me clean.” However we look at what the man said, Jesus response was and emphatic I WILL (θέλῃς or ἐθέλω ethelo {e-thel’-o}.).
In these three miracles we see something of the way Jesus responds to instances where his power to heal is exercised. He heals when confronted with evil. There are many passages where Jesus is described as “healing their illnesses and casting out demons.” He heals of his own volition as in this example in Mark or in the instance of the raising of the son of the widow of Nain in Luke 7:11-16. He heals when someone humble presents Jesus with an opportunity to heal, and these are usually accomplished through expressions of the petitioner’s faith. In this story of the leper, we again see Jesus strictly telling the man not to tell anyone about what has happened. Of course, the guy immediately takes off and tells everyone he sees! Jesus knew his mission, and he knew he didn’t have a lot of time to complete it, so he didn’t want to kick the hornets’ nest too hard and give his enemies a quicker and clearer reason for going after him. He was doing mighty deeds – which marks him as a Prophet – and the powers-that-be had been pretty rough on Prophets for the previous 1300 years! The result of this publicity was that Jesus had to stay out of town and inhabit “desolate places.” Still, people from all the surrounding region came to find him (see Mark 1:45). He created quite a buzz.
One reason people wanted to see him, of course, was because of his growing reputation as being a miracle worker. In the last verse of the story in Nain, (Luke 7:16), we read, 16 Fear seized all of them; and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has risen among us!” and “God has looked favorably on his people!” This frame of mind is an echo of the effect Elisha’s healing of Naaman had on the people of Israel. Naaman had gotten permission from the king of Aram to go to Israel and find Elisha in the hope of being cured of his leprosy. He sent Naaman to the king of Israel asking for safe passage for his soldier. Here’s what happened in 2 Kings 5:7-8 – 7 When the king of Israel* read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to give death or life, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Just look and see how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me.” 8 But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a message to the king, “Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come to me, that he may learn that there is a prophet in Israel.” * Possibly Jehoram.
Naaman’s request for healing was granted when he did as Elisha told him – dunk himself in the Jordan seven times. Sometimes God heals by stretching out his hand and touching the supplicant, sometimes it is through a command as with the ten lepers in Luke 17:11-19, and – as with the widow of Nain – with both a touch and a command. The phrase “stretched out his hand” (or sometimes “stretch out your hand”) is a depiction of God in command-mode. He is the wonder-working God, and that is what the people saw. After Pentecost, Peter and John were preaching in Jerusalem, and the authorities told them they had to stop. Instead they prayed that they might preach with greater boldness in Acts4:23-31 and part of that prayer is 29 “And now, Lord, look at their threats, and grant to your servants to speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” As soon as they finished, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness. Take a look at Exodus 14 for more about God’s mighty deeds. Remember, though, that often Jesus not only healed but also forgave. There, indeed, is God’s mightiest feat! When he speaks, things happen; what he touches, he changes – unless we turn a deaf ear and run from his outstretched hand!
Isaiah prophesied that what God spoke as The Word would accomplish what God intended in Isaiah 55:10-11 – 10 For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it. That purpose is for us to be reconciled with God, a healing certainly of our souls, but sometimes even our minds and bodies, too. As we approach the Season of Lent, let us follow the example of this leper in Mark and kneel humble at the feet of the Lord with the expectation of healing. Then, as David said, let us acknowledge our sin: Psalm 32:5 – Then I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not hide my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah
“If you choose, you can make me clean.”
Open your ears, your heart, and your mind and listen for his reply: ἐθέλω. The hand of the Prophet is stretching out toward you. Kneel and be healed.
Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever — at your service, Beloved
Scripture passages from –
New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)
New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Aloha Friday Messages by Charles O. Todd, III is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
1507AFC021315 – The Hand of the Prophet
Read it online here, please.
Mark 1:40 – 40 A leper came to him begging him, and kneeling he said to him, “If you choose, you can make me clean.”
Happy Aloha Friday, Beloved. We are creeping up on the season of Lent, so this will be the last of the messages on the readings from Ordinary Time. Next week we may continue with comments about the readings for Lent – or, we may start a series. Any suggestions? I have one recommendation already to focus on the Last Words of Christ during Lent. We’ll see what the Lord provides. Meanwhile, we have this story today of a leper who asks Jesus for healing. Jesus fills the request very simply. He reaches out, touches the man and says, “I do will it. Be made clean.”
