Stop the Fast and Start the Feast!

A Crazy Night at Choir Practice

“We’re not here to have fun! We’re here to worship the Lord!”

Those words rocked my world. I didn’t know what was wrong with what was said, but I knew it just didn’t make sense. But it sure seemed to me that a lot folks believed fun and Jesus were mutually exclusive.

The scene is the choir room in a midwestern baptist church. The names have been changed to protect people I love and respect (and some I honestly can’t remember). My best guess is this happened in 1972. Slightly after the Jurassic Period and Lindbergh crossing the Atlantic.

When Practice Becomes a Party

It was the era of Watergate, but that break-in is a misdemeanor in my mind compared to the scandal I witnessed one night at youth choir practice. Okay, we were out of control. I admit that right up front. WAY more laughing than singing.

We had been so consistently rowdy that the church thought it was a good idea to bring in some parents to keep us in line. As we did everything we could to turn this practice into a party that night, one of these bouncers attempted to keep us in line.

“We’re not here to have fun! We’re here to worship the Lord!”

A No Fun Zone?

Wait! WHAT?!? While I had never exactly found church to be Six Flags over Jesus, nobody had ever announced it was a No Fun Zone. I got up and walked out. I wasn’t giving up on Jesus but if this is what church is about, I’m out. I had no plans of ever going back.

Over the years, God wooed me back by showing me how joy and celebration are a big part of worshipping the One who has saved me. Once I began to wrap my brain around all Jesus has done, it was time to get this party started!

The Fun Police

Jesus Himself had a similar experience. No, not at youth choir practice. It happened in the wake of a big shindig in Galilee. The religious fun police call Christ and His crew on the carpet for cavorting with the wrong crowd and enjoying themselves WAY too much (Mk 2:18-22). In their minds, He and His boys aren’t taking their faith seriously enough. Instead of feasting, they should be fasting.

“We’re not here to have fun! We’re here to worship the Lord!”

In his bio of Jesus, Mark tells us that our Savior and His followers have just been the guests of honor at a party over at Levi’s place (Mk 2:13-17). The host is a local tax collector who filled his home with all sorts of rejects, losers, and outcasts so they could meet this amazing Rabbi/Carpenter from Nazareth.

Inviting the Uninvited

A group of party crashers accuses the Lord of hanging out with the local scum. Jesus responds by telling them that they just don’t get it. Those folks are EXACTLY why He’s here. His mission is to invite those who know full well they’re uninvited.

At this point, the charges against Him move to not taking God seriously enough. “Once when John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting, some people came to Jesus and asked, ‘Why don’t Your disciples fast like John’s disciples and the Pharisees do?’” (v18).

Feast or Fast?

In other words, the fun police are out in full force. How dare you enjoy yourselves! Wipe that smile off your face. Religion is super serious and is no place for fun. If you REALLY understood what’s at stake, you’d wouldn’t be living it up. Stop feasting and start fasting.

Mark drops the Greek word for “fast” (Gr. νηστευω/nesteuo) six times in just three verses (v18-20). As a matter of fact, this is the ONLY place it shows up in his entire Gospel.

Specifically, νηστευω/nesteuo describes going without food for religious purposes. It literally means “no eating.” But the bigger idea is to stop doing any activity in order to set your focus on God. Fasting is a way to express deep sadness, either over failure to meet God’s perfect standard or to mourn the death of a loved one.

Fasting to Focus

We see all sorts of people in the Bible avoiding food as a means to repent, seek God, and hear from Him clearly. There’s fasting in the OT (Ex 34:28; 1Sam 7:6; 2Sam 1:12; 12:16-17; 1Ki 21:27; Ez 8:21-23; Neh 1:4; Est 4:16; Ps 35:13-14; 69:10; Dan 9:3-5; Joel 2:12; Joh 3:5-8) as well as the New (Mt 6:16-18; Lk 2:37; 18:12; Acts 13:2-3; 14:23).

Let’s face it. You don’t hear a lot of folks fasting in the 21st Century. Oh, there’s plenty of people who are more than happy to tell you about their dietary restrictions. No meat. No gluten. No lactose. No thanks! The sad truth is I’m way more likely to belly up to the buffet than skip lunch to hear from the Lord.

Jesus’ Weird Cousin

Meanwhile back in Mark 2, the author tips us off about a couple of different factions of folks are currently going without food. The first group is the followers of John the Baptizer. You may remember him from the opening of this particular Gospel (Mk 1:1-11).

He’s Jesus’ weird cousin who wears a lot of leather and eats a lot of bugs. God commands John to get the world ready for the arrival of the Messiah. Suddenly, he’s the hot new thing that everybody wants to see. But John leverages his popularity in order to point to the true Star of the show, the Lamb of God.

The Baptizer’s behind Bars

While they’re related, John and Jesus are VERY different. The Baptizer lives more like a somber monk than his fun loving cousin. John is known for fasting while the Lord has earned a rep as the life of the party (Mt 11:18-19; Lk 7:33-38).

Chances are John wouldn’t have been caught dead at Levi’s big blowout even if he was able to go. But he’s not available due to a previous engagement. You see, the Baptizer is behind bars (Mk 1:14). His followers would have every reason to fast and pray for their leader’s release from the slammer. Spoiler alert: he doesn’t (Mt 14:1-12; Mk 6:14-29).

Hangry?

Maybe John’s crew is freaking out because Jesus should be focused on getting their guy out of the joint rather than having fun at parties. If You REALLY cared about Your cousin,You’d stop feasting and stop fasting like the rest of us!!

Makes you wonder if John’s boys are just a wee bit hangry. That’s when you’re so hungry you get angry. It’s like the Snickers commercials. The ones where people aren’t themselves when they’re hungry. Munching on a candy bar transforms them from a grumpy Steve Buscemi or Roseanne Barr back into their kinder, gentler selves.

Chances are, you’ve fasted for a medical test or procedure. Ever noticed that’s EXACTLY when everybody around you is eating a cheeseburger? And why do they call it a “fast” when time seems to stand still? Whatever reason for their fast, John’s disciples are understandably cranky when Christ doesn’t seem to care.

Taking It up a Notch

But they’re not the only ones skipping meals at the moment. The Pharisees are also fasting at the time. Most of us immediately see them as the bad guys in the story of Jesus. But back in the day, these boys are the religious superstars of first century Judaism.

Nobody but nobody is as fanatical about keeping God’s rules than the Pharisees. How fanatical? They tithe from of their spice rack (Mt 23:23: Lk 11:42)! While God only commands one fast a year at Yom Kippur (Lev 16:29-31; 23:27), the Pharisees took it up a notch. To show everybody just how serious they are, they actually fast TWICE A WEEK (Lk 18:9-14)!

Image Management

You see, the Pharisees are ALL about image management. They want the world to see just how pious and holy they are. Their Facebook and Instagram feeds are nothing but prayer meetings, church services, and mission trips.

That’s fine but honestly God really doesn’t give a hot hoot about what we look like on the outside. He cares deeply about what’s going on inside our hearts. He’s NOT impressed with our phony fasting. Matter of fact, it REALLY ticks Him off.

Don’t believe me? Buckle your biblical seat belt and see what He tells the prophet Isaiah (Is 58:3-7). I’ll wait right here humming the Final Jeopardy music. Oh, you’re back. Any questions?

