Those familiar with Mission Alive, know that we have a dream of seeing the good news of Jesus Christ and the kingdom of God transform marginalized communities. In fact, as we state right on the front of our website, “Mission Alive equips leaders to develop innovative communities of faith focused on transforming marginalized communities.”
There’s a lot to say about developing innovative communities of faith that can help bring about transformation among marginalized communities. We are actually working on a project that will explore in more depth the theology and practice of our vision. But as I think about serving marginalized communities, the story of Jesus cleansing the leper in Mark 1:40-45 comes to mind.
A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus was indignant. 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. Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: “See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.1
Not counting the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, no other story has probably had as much of an impact on me as a minister as this story has. I’m gobsmacked as I read this story, knowing that this leprous man’s statement is not questioning the ability of Jesus but his willingness.2 Let that sink in.
Why would anyone question the willingness of Jesus to help in any manner? Well, having leprosy meant that this man was regarded as unclean and therefore was excluded from society.3 It’s not hard to imagine other religious authorities like Jesus ignoring this man. So when he sees Jesus, his question is whether Jesus is any different. Will Jesus care or is Jesus just like all the rest?
So what is the response of Jesus? In v. 41, the NIV says that Jesus became “indignant” while other translations, such as the ESV and NRSVUE, say Jesus was “moved with pity.” There is a textual variant in the original manuscripts with good arguments for either reading.4 Jesus having compassion certainly makes sense because we can visualize the compassion Jesus has as we read the text. But it should not bother us to think of Jesus becoming angry. We too should be somewhat indignant when we encounter people suffering. What seems more important is that the emotional response of Jesus led to tangible action on behalf of this man with leprosy.
What then did Jesus do for the many with Leprosy? The heading for this story in the NIV Bible reads “Jesus Heals a Man With Leprosy” but heal/healing is never actually mentioned in the text. Neither the leprous man asks Jesus to heal him nor does Jesus tell the man that he is healed. This isn’t to deny the healing that does occur but the operative word here is clean. There is a difference because cleansing this man of his leprosy was much more than just physically healing him of a disease. By cleansing this man of his leprosy, Jesus was removing that which excluded this man from society as an unclean person.
“For a man who wondered whether a religious person like Jesus cared enough to help, this man’s encounter with Jesus lets him know that all the religious talk about the love of God is not just pious nonsense. That’s because through tangible action Jesus showed this man that God really does care.”
The story tells us that Jesus “reached out his hand and touched the man” as Jesus directly addressed the man, saying “I am willing… Be clean!” First of all, Jesus could have cleansed this man of his leprosy by merely saying “Be clean” but Jesus wasn’t just restoring this man’s physical health, he was restoring his social being.5 By touching the man, Jesus was dignifying him as a human being. Secondly, Jesus set aside the categories of clean and unclean that stand between inclusion and exclusion. Now this man can go show himself to the priest, make offerings, and be a part of society. Even though this man ignores the instructions of Jesus, he goes away as a restored person—transformed by the good news of Jesus Christ and the kingdom of God.
For a man who wondered whether a religious person like Jesus cared enough to help, this man’s encounter with Jesus lets him know that all the religious talk about the love of God is not just pious nonsense. That’s because through tangible action Jesus showed this man that God really does care. That action is the redemptive work of God that transforms people, whether it is a leprous man in Galilee or people living in marginalized communities today.
In the mission context of North America, I’m sure there are plenty of people who would question not the ability of Jesus but his willingness. Such a question stems from a perception people have about churches and Christians today. While such perception and reality are not always the same, there is always some truth to the perception. But you and I, who follow Jesus, have the opportunity to say that all our talk about the love of God is real, that God really does care because that care is visible in the way we act. Such caring is where the vision for transforming marginalized communities begins. To God be the Glory!
Unless otherwise noted, all scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Brendan Byrne, A Costly Freedom: A Theological Reading of Mark’s Gospel, Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 2008, 49.
R.T. France, The Gospel of Mark: A Commentary on the Greek Text, The New International Greek Testament Commentary, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002, 116.
A few of the older manuscripts read “indignant”, while the majority of manuscripts read “move with pity.” Although there are credible arguments for each variant, the general rules for textual criticism favor “indignant,” as do most commentators.
Byrne, A Costly Freedom, 50-51.
K. Rex Butts, D.Min, serves as the lead minister/pastor with the Newark Church of Christ in Newark, DE, and is the author of Gospel Portraits: Reading Scripture as Participants in the Mission of God. Rex holds a Doctor of Ministry in Contextual Theology from Northern Seminary in Lisle, IL, and a Master of Divinity from Harding School of Theology in Memphis, TN. He is married to Laura, and together they have three children.