If You are willing, You can make me clean

 Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.  But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once.  So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her.  And she served them.

At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed.  And the whole city was gathered together at the door.  Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.

Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.  And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him.  When they found Him, they said to Him, "Everyone is looking for You."  But He said to them, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth."  And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons.

Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean."  Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."  As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.  And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."  However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.

- Mark 1:29-45

Yesterday we read that after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent, and believe in the gospel."  And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets.  And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.  Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught.  And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.  Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit.  And he cried out, saying, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.  Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this?  What new doctrine is this?  For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him."  And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.

 Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.  But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once.  So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her.  And she served them.  In Luke's Gospel, we're told that Jesus "rebuked the fever" of Peter's mother-in-law (Luke 4:39).  In both this text and Luke's, the effect happens immediately.  In this it resembles the exorcism that has jut taken place in the synagogue, in both the immediate effect and in the rebuke reported by Luke the Physician.  In either case, Christ is the One who has come to relieve us of oppression and suffering.

At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed.  And the whole city was gathered together at the door.  Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.   Again, we are told of the link between oppressive suffering and the demonic.  We should note that although medical science was not what it is today, in the ancient world in which the Gospels are set, all diseases were not attributed to direct demonic causes.  However, pain and suffering are seen in general as effects of a world given to sin, and under the influence of that which is opposed to God.  As Son of God, Christ brings into the world the living love of God.  My study bible notes here that He does not allow the demons to speak and to publicly identify Him as such.  This is foretold by Isaiah (Isaiah 42:1-4).  It lists a number of reasons for secrecy, including the growing hostility of the Jewish leadership; the people's misunderstanding of the Messiah as an earthly, political leader; and our Lord's desire to evoke a genuine faith which is not based solely on marvelous signs.  Jesus' forbidding the demons to speak also teaches us once more about the power of humility; all things are in the hands of God to unfold and reveal in the proper time (Mark 1:15).

Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.  And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him.  When they found Him, they said to Him, "Everyone is looking for You."  But He said to them, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth."  And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons.  My study bible remarks that Jesus sets forth for us an example of spiritual life.  He is God incarnate, and yet He prayed constantly.  We're frequently told that He finds a solitary place so that He is freed from distraction, despite the growing crowds of people who need Him.  My study bible comments that Our Lord's ministry comes forth from His communion with the Father and the Holy Spirit, and from there flows to people in their needs.  This is an example for us all regarding how we are to live our lives.  Jesus' praying in the morning teaches us to put into place as our first priority in life our commitment to God, and this in turn equips us to serve others (see Mark 12:28-31).

Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean."  Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."  As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.  And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."  However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.  We find the biblical law concerning leprosy in Leviticus 13; 14.  Deuteronomy 24:8 denotes the purification of lepers and leprous houses, a duty that was entrusted to the priests.   Leprosy among the ancient Jews was considered a direct punishment for sins.  As lepers were unclean they were not permitted to live in the community or to worship in the synagogues or the temple; their re-admittance to the community was strictly regulated, and so Jesus tells the healed leper to "show yourself to the priest" and act in accordance with the Mosaic Law.  Touching the unclean was forbidden (Leviticus 7:21), but Jesus touched him.  My study bible says that by this Jesus shows His compassion, and also that He is not subject to the Law but over it.  It notes, "To the clean, nothing is unclean."

The commentary in my study bible states, "To the clean, nothing is unclean."  We find this also somewhat inversely noted in Romans 14:14 by St. Paul, who writes, "I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean."  To the most holy One ever living in our world, nothing is unclean of itself.  The essential and important orientation here is that nothing that is created by God is unclean or evil in and of itself.  We may be burdened with oppressive cares, diseases and illnesses, struggles with all kinds of forces and difficulties, but none of these things make a person evil or unclean in themselves, as a creation of God.  This orientation is fully upheld in the Gospel, and particularly in the passages of today's reading, in which Jesus comes into the world as Healer and Deliverer.  Part of His role as Redeemer is to liberate us from these oppressive things which are considered unclean, teaching by His touch, as St. Paul writes, that nothing is unclean of itself.  In this context we note the link between "the evil one" (as the words in the Lord's prayer literally mean in the Greek; see Matthew 6:13) and those things which afflict mankind with suffering and oppression.  This "spiritual battle" in which Jesus comes as Liberator has to do with that which causes harm and destruction to human beings, and whose effects are deadly.  When we are in thrall to a false ideal we also suffer oppression and destructive effects.  When we labor under lies we do the same.  A disease such as anorexia afflicts individuals with a focus like a harsh taskmaster, as a fixed way of thinking that insists it is for the victim's good, but is ultimately destructive and even deadly.  According to statistics, anorexia is the most lethal of all psychiatric disorders (see this article).  In its harsh rules and regulations, an individual is "unclean" for having eaten.  It is an example of living under a lie, and the "evil one" has also been called by Christ the father of lies (John 8:44).  Christian fasting is not a practice in which foods are good and bad, but rather one in which we are encouraged to rely more deeply on a loving God, learning that we are fully capable of making free choices and that we are not simply slaves to desire -- the opposite of the oppression of an eating disorder.  By tradition with such practices, over-severity is recognized as the product of false piety, a form of pride or self-centeredness which is ultimately personally destructive.  In the Orthodox tradition, excessive or morbid guilt falls into the same category.  (As one dear friend, a priest I've known for years, puts it, "We have tools, not rules.")  Christ comes into the world in today's reading as Healer and Liberator, the One who is strong enough to fight what oppresses us and afflicts the world.  Illness and the demonic are bound up with the opposing and freeing force of God's love at work in the world.  And in this love is the message that nothing is unclean of itself, that all that is created by God is essentially good.  We are given to understand that we have choices.  We are offered a basic choice regarding that into which we will put our faith, and into whom we put our trust.  Here is the true spiritual message of Jesus beginning His day with prayer:  we first turn to our faith in and love for God, and from there we are taught right-relatedness to all of God's creation, including how we must think of ourselves as human beings.  Mark's Gospel has only just begun.  We are still in chapter 1, and yet it leads with this message of the "good news" of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  We are loved by the One who knows us as no other can know us, but we must find that love and return it in our own hearts to find His way for us, and the freedom we so desperately need for ourselves.