Jesus’ Forty-Day Fast

Don’t make the mistake of thinking Jesus always feasts and never fasts. The Gospel writers tell us He did it at least one time. And it was BIG time. We’re talking forty days…IN THE DESERT IN THE FACE OF THE DEVIL (Mk 1:12-13; Mt 4:2; Lk 4:2-4)!

And when He did, our Savior fasted it in private. He didn’t call a news conference or announce it on social media. He didn’t try to grab the spotlight so He could make a run at the top spot in the power rankings of the pious (Mt 6:16-18).

You can bet the farm that if this is a time for scripturally mandated fasting, Jesus would be fasting. But He’s not. And neither are His followers. It’s all about timing. There’s no doubt there are times to be serious. But never miss a moment to celebrate.

The Wedding Reception

As He so often does, the Lord flips the script on His critics and turns this into a teachable moment. In the process, He drops three mini-parables. Little stories with a big impact. One about a wedding reception. A second about patching holes in your clothes. A third about the best way to package your pinot noir.

First, you don’t start skipping meals when you’re heading to the wedding reception. “Jesus replied, ‘Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. They can’t fast while the groom is with them’” (v19). Christ tells His critics to forget the fast and start the feast!

God as the Groom

This is Jesus’ not-so-subtle way of saying He’s the One God has promised to send to save our eternal bacon. For a couple of thousand years, Old Testament prophets compare God to a “bridegroom rejoices over his bride” (Is 62:4, 5).

God tells a guy named Hosea that He’s totally committed to His chosen people like best hubby you could ever imagine. “I will make you My wife forever, showing you righteousness and justice, unfailing love and compassion. I will be faithful to you and make you Mine, and you will finally know Me as the LORD” (Hos 2:19-20).

Jesus wants them to know that now that the Groom has arrived, it’s time to get this party started! He clearly takes fun seriously. VERY seriously. Don’t believe me? His very first miracle was turning several barrels of water into fine wine in order to keep a wedding reception going (Jn 2:6-11).

The Heavenly Hootenanny

And once Christ makes His final comeback, He’s inviting all of His followers to the ultimate heavenly hootenanny. It should come as no surprise that it’s a wedding reception (Rev 19:6-9). That’s the Lord’s point to the party poopers. There’s a time and place for fasting. This is neither the time nor the place. Once God is in the house, stop the fast and start the feast.

Grieving the Son of God

Christ does admit there’s a day on the calendar when set aside for sadness. “But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast” (v20). He’s dropping a VERY strong hint at what’s about to go down. His betrayal, arrest, torture, murder, and burial. When that happens, you can bet His boys will fast and mourn.

Since that has happened, shouldn’t WE still grieve that the Son of God is gone? Absolutely not! Since He came strolling out of the cemetery on Sunday, the mourning period for His death lasted for just three days!!

A Command So Nice He Says It Twice

The Apostle Paul tells Jesus’ followers in Rome not to be sad but celebrate. When we trust in what He has done for us, His life becomes our life. He lived the perfect life of obedience we should have lived. He died the bloody death for our sin we should have died. And He rose to a jaw dropping new life that we don’t deserve (Rom 6:4-5)!

So why do so many Christians walk around like they’re headed for their own crucifixion? Once again, our man Paul says stop being so stinking sad! “Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!” (Phil 4:4). It’s a command so nice, he says it twice!! And don’t try to tell me the man from Tarsus doesn’t know hard times. Dude, he wrote that from prison!!

The Gospel is NOT an Upgrade

Back in Mark, Jesus moves from a mini-parable about the party to mini-parable about a patch. “Besides, who would patch old clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before” (v21).

He’s letting us know that the Gospel for knowing God isn’t simply fixing a couple of bugs with the way we did it before. I love how Mike Lee puts it. Jesus brings a new system that is NOT just a better version. It’s NOT simply an upgrade! In other words, trusting in Christ is NOT Old Testament 2.0.

Oh, you can be sure there’s plenty about the coming Messiah all throughout the Hebrew Bible. After all, He IS THE Hero of THE Story! The writers of the OT are continually dropping hints, clues, shadows, prophecies, and predictions of the One who is to come.  But once Jesus arrives, He blows out what came before by fulfilling God’s perfect standard for us (Mt 5:17).

Box Wine without the Box

Mini-parable number three is also about how the crusty old religious system can’t hope to contain the explosive power of God’s grace. This time Jesus uses the picture of packaging wine. Starting to see why He’s the life of the party? “And no one puts new win into old wineskins. For the wine would burst the wineskins, and the wine and the skins would both be lost. New wine calls for new wineskins” (v22).

In the First Century, people didn’t make wine in big barrels but put grape juice into smaller animal skins. Goat skins to be exact. Kinda like box wine without the box. Instead of the plastic bag, it’s a goat skin. Pretty sure you won’t find one of those on the shelf at your local Walmart.

Mentos and Diet Coke

As the juice fermented, the pressure would build and the hides would expand. Once it was stretched out, the skin would lose its elasticity. The wineskin is a one-and-done. You don’t rinse it out and reuse it again. You’re asking for a big mess. Better have the club soda and OxyClean handy.

In the same way, Jesus totally blows apart the old Jewish belief system. He opens the party up to anyone and everyone who places their trust in Him. He transforms God’s Kingdom into a whole lot more than a Hebrew house party. Even non-Jews are encouraged and welcome. Just try pouring THAT into an old wineskin. You probably ought to step back. And you thought dropping a Mento in a Diet Coke was cool!

We ARE Here to Have Fun!

One thing is for sure. Jesus takes fun very seriously. So much so that He commands it. Stop the fast! Start the feast! He invites us to the party and ensures that He’ll keep it going. His Gospel is no upgrade. Trying to cram His grace into the old system is only going to make you made and make a mess. 

The bottom line is we ARE here to have fun! And there’s not better way to do that than worshipping the Lord!

©2017

Jay Jennings

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Inviting the Uninvited

Dinner for Schmucks

I admit to having a soft spot for goofball comedies. That probably says more about me being a goofball than anything else. You’re more likely to catch me watching “Airplane!” or “Anchorman” than cracking open a copy of Madame Bovary or The Tale of Two Cities.

So when I read Mark’s version of Jesus inviting Levi into God’s kingdom and then Levi inviting Jesus to a party he throws for local outcasts, the first thing that comes to my mind is the movie “Dinner for Schmucks.” I wanna be clear. This is a terrible flick. Two thumbs WAY down. Absolutely awful. Don’t waste your time. It’s almost two hours of your life you’ll never get back. Ever.

Weirdos, Goofballs, and Knuckleheads

It’s not the movie’s execution but its premise that reminds me of Mark 2:13-17. The plot goes something like this. Some people invite a bunch of losers over for a big bash. The guest list includes all sorts of weirdos, goofballs, and knuckleheads you would NEVER be caught dead with.

But they’re not there out of some act of goodwill or compassion. Far from it. They’re invited to provide the punchline. They’re not in on the joke. They ARE the joke. The winner of the dinner is the one who invites the biggest buffoon.

Rejects and Riffraff

At first glance, there’s not much difference between this piece of cinematic trash and Mark’s description of a similar shindig. Once again, outcasts pack the place. Just like the movie, there’s a cocky crew who thinks it’s better than everybody else.