I think sometimes when I read that first sentence, it is easy to misread it and say, “I will do it.” That’s not what he said; he said, “I do will it.” That makes a difference doesn’t it? Once again we see that Jesus has authority over illness. The first miracle in the Gospel of Mark is the casting out of an unclean spirit – a demon (Mark 1:23-26), the second is the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law (Mark 1:30-31), and this healing of a leper is the third. In the incident with the demon, it was the demon that called out to Jesus. With Peter’s mother-in-law, Jesus learned she was ill and went to her on his own. In this healing of a leper, the man humbles himself before Jesus and states – he does not ask – “If you choose, you can make me clean.” Other translations might read that as If you are willing, or If you want to. The Greek word for choose or willing or want to is θέλῃς thelo {thel’-o}. This word also includes the concept that one would take delight in, or have pleasure in doing so. If we stretch it a bit we could read this sentence as “If it would please you, you can make me clean.” However we look at what the man said, Jesus response was and emphatic I WILL (θέλῃς or ἐθέλω ethelo {e-thel’-o}.).
In these three miracles we see something of the way Jesus responds to instances where his power to heal is exercised. He heals when confronted with evil. There are many passages where Jesus is described as “healing their illnesses and casting out demons.” He heals of his own volition as in this example in Mark or in the instance of the raising of the son of the widow of Nain in Luke 7:11-16. He heals when someone humble presents Jesus with an opportunity to heal, and these are usually accomplished through expressions of the petitioner’s faith. In this story of the leper, we again see Jesus strictly telling the man not to tell anyone about what has happened. Of course, the guy immediately takes off and tells everyone he sees! Jesus knew his mission, and he knew he didn’t have a lot of time to complete it, so he didn’t want to kick the hornets’ nest too hard and give his enemies a quicker and clearer reason for going after him. He was doing mighty deeds – which marks him as a Prophet – and the powers-that-be had been pretty rough on Prophets for the previous 1300 years! The result of this publicity was that Jesus had to stay out of town and inhabit “desolate places.” Still, people from all the surrounding region came to find him (see Mark 1:45). He created quite a buzz.
One reason people wanted to see him, of course, was because of his growing reputation as being a miracle worker. In the last verse of the story in Nain, (Luke 7:16), we read, 16 Fear seized all of them; and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has risen among us!” and “God has looked favorably on his people!” This frame of mind is an echo of the effect Elisha’s healing of Naaman had on the people of Israel. Naaman had gotten permission from the king of Aram to go to Israel and find Elisha in the hope of being cured of his leprosy. He sent Naaman to the king of Israel asking for safe passage for his soldier. Here’s what happened in 2 Kings 5:7-8 – 7 When the king of Israel* read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to give death or life, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Just look and see how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me.” 8 But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a message to the king, “Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come to me, that he may learn that there is a prophet in Israel.” * Possibly Jehoram.
Naaman’s request for healing was granted when he did as Elisha told him – dunk himself in the Jordan seven times. Sometimes God heals by stretching out his hand and touching the supplicant, sometimes it is through a command as with the ten lepers in Luke 17:11-19, and – as with the widow of Nain – with both a touch and a command. The phrase “stretched out his hand” (or sometimes “stretch out your hand”) is a depiction of God in command-mode. He is the wonder-working God, and that is what the people saw. After Pentecost, Peter and John were preaching in Jerusalem, and the authorities told them they had to stop. Instead they prayed that they might preach with greater boldness in Acts4:23-31 and part of that prayer is 29 “And now, Lord, look at their threats, and grant to your servants to speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” As soon as they finished, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness. Take a look at Exodus 14 for more about God’s mighty deeds. Remember, though, that often Jesus not only healed but also forgave. There, indeed, is God’s mightiest feat! When he speaks, things happen; what he touches, he changes – unless we turn a deaf ear and run from his outstretched hand!
Isaiah prophesied that what God spoke as The Word would accomplish what God intended in Isaiah 55:10-11 – 10 For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it. That purpose is for us to be reconciled with God, a healing certainly of our souls, but sometimes even our minds and bodies, too. As we approach the Season of Lent, let us follow the example of this leper in Mark and kneel humble at the feet of the Lord with the expectation of healing. Then, as David said, let us acknowledge our sin: Psalm 32:5 – Then I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not hide my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah
“If you choose, you can make me clean.”
Open your ears, your heart, and your mind and listen for his reply: ἐθέλω. The hand of the Prophet is stretching out toward you. Kneel and be healed.
Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever — at your service, Beloved
Scripture passages from –
New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)
New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Aloha Friday Messages by Charles O. Todd, III is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
About Chick Todd
American Roman Catholic reared as a "Baptiterian" in Denver Colorado. Now living on Kauaʻi. USAF Vet. Married for over 50 years. Scripture study has been my passion ever since my first "Bible talk" at age 6 in VBS.
