We are trying to read more scripture with our kids. So we've been reading through Mark on the nights we eat dinner all together. Last night we were in Mark 1 and here is what we read:
"A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”
Jesus was filled with compassion. 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." Mark 1:40-41
You should know that I'm kind of a crier, especially when it comes to our kids. So reading this to them, imagining the Word of God soaking into their little hearts and brains already made me tear but a bit. But then, as we discussed it, my wonderful husband pointed out something that I've heard before, but it came to me new. He singled out this portion of that story: "He reached out his hand and touched the man."
You probably know that leprosy in those days was a big deal. Lepers were considered unclean and there was no cure. And their disease was visible by all. No matter where they went the was no hiding what they were. They were the unwanted, the undesirable. Jesus touched this man. He touched him. We talked about how long it had been since that man had had any human touch. I was overwhelmed. And convicted. Because Jesus didn't just touch the man who hadn't been touched in a long time, he touched the infected, unclean man.
Here's the lesson for us. Jesus, moved by deep compassion, was willing to touch the dirty, unclean, diseased leper before he had been cleansed. Jesus' touch didn't just heal this man's disease, but healed his heart as well. We may or may not be able to heal someone's physical wounds, but we can heal heart wounds. But just as Christ touched the man because he was moved by compassion, our reaching has to start in our own hearts. I'm not going to pretend to be Ms. Accpet Everyone As They Are. One of my bigger struggles is with being judgmental and critical. Left to my own devices, which I was once upon a time, I am one of the "us" and there are a whole bunch of "them" who need to get their lives together and stop doing dumb things. But that is not Jesus' heart... and he's slowly changing mine every single day. I want to be moved out of judgement into compassion.
While there are some bigger issues we, as a collective church, have not handled well, I actually don't want to focus on those. Because I'm not interested in changing the collective church. I'm interested in changing me. I'm interested in raising my children to love the broken and hurting and dirty and undesirable. And my charge to everyone else is this: there are lines you draw and you need to stop. There are people in your mind that are "unreachable." You may not admit it consciously, but if you really look deep into how you react to certain people, you know that there are people out there who, if they approached you, you'd recoil in disgust. Stop. And this is different for everyone... depending on your upbringing or geographical location, the "unclean" in your mind will be different from someone else's. Politics can desensitize us to compassion as well. If political issues keep you from loving people, get out of the political mindset. Jesus never tried to change politics. He changed hearts. I want to be open to anyone. Ready to love anyone no matter where they come from or what sort of life they live or belief the ascribe to. And I encourage you to be open as well. Let compassion move you. Jesus, let compassion move me. Amen.
You should know that I'm kind of a crier, especially when it comes to our kids. So reading this to them, imagining the Word of God soaking into their little hearts and brains already made me tear but a bit. But then, as we discussed it, my wonderful husband pointed out something that I've heard before, but it came to me new. He singled out this portion of that story: "He reached out his hand and touched the man."
You probably know that leprosy in those days was a big deal. Lepers were considered unclean and there was no cure. And their disease was visible by all. No matter where they went the was no hiding what they were. They were the unwanted, the undesirable. Jesus touched this man. He touched him. We talked about how long it had been since that man had had any human touch. I was overwhelmed. And convicted. Because Jesus didn't just touch the man who hadn't been touched in a long time, he touched the infected, unclean man.
Here's the lesson for us. Jesus, moved by deep compassion, was willing to touch the dirty, unclean, diseased leper before he had been cleansed. Jesus' touch didn't just heal this man's disease, but healed his heart as well. We may or may not be able to heal someone's physical wounds, but we can heal heart wounds. But just as Christ touched the man because he was moved by compassion, our reaching has to start in our own hearts. I'm not going to pretend to be Ms. Accpet Everyone As They Are. One of my bigger struggles is with being judgmental and critical. Left to my own devices, which I was once upon a time, I am one of the "us" and there are a whole bunch of "them" who need to get their lives together and stop doing dumb things. But that is not Jesus' heart... and he's slowly changing mine every single day. I want to be moved out of judgement into compassion.
While there are some bigger issues we, as a collective church, have not handled well, I actually don't want to focus on those. Because I'm not interested in changing the collective church. I'm interested in changing me. I'm interested in raising my children to love the broken and hurting and dirty and undesirable. And my charge to everyone else is this: there are lines you draw and you need to stop. There are people in your mind that are "unreachable." You may not admit it consciously, but if you really look deep into how you react to certain people, you know that there are people out there who, if they approached you, you'd recoil in disgust. Stop. And this is different for everyone... depending on your upbringing or geographical location, the "unclean" in your mind will be different from someone else's. Politics can desensitize us to compassion as well. If political issues keep you from loving people, get out of the political mindset. Jesus never tried to change politics. He changed hearts. I want to be open to anyone. Ready to love anyone no matter where they come from or what sort of life they live or belief the ascribe to. And I encourage you to be open as well. Let compassion move you. Jesus, let compassion move me. Amen.
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