The HUGE difference is the presence of one Man. Actually, one God-Man. Jesus is there. He shows up because of the rejects and riffraff. Not to make fun of them. He’s in the house because these folks know where they stand. He’s there to have dinner WITH schmucks. He’s there to invite the uninvited.

Buying a Local Franchise

But before we get this party started, let’s set the scene. It’s First Century Galilee, a backwater region in what we know today as Israel. Back in the day, it was an forgettable sliver of the Roman Empire. No big cities. Just tiny villages full of the working poor. Blue-collar folks like fishermen and carpenters.

The government makes sure they stay that way. The Romans heap a tax burden on folks unlike anything we could ever imagine. The empire slaps a fee on anything that moves. If that’s not bad enough, the Romans actually sell local taxation franchises.

An Israelite franchise holder not only collects revenue for the government but can LEGALLY charge as much they want and keep the rest. Talk about multilevel marketing! And you think the IRS has a bad rep. Please.

Tax Collecting Traitors

You can understand why these tax collectors aren’t just disliked, they are hated. There are few things worse in Jewish society. Not only have you sold your soul to the occupying evil empire, but you’re making a boatload of bucks in the process. You may own a tax franchise, but you’re now a traitor, disenfranchised by just about anyone and everyone.

Okay, I realize NOBODY likes talking about taxes…except if you’re a politician, CPA, or work for H and R Block. So why does all this matter? Because Mark’s story all turns around a Galilean tax collector and his circle of slimy associates.

Jesus shocks the crowd when He goes out of His way to hang out with them. He’s the guest of honor at the dinner with schmucks. But our Savior goes even further. In the face of religious insiders, He’s interested in the outsiders. Christ invites the uninvited.

Back to the Beach

We pick up the story of Jesus in the second chapter of Mark’s Gospel. As we look down the beach of Lake Galilee, we see the radical Rabbi/Carpenter headed this way. “He went out again to the lakeshore again and taught the crowds that were coming to Him” (v13).

It wasn’t that long ago that the Son of God called His first four followers near this same spot on this same shoreline (Mk 1:16-20). The buzz about Him continues to build and the crowds continue to grow (Mk 1:45). In the face of tremendous popularity, Christ refuses to lose His focus on preaching and teaching (Mk 1:38-39).

A Face in the Crowd

As the Lord makes His way through the crowd, somebody catches His eye. “As He walked along, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at his tax collector’s booth” (v14). Jesus doesn’t just see an audience, He sees individuals. He sees Levi. He sees you. He sees me.

How often do I see a big crowd as an obstacle in my way rather than individuals dealing with their own issues? I need to stop looking at the pack and start looking at people. Make eye contact. Say “hello.” And why not? God has made everybody I meet as I’m walking down the street in His image. Jesus died for every single one of them.

Rebranding Levi

As the Lord heads up the shore, He notices a guy trying to make a buck. Mark tells us his name is Levi. He’s Alphaeus’ boy. Over in Matthew’s version of the same story, the author says the dude’s name is…well…Matthew! Becoming a follower of Jesus changes everything. For some of us that includes changing our names.

It actually happens a lot. Christ rebrands Simon as Peter or “Rocky.” He rebrands a couple of brothers as the Sons of Thunder. He rebrands Saul as Paul. Why not? Jesus’ Dad did the same in the Old Testament too. Abram and Sarai become Abraham and Sarah. Jacob becomes Israel.

I don’t think it’s any coincidence Jesus mentions something similar to the Apostle John. One day the Lord will give each of His followers a personally engraved stone with “a new name the that no one understands except the who who receives it” (Rev 2:17). Is there really anything more personal than someone you love giving you a nickname? Imagine your Savior giving you one. That sounds pretty sweet to me.

Lots of Traffic and Lots of Tolls

Mark describes how Jesus sees Levi/Matthew who has set up shop next to the big lake. Robertson says this would have been along the Great West Road from Damascus to the Mediterranean. It’s a busy highway. Lots of traffic. And that means lots of tolls.

There’s also a pretty good chance he’s also putting the squeeze on the commercial fishermen who work the waters. Historians let us know the Romans never missed the chance to slap a tax on anything. Locals not only had to pay for the hefty cost of a license but probably on their catch as well.

Jesus Makes an Offer

Christ sees Levi “sitting at his tax collector’s booth” (v14). Not exactly a place anybody goes if they can avoid it. But instead of steering clear, Jesus does the opposite. He walks up and extends an amazing offer, “Follow Me and be My disciple” (v14). That’s right, He asks a traitor to be part of His team. The Son of God invites the uninvited.

We need understand that’s NOT how the system worked back in the day. Rabbis don’t recruit disciples. It’s the other way around. People apply. There’s a waiting list. Only the best and brightest make the cut. No self-respecting religious teacher lowers himself to actually seek a student. Especially a lowlife tax collector like Levi.

That’s because Jesus isn’t like other hotshot religious celebrities of the day. He knows exactly the kind of follower He’s looking for. He’s not building an impressive roster of five-star super saints. He’s building a series of individual relationships. The Lord is still inviting the uninvited two thousand years later to come along for the ride. Just so we’re clear, I’m talking about people like you and me.

A Traveling Partner

As scandalous as our Savior’s invitation to Levi was, the taxman takes Him up on the offer. “So Levi got up and followed Him” (v14). To be sure, Levi didn’t blindly respond to a stranger’s offer out of the blue. He would have been VERY aware of the crazy stories of miracles flying around Capernaum. He may not have met Him, but he would have known who Jesus is.

What exactly is His offer? “Follow” is a Greek word ακολουθεω/akoloutheo, which comes from a root word that means road. Jesus invites Levi to be His traveling partner. Allow the Lord to determine the direction and the route. It speaks of a relationship. Where you go doesn’t matter as long as you’re together.

It’s Okay, I’m with the Band

In the original language, “follow” doesn’t describe someone who simply heading in the same direction with a random stranger. You identify strongly with the person you’re following. You’re linked with the one leading the way. It’s like the old line, “It’s okay, I’m with the band.”

Following Jesus unlocks the door to the most remarkable places. Forget Costco or that ritzy country club. Cruising with Christ gains us access to the most exclusive joint you can imagine. The Kingdom of God. Somebody may be surprised to see you in heaven. If they ask for how you got in, just say, “I’m with Him. I’m with Jesus.”

Following the Lord, Following His Commands

But following Jesus is more than just downloading a few songs, attending a couple of concerts, and buying a t-shirt. It’s trusting totally in His leadership. Following the Lord means I follow His commands. What He wants for me is better than what I want for me.

Did I obey Him perfectly from the get-go? Not even close. Do I obey Him perfectly today? Are you kidding me? But following Him means I’ve given myself to His lifelong process of becoming His disciple. He won’t give up on me when I stumble and fall. My Lord promises to finish the job He starts in me (Phil 1:6). And He makes the same guarantee to each one of the uninvited He invites.

Things Get Awkward

We go from Jesus asking Levi to follow to Levi asking Jesus to a party. “Later, Levi invited Jesus and His disciples to his home as dinner guests” (v15). Things are about to get awkward. Not only is the Rabbi there, but so are His disciples. At least four former fishermen are in the home of the same man who was jamming them for taxes not long ago.

Following Jesus radically changes our relationships. People we used to avoid (are I say “hate”?) are now our brothers and sisters. Enemies become friends. That’s because Christ came to knock down the walls we’ve built between races, cultures, religions, and all the other artificially imposed social barriers (Rom 10:12; 1Cor 12:13; Gal 3:28; Eph 2:14; Col 3:11).

