Mark 1:40-45
Last
week, I heard an NPR interview with a woman named Mary Elizabeth Williams. Two
years ago, she fought and won a battle with malignant melanoma on her scalp. A
year later, the melanoma had returned, this time in her lungs and on her back.
She found out she qualified for a medical trial for a new treatment. While she
was happy there was hope for her, she also soon discovered her life was not her
own. She could not even take an aspirin for a headache without consulting the
medical team.
Most
of her physicians were excellent and caring, but she experienced one doctor who
spoke about her illness to another person as if she were not even in the room.
It was as if Mary Elizabeth was a non-person; the melanoma was all that
mattered. She quickly changed doctors.
...
Lepers in Jesus’ time were like non-persons. We might note that even today, we
refer to them in scripture as lepers, not people with leprosy. Leprosy refers
to a multitude of skin diseases, psoriasis, eczema, and a few more serious
conditions. Some skin diseases were known to be short-lived and not contagious,
and the people who had them were not isolated, or were isolated only for a
short time.
Those
who had more serious diseases, those with illnesses which were contagious and
possibly deadly, were isolated for the good of the larger society. If people
with skin diseases were healed, they could go to the priests and show their
clean skin. The priests would declare them clean and allow them to return to
their community and their families. If they were never healed, they spent the
rest of their lives living outside of, and maybe far away from, their families
and their communities.
You
have probably heard the stories: lepers were required to make sure healthy
people were aware of their presence by ringing a bell; they had to tear their
clothing; they were dependent on nature for shelter and food, and on the good
will of healthy family members to leave food for them. They were cut off from
the larger community; they could not worship in the synagogue; they were kept
away from their families, and could not take care of them; they were
non-persons in their society. Except for other lepers, they never received the
touch of another human.
Into
this world, Jesus came touching the untouchable. The person in the story has no
name; let’s call him Benjamin. Jesus could have said, “Benjamin, I do choose to
heal you. Be well,” and never touched him. But before Jesus declared Benjamin
healed, Jesus reached out and touched him. Can you hear the crowd gasp?! “No
one touches lepers!” That is, no one but Jesus touches lepers.
...
Most of the time, you and I feel pretty visible and quite touchable. We are
relatively healthy and happy, and share our good spirits with hugs and
handshakes and laughter. We know we belong to a loving family and are welcome
in our community.
But,
sometimes, we feel like no one loves us, no one cares anything about us, the
whole world is against us. Or, we feel like we are not loveable, not touchable,
even if others do try to love and touch us. In those moments, we wish Jesus
would come and touch us and heal our broken hearts, but we aren’t sure we are
worthy of such touching and healing.
Fortunately,
Jesus comes to us in many ways. Jesus comes to us through the Holy Spirit’s
presence in our own lives, and through the loving touch of our friends, and
even through strangers we encounter. It’s always amazing to me how God puts
people in our lives to make God’s presence known.
The
Holy Spirit comes to us in the bread and wine of Holy Communion. The
forgiveness we receive when we eat the bread and drink the wine of communion is
a gift, freely given to us by God. It is a mystery just how Jesus is present in
the elements of communion, but we know he is there. I recently heard Holy Communion
called a hug from God. This makes it simple enough for children understand it,
and it’s really all we need to know. Through the meal of Holy Communion, we
know that we are lovable and touchable –and huggable – in God’s eyes.
The
Holy Spirit also comes to us in the rite of baptism. Today, as the water
touches Emmaclaire’s head, Jesus’ Holy Spirit washes over her, and for the rest
of her life, she will know she has been touched by God. Forever, she will be
able to remember that she is lovable and touchable, even when she doesn’t think
she is so lovable and touchable. And forever, we will be able to remember that
Emmaclaire is lovable and touchable, even when her behavior on some days might
make us wonder. :-0
On
our very good days, we, too, can remember that we are baptized and loved by
God, and very touchable. On our bad days, we should remember the same thing. We
are always lovable and touchable; we are always God’s beloved children, marked
with the cross of Christ and sealed by the Holy Spirit forever.
Today,
as Emmaclaire is baptized, we all make promises to guide her and support her as
she grows in faith. Together we will teach her that she is loved by God, and
called to serve God’s people with that same love.
This
week, I invite you to remember that you are baptized and claimed by God.
Remember in those moments of joy, and especially in those moments when you don’t
feel lovable or touchable, that you have been claimed by God as forever lovable
and forever touchable.
...
Please pray with me. God of love and healing, your Son Jesus touched the leper
and healed him. Your Holy Spirit touched Mary Elizabeth with the recognition
that no one should treat her as a non-person. Touch us all with your healing
and bring us into your loving embrace. Amen
