The Leper is healed - a sermon preached by Richard Tuckwell at St Peter's

February 12th 2006     Saint Peter?s, Duddon

Gospel Reading:  Mark 1:40-end

O Lord, heal us and we shall be healed, save us, and we shall be saved and the praise shall be yours alone.   Amen

For me the phrase that is most interesting in this morning?s Gospel reading is ?Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand?? If we had read the version in the ?Revised English Bible? we would have heard the words: ?Jesus was moved to anger; he stretched out his hand?? Those who study early writings of the Gospel feel that the word used by Mark was more closely related to anger. (I note that David has mentioned this on the network sheet)

Yet how closely the words anger and compassion are related in this instance. Jesus was not, of course angry with the leper himself, I am quite sure. But Jesus? nature was to show pity and compassion through that natural anger we have with situations which could so easily be changed.  Jesus must have been affected by the way in which society at the time shunned those with skin diseases, not all of them leprosy but the disfigurement aroused suspicion and fear through lack of understanding. And the Jewish law was so clear. In Leviticus there are two chapters about skin diseases which make quite uncomfortable reading with minute detail on symptoms, procedures and ritual cleansing. Those with infectious skin diseases were to ??..wear torn clothes, let his hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of his face and cry out, ?Unclean!... he must live alone; he must live outside the camp.?

I would like to explore the theme of compassion a little more based on what we have heard in the Gospel, covering the themes that the world challenges our compassion: that Jesus is the model of compassion, that compassion changes lives and ending with ?where is the source for compassion??

Firstly, The world challenges our compassion?. The leper almost issues a challenge to Jesus; ?If you are willing you can make me clean?? Do we care about those who suffer so much in the world? I have often told the story related by Cliff Richards as a young person confronting his own feelings whilst promoting the Tear Fund charity.

Cliff had been returning from a concert tour in Australia and had experienced the Sydney Opera House and all the good things in life. On his return he visited Bangladesh as part of his work with the Tear Fund. In his book ?Which One?s Cliff?? he writes:

In Bangladesh I watched an eighteen-month-old baby die of starvation because its parents couldn?t afford to feed it?.I left behind my stage suits and smart gear and kept with me a toothbrush, spare pair of jeans and a guitar: just that was enough to put me in a class apart. People in Bangladesh don?t have spare anything?. That first morning I must have washed my hands a dozen times. Whenever we stopped, I made a beeline for the communal tap or well; I didn?t want to touch anything, least of all people. Everyone in those camps, even the babies, was covered in sores and scabs.

I was bending down to one little mite, mainly for the photographer?s benefit, and trying hard not to have too close a contact, when someone accidentally stood on the child?s fingers. He screamed out and, as a reflex, I grabbed hold of him, forgetting all about his dirt and sores. I remember now that warm little body clinging to me and the crying instantly stopped. In that moment I knew I had an enormous amount to learn about practical Christian loving but at least I?d started.?

As a community we never have to look far for those affected by serious illness, the homeless, the poor and hungry in our own communities, those on the boundaries of so many of our church communities.  There is the story of a down-and-out  sitting on the step of a church and weeping. To his astonishment, Jesus came walking along the street, and sat down beside him. ?Why are you crying?? Jesus asked.

?They won?t let me in,? he said.

?I know how you feel,? sighed Jesus, ?I haven?t been able to get in there myself for years.? Not true, one hopes, for most churches today of course where outreach to all around is important, but the story makes us think.

In the Gospel Jesus is the model of compassion. Here in the Gospel Jesus takes two actions which show his loving response to the leper. Jesus touches the man and in that time, in that culture and its understandings, belief and law, Jesus himself became immediately unclean; he would not be allowed to worship in the Temple. Jesus was a risk-taker, stepping outside the norms and certainly inviting the questioning and criticism of the leaders.

The second action that Jesus took was to speak those words of hope to someone so rejected and condemned.  As Christians, and Anglicans in particular, we often shy away from mission, from outreach; yet the good news starts simply with reaching out to those in need of a word of comfort, a word of acceptance.

There are of course more complex problems which challenge us to make a Jesus-like response. Leprosy in Biblical times elicited the untouchable stigma. Over many years now Oxfam have worked on behalf of the Dalit peoples of India. These are the untouchables not by disease, but by accident of their birth and culture. A staggering 200 million people there, one in five of the population are classed as untouchable and are destined for poverty and degradation in their work and in the attitudes of others towards them, often denied the basic rights of education, of justice and care.

And to the third aspect of compassion that Compassion changes lives.

The leper in the Gospel was not only healed by Jesus, but he would be able to return to his family, his friends, to take up life again with a renewed focus and vision.  He would be able to share meals, to take part in corporate worship again; simply to live again. Jesus? actions are healing in a very wide and real sense.

Many charities are set up to carry out such acts of healing in the lives of those damaged or disadvantaged. Indeed the Leprosy Mission at the heart of it?s work states that:

• Be alive in its witness to Jesus Christ by deed and word.
• To work in partnership with individuals and communities.
• To work for a change in attitudes towards those with leprosy, standing alongside those affected by stigma and discrimination.

We need to remember of course that leprosy still affects many people and the mission works in 29 countries of the world. Our Parish supports the work of the Leprosy Mission and collecting boxes are available in both churches.

And the fourth point: where is the Source of compassion

Jesus knew how to respond when the leper came to Him. It?s that assurance that can stop us from becoming overwhelmed by the real and great need of those around us and in our world. Mark?s Gospel, just a few verses before our reading this morning, tells us that: ?Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.? Jesus in prayer and action was close to the heartbeat of God, feeling and acting in God?s way.  

Today is designated Education Sunday; this has been celebrated by the National Society for more than 100 years now.  In an age where individual and corporate success seems to so dominant, often at the expense of others, has such it is all too easy to forget the example of Jesus.  Right from the start of his ministry, Jesus challenged our attitudes to ambition, success and power. He recruited a team of ordinary people to be his disciples with whom he lived and worked. Jesus taught them and empowered them to share the Gospel with others. This relationship was characterized by cooperation and mutual support. Education should enable our youngsters to recognise and show compasssion and to understand the difference between selfish anger and the kind of anger that resulted in compassion such as that Jesus showed for humankind, where every person is valued.

Our renewal in compassion is available each time we celebrate the Eucharist here. As people gathered in the name of Christ we receive healing and strength each time we take part in worship.

The life and ministry of Jesus showed time and again that he was moved by natural anger with what he saw in the society and culture of his day; he showed us how to put love for humankind into action. Can we take up this challenge and move our anger to compassion for the things that really matter in life?

Lord we need to be aware of the deep miracles within that transform the heart and can help transform society. That leper?s heart led to life being transformed by Christ, healed and at peace with self and the world.

Amen