Losers, Rejects, and Outcasts

They aren’t the only guests. They’re joined by “many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners” (v15). Levi has invited a bunch of his tax collecting buddies. Mark’s description tips us off that Jewish society sees tax collectors as such dirtbags that they have their own special category of sinfulness. 

Levi also opens his doors to all sorts of people shunned and dissed by the world. His guest list includes “other disreputable sinners” (v15). This is the author’s junk drawer term for the rest of the riffraff in attendance. These are far from the best and the brightest. This is a motley collection of losers, rejects, and outcasts. You know what they say, “Misery loves company.”

This party makes a lot of sense when you think about it. Levi has just met Someone who has radically transformed his life. He wants his friends to meet Jesus too. Why not do the same thing? Invite your friends who don’t know Him over to your house and tell them all about your Savior. You’re not cramming Christ down their throats. You’re simply making an introduction.

Turning Outsiders into Insiders

Don’t miss Mark’s little parenthetical comment: “(There were many people of this kind among Jesus’ followers.)” (v15). Clearly the folks hanging out with Jesus at Levi’s big shindig fit the profile of most of Christ’s followers. Not a couple. Not a few. Not a handful. Many.

I’ll betcha nobody had to tip them off about their standing in society. They knew better than anyone where they stood. And where they stood was on the outside looking in. But here’s the crazy thing. That’s EXACTLY who Jesus came to save. He loves to turn outsiders into insiders. He loves to invite the uninvited.

Crashing the Party

However, the uninvited aren’t the only ones invited to Levi’s party. “But when the teachers of the religious law who were Pharisees saw Him eating with tax collectors and other sinners, the asked His disciples, ‘Why does He eat with such scum?’” (v16).

Apparently the religious police are staking out the joint, hoping to catch Jesus redhanded doing such dirty deeds as hanging out with the dregs of society. These are the ones in charge of who’s in and who’s out at the local synagogue. In other words, they decide who’s invited and who’s not.

Ironically, there’s little chance Levi invited them to be there. These religious teachers have crashed the party just so they can blow the whistle on Jesus and anyone else breaking their rules. Boy, do they love to throw their weight around. They’re like an HOA board run amuck.

Self-Righteous Windbags

Notice how the Pharisees don’t have the guts to challenge Christ directly. Instead they take their complaint to His followers. Do we even need to discuss this? Anytime we have a problem with someone, don’t go all passive aggressive. Instead, pull up your big boy (or big girl) pants and talk directly to them. Tell them what’s wrong. Work it out. Person to person.

Well, Christ cuts out the middle man and confronts these self-righteous windbags. “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners” (v17). Just as He did at Simon and Andrew’s house (Mk 2:1-12), Jesus sees Himself as the Physician who can treat spiritual sickness.

Saving the Bacon of the Broken

This is the Son of God’s way of saying, “Okay, let’s go there. Let’s assume for a moment you’re right. Let’s assume that you’ve got you’re act together and really are perfect. Let’s assume you’ve got a clean bill of spiritual health.” Well, we all know what happens when we assume.

What these religious bullies don’t realize is that EVERYBODY needs a Savior. You, me, us, them (Rom 3:10-13, 23). What Jesus tells the Pharisees is He came to save those who KNOW they need to be saved. If not, He really can’t help you. Christ didn’t come to rescue the self-righteous. He came to save the bacon of the broken and humble.

Declaring Spiritual Bankruptcy

That’s exactly what Jesus talks about in the opening lines of His most famous message, the one we call the Sermon on the Mount. “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for Him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs” (Mt 5:3). Our debt of sin toward God is so great, we must declare spiritual bankruptcy. When we do, Christ writes a check on the cross to cover our cost.

Here’s the crazy thing. The scribes think they’re spiritually hot stuff. They think they’re healthy. They think they’re the only ones who’ve truly earned an invitation from God. The irony is that because they believe they’re invited, they are actually UNinvited! The only way to ensure our invitation from Jesus is know we don’t deserve one.

Nobodies and Somebodies

t’s like what Paul said to some friends at a church in Corinth. “I don’t see many of ‘the brightest and the best’ among you, not many influential, not many from high-society families. Isn’t it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these ‘nobodies’ to expose the hollow pretensions of the ‘somebodies’?” (1Cor 1:27-28 The Message).

It’s almost like Paul is describing Levi’s crazy house party in Galilee. Jesus showers His grace on Levi and this long list of losers. They readily receive His love because they know they need it. They’re not arrogant insiders but grateful outsiders. They’re simply beggars who’ve figured out where to find the bread.

Dinner WITH Schmucks

This is no Dinner for Schmucks. Jesus has come to have dinner WITH them. And they know they’re schmucks. They know their losers. Nobody has to tell them. Levi and his friends realize they’re on the outside looking in. And for that reason, they’re just the kind of people Christ has come for.

Jesus loves inviting the uninvited.

©2017 

Jay Jennings

Tearing the Roof off the Joint

Customer Service at the DMV?

Every once in a while we experience an event so incredibly wild and stupendously crazy that what went down breaks all the rules of what we thought could ever happen.

That unexpected upset by an total underdog over a powerhouse that suddenly turns into a blowout. A total snoozefest explodes into the best party ever. Hospitality and customer service so crazy good at the DMV that you think you’re at the Apple Store’s Genius Bar.

Each is a complete surprise that blows the lid off the joint.

A First Century Flash Mob

In the second chapter of his bio of Jesus (Mk 2:1-12), Mark describes an event so unexpected, so sudden, so ludicrous, so improbable that nobody saw coming. And I mean nobody. The time is around 30 AD. The scene is the modest home of a couple of local commercial fishermen in the boondocks of Galilee.

A crowd suddenly gathers when word gets out that the amazing new Rabbi/Carpenter from Nazareth is in the ‘hood. It’s a First Century flash mob. The people just keep coming. And coming. And coming. Before you know it, there are more folks standing in the front yard than inside the house.

A Hole in the Roof

We haven’t even got to the crazy part. Without any warning, four friends are ripping apart the roof of a crowded house so they can get their buddy down to Jesus. But that’s small potatoes compared to how the Lord rips apart folks’ perception of who He is and what He can do.

Let’s just say it’s the day Jesus blows the roof off the place.

Jesus’ Earthly Home Office

We pick up the action with the Son of God coming back after laying low after publicity got WAY out of hand (Mk 1:45). “When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that He was back home” (v1).

Capernaum is a small blue collar town that’s known for it’s fishing fleet. It’s earning a new rep as Jesus’ temporary headquarters for a large chunk of His three-and-a-half year ministry. Call it the Son of God’s earthly home office.

Peter’s Version

The phrase “back home” is actually “in the house” in the original Greek. You can pretty much bet our Savior has set up shop at Peter and Andrew’s home, the scene of that crazy Sabbath of healing and exorcism (Mk 1:29-34).

Remember, the second Gospel is actually Peter’s version of Jesus’ bio as told to John Mark. That was the commonly belief of the early followers of Christ believed this. As a result of his source VERY close to the story, Mark consistently drops knowledge we don’t find in the other two versions of this event (Mt 9:1-8; Lk 5:18-26).

Crowded Inside and Out

We see one of those juicy tidbits in the very next verse. “Soon the house where He was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door” (v2). Thanks to Pete, Mark is the only Gospel writer to let us know that it’s so crowded inside that it was crowded outside!

This is like one of those a crazy house parties teenagers throw when their parents are out of town. Relax, I’m NOT talking about your kids. They would NEVER try to pull anything like that, would they?

Getting in the Way of God

Picture the scene. People are hoping meet the One they’ve heard so much about. There’s just one problem. They can’t get anywhere close to Him. That stuff still happens to this day. Too many times we put too much stuff in folks’ way that makes really hard to get near Jesus. They may hear about Him. But they never meet Him.

You know the kinds of stuff I’m talking about. In some churches, you have to dress a certain way. In others, you got all sorts of rules to follow and hoops to jump through. And some others, we get so hip and relevant that you can’t see our Savior through the smoke machine and laser lights.

The Life of the Party

For those who could make it inside the house, they have a front row seat as Jesus is “preaching God’s Word to them” (v2). Throughout Mark’s Gospel, Christ says this is THE big reason He has come (Mk 1:38-39; 3:14; 6:12; 13:10; 14:9). He’s sharing the awesome news of God’s gracious Gospel. More on that in a moment.

You can actually translate this phrase as “He was talking to them about the Word.” Jesus may have been preaching but He just as well could be involved in something a lot less formal. Think of it as more of a casual conversation.

All throughout the four Gospels, we consistently see Christ as life of the party. This would be a perfect example. As the center of attention, He’s leveraging the moment to tell people in Pete’s living room all about His good, good Father. And why not? The grace of God is His favorite topic.

Locked and Loaded for the Lord?

So what do I love to talk about when I’m hanging out with my friends? The latest movie franchise? My most recent show that I’ve binged watched on Netflix? The playoff chances of my favorite team? Hey, there’s nothing wrong with any of those (Okay, you’re on shaky ground if you pull for the Patriots, but that’s another matter for another day).

Does my love for Jesus and what He’s done in my life regularly pop up in my conversations. Does His grace naturally flow out of me? No, I’m not talking about cramming an awkward list of religious rules down folks’ throats. Am I so consumed with Christ that I can’t contain myself when I’m with others?

I like how Pete puts it. “If someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way” (1Pet 3:15-16). Sometimes people may not ask. Other times they will. When they do, am I locked and loaded to talk about the Lord? 

Four Men and a Friend

Meanwhile things are about to pick up back at the shindig at Pete and Andy’s place in Capernaum. “Four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat” (v3). Once again, Mark provides a fact we don’t see in Matthew or Luke. He tells us how many guys have come together to carry their buddy to see Jesus.

We don't get the back story of why he’s disabled. Mark uses a Greek term (Gr. παραλυτικος/paralutikos) five times in this short passage which describes someone unable to walk, disabled, weak, feeble, or lacking strength. It’s actually a compound word which literally means “destroyed on one side.” Whatever happened to him, he’s severely paralyzed. MacArthur speculates the poor guy could actually be a quadriplegic.

When We’re Running on E

While we don’t know his medical history, we do know he has four great friends. These guys have rallied around him in order to do for him what he couldn’t do for himself. Sometimes we have to carry a friend who’s too weak to carry themselves. Not when they’re physically weak, but emotionally and spiritually feeble as well.

Have you ever wanted to throw in the towel on God but a great friend came along who was willing to sit right there in the mess with with you? Keep an eye out for people you know who might be running on E. Maybe it’s their faith. Maybe it’s their heart. Maybe it’s their body. Be the kind of friend Paul writes to the Galatians about. “Share each others burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ” (Gal 6:2).

When You Can’t Go Through, You Go Over

Imagine the reaction of these four friends when they pull up to Peter and Andrew’s house and see people filling the front yard. Instead turning around, they get creative. “They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above His head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus” (v4).

They don’t go through the crowd. They go OVER it! Homes in First Century Palestine are a bit different than the two-story brick transitional on the cul-de-sac just down the street. These places had rooftop patios for cooling off at the end of the day and sleeping on a hot night which you could access by an external stairway.

Unroofing the Roof

Instead of the asphalt shingles on most American homes, the roof is made of slabs of burnt or dried clay placed on wooden beams. That’s how the four friends are able to take apart the place apart so easily.

Mark describes how “they dug a hole through the roof” (v4). He has a pretty cool way of saying it in the original language. “Dug a hole” (Gr. αποστεγαζω/apostegazo) and “roof” (Gr. στεγη/stege) come from the same root word. In other words, they literally “unroofed the roof”!

Meanwhile in the Living Room

Put yourself in the living room with Jesus and the lucky few who made it inside the house. You hear some scratching above you. Suddenly pieces of the ceiling begin falling on you. Before you know it, there’s a good-sized hole and someone’s being lowered on a stretcher right in front of Christ!

The effort and ingenuity of these four men is something to see. They literally tore the roof of the joint that day! If you’re like me, you may be wondering what’s going through Jesus’ mind when He see this crazy scene. What’s His reaction going to be? Will He freak out at the dust in His hair? Will He be upset that they interrupted what He was saying?

Seeing Their Faith

The Lord is anything but upset. Nope, just the opposite. “Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, ‘My child, your sins are forgiven’” (v5). Did you catch whose faith He saw? “Seeing THEIR faith” (v5 emphasis added). These four guys have just put their trust that Jesus could and would heal their buddy on display for everyone to see.

Jesus’ own kid brother James is blunt when it comes to legit trust in God. “Faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless” (James 2:17). These men didn’t just stand outside the crowd wishing and hoping Jesus might be able to do something for him, they did something!

An Obvious Faith

Their faith got busy. Their faith got down to business. They didn’t just talk the faith talk, they walked the faith walk. They put their faith into action and on the line. They were going to do anything and everything possible to get their boy to Jesus. And when they did, He saw THEIR faith!

This is when I need to take a long, hard look at the guy in the morning mirror and ask some very blunt questions. I may talk a good game at times but do people actually see my faith? Is my trust in Jesus blatantly obvious by what I do? Do I put the needs of others ahead of my own because of my faith in Christ?

A Symptom of Spiritual Disease

Back inside Pete and Andy’s house, Jesus is about to kick things up a notch. What? You thought that four guys busting through the roof to lower their disabled friend was wild enough? Oh baby, you ain’t seen nothing yet!

Christ’s response to the whole stretcher-through-the-ceiling move is about to rock everyone’s world. He tells “the paralyzed man, ‘My child, your sins are forgiven’” (v5). Sins? You assumed they brought their buddy because he couldn’t walk. Our Savior diagnoses the man’s deeper problem and understands his physical disability is actually just a symptom of his spiritual disease.

Apparently this man’s sin has resulted in severe impairment. A boatload of Bible scholars see Jesus’ forgiveness to mean the guy’s paralysis is the direct result of his rebellion against God. Sometimes it’s not. Take the blind man Christ heals during the holidays (Jn 9:1-3). But sometimes we can connect the dots of our disobedience with our disease.

Not the Only Sinner in the Story

This is a great time to remember that the paralyzed gentleman isn’t the only sinner in the story. That description fits everybody in the crowd at the house. Peter. Andrew. The four faithful friends. It also includes the author of the story everyone who has ever heard it. As a matter of fact, it also includes everybody who hasn’t!

That’s because we all we’re all sinners. You. Me. Us. Them. It’s Paul’s big point in a letter to Roman believers. “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Rom 3:23). “Everyone” and “all” pretty much covers it, don’t you think?

Our Sinless Savior

Everybody except Jesus. He’s the sinless Son of God who does for us what we could never dream of doing for ourselves. He came to live the perfect life that we failed to live. He came to die the brutal death for our sin that we should have died. He rose to a glorious new life that we don’t deserve.

Here’s the Good News in a nutshell. “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ” (2Cor 5:21). In other words, Jesus exchanges us His complete perfection for our sinful rejection. Trusting in that trade results in God’s forgiveness.

Blasphemy!

Back at the crowded house in Capernaum, things are about to get, shall we say, messy. Here’s how Mark puts it. “But some of the teachers of religious law who were sitting there thought to themselves, ‘What is He saying? This is blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!’” (v6-7).

Apparently these religious experts got there early for front row seats. They saw it all. The hole in the roof. The lowering of the stretcher. If that didn’t blow their minds, Jesus’ offering of forgiveness to the paralyzed man sure did.

Putting God in a Box

Just who are these guys? They’re what are often called scribes. They’re men who study the Old Testament and interpret them for the average Joe. That’s all well and good but they rarely stop there. They don’t just teach the lesson. They like to help God out by cooking up with their own crazy curriculum loaded with extra commands.

As a result, God has to fit into THEIR box and play by THEIR rules. And that’s why they get their religious undies in a bundle when Jesus has the gall to forgive someone’s sin. The scribes blow a gasket because the new Rabbi in town is claiming to be God by doing things only God can do!!

Jesus Claims to Be God

You may hear people say Jesus never claimed to be God. He may have been a radical who challenged the status quo. But NOT God. He may have been a miracle-working healer. But NOT God. He may have been a great teacher. But NOT God.

Well, let’s be clear. That’s EXACTLY what Jesus is doing here in Mark 2. The religious police don’t turn on the blue lights because He teaches and heals. It’s all because Jesus is claiming to be God. And according to the OT, that’s a capital crime (Lev 24:10-23; Num 15:30-31).

The funny thing is that they’re both wrong and right…all at the same time! They’re absolutely right. Only God CAN forgive sin. But their totally wrong. It’s NOT blasphemy…because Jesus IS God! The Lord isn’t just tearing apart their box and ripping up their rules. He’s tearing the roof off the joint!

Putting a Leash on the Lion

Too many times I end up taking a page out of the scribes’ playbook and try to limit our unlimited God. Go ahead, put a leash on the Lion of Judah and see how that works for you. He’s going to do what He wants to do. NOT what I expect Him to do.

“The LORD does whatever pleases Him throughout all the heaven and earth, and on the seas and in their depths” (Ps 135:6). Did you catch that? Whatever He wants. Wherever He wants. That includes both a First Century Galilee or 21st Century America and anywhere in between. It’s all part of being God.

Exposing Dark Secrets

But not only does the Lord see the faith of the four men and their friend, He knows what’s rattling around in the heads of the religious teachers. “Jesus knew immediately what they were thinking” (v8-9). He doesn’t just forgive sin. He exposes are darkest secrets.

Even if the scribes didn’t roll their holier-than-thou eyes, the Son of God reads them like an open book. Jesus’ best buddy John puts it this way. “No one needed to tell Him about human nature, for He know what was in each person’s heart” (Jn 2:25). Nobody reads a room or knows a crowd better than Christ. And that’s still the case.

Take Your Best Shot

Whether the Son of God supernaturally reads their minds or just caught the scribes rolling their it really doesn’t matter. Suddenly He drags them from the sidelines onto center stage. “So He asked them, ‘Why do you question in your hearts? Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man, “Your sins are forgiven,” or “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk?” (v8-9).

It’s Jesus’ way of saying, “Go ahead, boys. Take your best shot. Give it a try. Pick one…forgive his sins or heal his disease. Your choice. You call. Let’s see what you got.” From a spiritual sense, it’s impossible for anybody but God to forgive someone’s sin. From an earthly sense, it’s unthinkable for anybody but God to heal paralysis. What’ll it be?

He’s Got the Godly Goods

The Lord doesn’t leave us hanging. “‘So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.’ Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, ‘Stan up, pick up your mat, and go home!’” (v10-11).

Jesus is about to demonstrate to the scribes and everybody else jammed in the joint that He’s got the godly goods. He’s Messiah. He’s got authority. He can forgive sin. He can heal disease. In other words, He’s God.

A Description of Divinity

This is the first time in Mark’s Gospel when Jesus drops His favorite nickname for Himself, the Son of Man. He’s dusting off one Daniel’s favorite descriptions of divinity. Danny gives us a prophetic play-by-play of something he saw in the heavenly throne room.

“I saw Someone like a Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into His presence. He was given authority, honor, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, so that the people of every race and nation and language would obey Him. His rule is eternal—it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed” (Dan 7:14-15).

Calling Himself the Son of Man is Jesus’ not-so-subtle announcement that He is God. God the Father has given Him complete authority to do whatever He wants, whenever He wants, wherever He wants. He will rule forever. Ladies and gentlemen, meet the Messiah and King of Kings.

Love through the Roof!

I’m not saying what the four guys did for their disabled friend wasn't something to see. They ripped the roof off the place in order to get their buddy to the Lord. But that’s JV compared to what Jesus has done. The Son of God didn’t just descend through a hole in the roof. He dove all the way from heaven to earth in order to save us. God’s love for us is through the roof!

Forgive sin? Piece of cake. Don’t believe Him? Just sit back and watch Christ restore full mobility to a paralyzed man. “And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, ‘We’ve never seen anything like this before!’” (v12).

The Ultimate Walk off

Jesus drops the mic on the scribes. Good night. Game over. Drive home safely. He didn’t need to say another word to these religious bullies. When the man walks home, Jesus delivers the ultimate walk off. He’s God. Period. End of discussion.

Jesus blows the lid off the joint. He unroofs the roof. And He still does.

©2017
Jay Jennings

God's Gut Reaction

Is God Paying Attention?

It happens a lot at our house. The TV is on but it’s nothing more than background noise while we do something else (Okay, I admit that we watch WAY too much television). We’re not really paying attention. Sometimes I turn it on as white noise while I take a Sunday afternoon nap. Come on, is there anything more soothing than a whispering golf announcer?

That’s the picture many of us have of God when it comes to what’s going on down here on our little third rock from the sun. He might be watching but He’s not really paying attention. He’s got the volume turned way down.

Maybe He’s doing something else, something more important. Or maybe He just doesn’t care. It doesn’t take much for us to picture our Creator catching a few Zs in a His heavenly throne that kicks back like a divine La-Z-Boy.

The Compassion Reaction

There’s only one little problem with all that. It’s not true. Not even close. God IS paying close attention. He DOES care and cares deeply. Better yet, He not only cares but is so deeply moved and invested in what’s going on that He’ll do something about it. That’s what happens when God is moved in the gut by what He sees.

God is paying attention. He cares with every fiber of His eternal being. He’s fully and passionately involved whether we know it or not. He not CAN do something about our pain and suffering…He WILL do something about it!

God’s gut reaction is compassion.

Buckle Your Seat Belt

This is exactly the point of a story Mark tells near the end of the opening chapter in his bio of Jesus (Mk 1:40-45). Man, these opening pages are action packed! There’s a LOT going on in just a few short paragraphs. Don’t open the second Gospel of the New Testament without buckling your seat belt. This rascal is the original Fast and Furious!

The story begins with holy road construction (Mk 1:1-3). Jesus’ weird bug-eating cousin John gets the crowd ready for the coming Messiah (Mk 1:4-8). When the Son of God gets baptized, the Father and Spirit join Him to make a rare public appearance by the Trinity (Mk 1:9-11).

Christ is probably still dripping with river water when He heads off to a forty-day duel with the devil in the desert (Mk 1:12-13). After staring down Satan, it’s go time for the Son of God in Galilee (Mk 1:14-15). He then begins drafting the team He’ll use to save the world by picking four commercial fishermen (Mk 1:16-20).

One Slamming Sabbath

Next thing you know, Jesus shocks the crowd at the Capernaum synagogue on the Sabbath, not only with amazing teaching but a rather raucous exorcism (Mk 1:21-28). After church, He heads to Simon and Andrew’s house and heals Simon’s mother-in-law (Mk 1:29-31).

Later that evening, the Lord transforms the humble home into crowded urgent care clinic as people show up hoping Jesus will heal them (Mk 1:32-34). Instead of sleeping in the next morning, our Savior gets up at o-dark-thirty for some alone time with His Dad and to get laser-focused on His upcoming mission and message (Mk 1:35-39).

Kind of a Big Deal

Which brings to a little story we see not just in Mark but Matthew (Mt 8:1-4) and Luke (Lk 5:12-14) as well. Here’s a little tip. When three of the four biographers of Jesus include the same event, that’s a clue that this is kind of a big deal.

Matthew gives us the “when” while Luke gives us the “where.” Matt says this happens right after Jesus preaches His most famous message, the one we call the Sermon on the Mount (Mt 8:1). According to Luke, the location is one of the local Galilean villages (Lk 5:12).

The Big L

As we pick up the action back in Mark, we see someone going out of his way to get to the Son of God. “A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. ‘If You are willing, You can heal me and make me clean,’ he said” (v40).

Let’s face it, we don’t exactly see a whole lot of leprosy in 21st Century America. A little plaque psoriasis maybe. A nasty case of eczema possibly. Or teenager embarrassed by their complexion. That’s about it. We don’t see commercials from a pharmaceutical company encouraging us to ask our doctor about the latest and greatest leprosy wonder drug.

But leprosy in ancient times was a HUGE health problem. First Century Jews called leprosy “the Finger of God” or “the Stroke.” While there were a long list of skin disorders that fit the label of the Big L, the worst kind was chronic, incurable, and eventually fatal. One Bible commentator calls it “the living death.” It’s known today as Hansen’s disease.

Outcasts from Society

A quick check of Scripture tells us that leprosy turns the skin white as snow (Ex 4:6; Num 12:10; 2Ki 5:27). A victim doesn’t expect any healing or relief (2Ki 5:7). Like the spiritual disease of our own sin, there’s no cure without from God’s involvement. Similar to folks with HIV/AIDS today, lepers were outcasts from society that no one wanted anywhere near them.

We don’t know this guy’s name that Mark describes but we do have a pretty good handle on his condition when he comes to Christ. Dr. Luke diagnoses the dude with “an advanced case of leprosy” (Lk 5:12). It’s bad. REALLY bad. This awful disease has probably cost him a finger or two and maybe even a foot. Let’s just say he wasn’t looking to Jesus for a little relief from a pesky rash.

A Gut Feeling about Jesus

The guy “came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed” (v40). From our perspective, it makes sense. The Rabbi/Carpenter is blowing up after that crazy day of healing in Capernaum. Surely He’s the answer. He goes all in on the Son of God. He doubles down on his belief that Christ could heal him too. He’s got a gut feeling about Jesus.

But what we may not realize is that in his desperation, the poor man totally breaks all the rules. According to the Old Testament, any sign of leprosy means quarantine and isolation (Num 5:1-4; 12:10-15). To make matters worse, someone with this dreaded disease has to warn anybody not to come near them (Lev 13:45-46).

Hopeless and Homeless

We don’t know how long he’s suffered. But put yourself in his sandals for a second. You’re body is literally and slowly rotting away. You’re forced to live outside the city. You can never hug your kids again. You can never kiss your wife again. You’re utterly lonely and completely hopeless…until you hear about Jesus!

Basically living homeless outside the city limits, you’ve come to believe that God isn’t paying attention. That He doesn’t care. He may be the Creator but He must have better things to do than spend time listening a leper’s prayers in the backwater boondocks of Galilee.

Rules, Schmules!

But that all changes when you hear the news about the miracle working Messiah making rounds in the neighborhood. You don’t realize it at the time, but your potential source of healing is actually THE Son of God. God DOES care. He cares SO much that He’s left the luxury of the heavenly palace to come on the ultimate rescue mission to heal us and save us.

And now you hear He’s headed your way. Rules, schmules! You’re going to find a way to see Him. You don’t give a hoot whether you’ve got an appointment or not. You’re hoping against all hope that Jesus is taking walk-ins! You’ve got a gut feeling He’s your best and last chance.

It doesn’t take much to picture the man stumbling as fast as he can and throwing himself on his knees before the Lord. In worship. In complete submission. In total dependance. In utter desperation. He’s out of options. The scene reminds me of what Corrie Ten Boom said. “You never know Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have.” At this point, Jesus IS all he has.

Ain’t Too Proud to Beg

Once he has Christ’s attention, he pulls no punches on his request. “If You are willing, You can heal me and make me clean” (v40). He knew Jesus could. He didn’t know if He would. He knew Christ had the power. He didn’t know if He had the want to. But one thing was for sure, the man was going to ask. He was going to plead. He had absolutely nothing to lose. As the Temptations like to say, he ain’t too proud to beg!

This comes back to that core question. Do I REALLY believe He can heal me? And if I do think the Son of God’s got the goods to cure me, do I believe He’ll deliver? Do I NOT ask Him because I don’t think He can or, even worse, don’t think He cares? Is Jesus even paying attention to little ol’ me? Doesn’t He have better things to do? More important items on His divine to-do list?

A Cathartic Moment

Mark tells us that the man knows that IF Jesus wants to, “You can heal me and make me clean” (v40). The author uses a Greek word here (Gr. καθαριζο/katharizo) that the NLT translates as “heal me make me clean” which means to purify, clean, purge, rid of disease, or even make acceptable to God.

It’s where we get our word catharsis, a cleansing or purging that brings about a renewal. John Mark uses it three times in three verses in this passage. Here in verse 40. Again when Jesus responds “be healed” in the next verse. And one more time in verse 42 at the end of the treatment. But let’s not get ahead ourselves.

Splag-what?

So back to the big question. Not could Jesus, but would Jesus? We get our answer in Mark’s description of our Savior’s response. Christ is “moved with compassion” (v41). Excuse me while we drill down a bit in the original language again. This is the word σπλαγχνιζομαι/splagchnizomai, which means to feel sympathy for, experience great affection for someone, or take pity on someone.

How deep is this emotion? Check this out. The term comes from another Greek noun (Gr. σπλαγχνον/splagchnon) which actually means bowels, intestines, or internal organs. Back in ancient times, your innards were thought to be the seat of deep love and all passionate emotion.

Moved to His Core

The man’s disease and desperate request punches Jesus in the gut. The Lord has a visceral reaction to his situation. He’s moved to His holy core. His stomach turns at the sight.

God’s gut reaction is compassion!

The Compassion of Christ

It’s important to note that the only time we see it in the New Testament is when the writers are talking about Jesus or when He’s telling a parable describing His Heavenly Dad. Here are a few examples.

The Son of God has a gut reaction when the people are harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd (Mt 9:36; Mk 6:34). It happens when He sees the massive crowd coming to Him from the surrounding cities (Mt 14:14). One more time when another huge audience is starving after a three-day lakeside Bible study (Mt 15:32; Mk 8:2).

It doesn’t take a big crowd to rock Christ to His core. It happens when he meets two visually impaired men near Jericho who desperately want to see again (Mt 20:34). There’s the time when a heartbroken dad pleads with Jesus to do something to help his demon-tortured son (Mk 9:22). Once again when He sees a widowed mother in a funeral procession for her recently deceased son (Lk 7:13).

Compassion in the Parables

When Jesus tells the story of the unforgiving employee, the worker’s original boss “was filled with pity (Gr. σπλαγχνιζομαι/splagchnizomai) for him, and he released him and forgave his debt” (Mt 18:27). In the parable of the kindhearted Samaritan, this despised foreigner is the only one whose heart breaks for the man who had been mugged and left for dead on the side of the road (Lk 10:33).

Then there’s the famous story of the faithful father and his two knucklehead sons. The dad is overwhelmed with compassion that he sprints off the porch to meet the one son who returned in repentance (Lk 15:20). The big idea? There’s no one more deeply moved by our situation than God Himself.

Sympathy, Empathy, and Compassion

Don’t get compassion confused with sympathy or empathy. Sympathy is pity for somebody else’s problems. Empathy is the ability to relate to somebody’s situation vicariously. But compassion is both an understanding of someone else’s pain AND the desire to do something about it in someway.

Our Savior certainly understands and relates to our situation. That’s what His incarnation is all about. It’s the point of Jesus being our priest. “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for He faced all of the same testings we do, yet He did not sin” (Heb 4:15).

But Christ doesn’t simply care. He has the desire to do something about it. On some level, the man understands the truth we read in Hebrews. “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most” (Heb 4:16).

God’s gut reaction is compassion.

Jesus Reaches out

Which brings us back to the leper’s dermatological appointment with the Great Physician in Galilee. Jesus’ instinctively responds to him with love and care. As a result, He’s moved to do something. “Jesus reached out and touched him” (v41). Yeah, that’s right, Jesus reaches out and touches him!

For someone in the first century with a diagnosis of leprosy, this is the last thing you would expect to happen. Reach out and touch? No way. More like turn around and run. Lepers commonly had to dodge rocks from from folks trying to scare them away. Jesus reaching out to touch was totally unexpected.

It’s My Pleasure

But the radical Rabbi/Carpenter did just make loving contact with him, He responds to his request. “‘I am willing,’ He said. ‘Be healed!’” (v41). Jesus not only wants to heal, He’s going to heal! I love how the Bible in Basic English translates the Lord’s reply. “It is My pleasure; be made clean” (v41 BBE).

In other words, we’re not wasting Jesus’ time when we ask. He looks forward to helping us. He’s SO glad when we ask! We’re not bothering Him. It’s no inconvenience. It’s not a hassle. He loves when we come to Him and invite Him to be involved. Why?

God’s gut reaction is compassion.

Immediate Healing

Jesus wastes no time getting down to business. “Instantly the leprosy disappeared, and the man was healed” (v42). The Son of God doesn’t write the guy a prescription for a topical ointment and tell to apply twice a day for two weeks. He heals him. Immediately. On the spot. Christ liberally applies the love of God and miraculously cures him.

For the tenth time in his opening chapter, we see Mark use favorite adverb ευθεος/eutheos. It describes something that happens immediately, at once, straightaway, next, and indicates the immediate event in a sequence.

The author uses a form of this word eleven times in chapter one for a grand total of more than 40 times the second Gospel. That’s more than the rest of the New Testament combined! Think the Bible is boring? Then you need to read Mark’s bio of Jesus. It’s more like a non-stop action flick.

He WANTS Us to Ask

Will Jesus give you and me instantaneous healing like the leprous man in Mark? I honestly don’t know. But here’s what we DO know. He cares and He can. We don’t know until we ask Him. He WANTS us to ask. He loves when we invite Him to get involved.

There are times when He has a reason to delay our healing. Take Paul for example (2Cor 12:5-9). He begged God repeated to rid him of an unnamed pain. But Jesus told him this particular pain has a specific purpose. The Lord allowed it in order to keep the apostle humble. Each time Paul asked, Jesus’ response was the same. “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness” (2Cor 12:9).

Delayed Response

In other words, sometimes Jesus’ compassion is actually the reason His response is delayed. Say what?!?! As with Paul, the Son of God is more concerned with my holiness than my happiness. His healing is anything but a one-size-fits-all kinda deal. Christ probably won’t do for me what He’s done for you. Maybe He will. One thing that is for sure is His compassion.

God’s gut reaction is compassion.

Where’s MY Compassion?

Here’s where I need to press “pause” and ask myself some hard questions. Do I have sympathy and empathy for those who are suffering? Does my heart break for those in pain? What’s more, do I have compassion for others? I may not be Jesus but there are plenty of times when I can do something to help. That’s what being the church is all about, isn’t it? Isn’t it?

Working through Established Channels

At this point, Jesus tells the guy how he should spread the word to anyone and everyone about the miracle. Not. Pretty much the opposite. Christ warns him, “Don’t tell anyone about this. Instead, go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed” (v43-44).

Jesus has a very specific audience He wants to hear the news. The local priest. He’s telling the man to follow the instructions God gave Moses about being cleansed from leprosy (Lev 14:2-32). The Son of God wants the word of the healing to get out through His Father’s established channels. It’s important that the priest knows Jesus’ ministry is legit!

Staying on Schedule

There’s another important reason for our Savior to keep a lid on what’s going on in Galilee. He has a three-year timetable. He needs to stay on schedule. If word gets back to the religious leaders and Roman politicians that the REAL King of the Jews has made the scene, things are going to get messy in a big hurry.

“But the man went and spread the word, proclaiming to everyone what had happened” (v45). Well, so much for keeping things on the down low. It just goes to show you that everything in the Bible isn’t all buttoned up. It’s not all smooth sailing.

This is what happens when God interacts with imperfect people like you and me. Too many times, we ignore His instructions. We think we know better than the One who knows everything. We make the mistake of getting ahead of God and forcing our agenda on Him. FYI, that never works out well for you and me.

Going Gaga in Galilee

The next thing you know, Galilee’s going gaga over the Son of God. “As a result, large crowds soon surrounded Jesus, and He couldn’t publicly enter a town anywhere. He had to stay out in the secluded places, but people from everywhere kept coming to Him” (v45).

Christ has to change His game plan. He calls an audible. There’s a lot more camping involved because of the buzz. But that certainly doesn’t dampen His demand. Folks flock to find the Lord wherever He is. Despite it all, Jesus doesn’t turn anyone away.

That’s because God’s gut reaction is compassion.

©2017 

Jay Jennings