TOO GOOD TO KEEP - by Revd Gilbert Wong
SCRIPTURE:    Mark 1:29-39
5 February 2006, Fifth Sunday after Epiphany

SERMON IN A SENTENCE:  The first order of business for Christians is the proclamation of the Gospel, and the first place to do that is in our homes.

Text:

This story is about Jesus healing crowds of people and then going elsewhere instead of sticking around to make something out of his newfound congregation.   

Jesus came to Capernaum.  He attended the synagogue and drove out a demon.  He went to Simon's house and healed Simon's mother-in-law.  The people flocked to him so that he might heal them.  He healed lots of people, and the crowd couldn't get enough of him.

It is important to note that Jesus’ ministry to  SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1Simon's mother-in-law was in a house probably away from public eye.  There is a role in both private and public ministry of Jesus.  Jesus took Simon’s mother-in-law by the hand and lifted her up (egeiren) (v. 31).  Earlier, in the synagogue, Jesus exorcised a demon.  In that instance, he used words.  Now he uses only touch.  Jesus' touch is gentle and helpful, but unorthodox.  In that culture, men do not touch women (except family members).  Jesus, however, often touches people who need healing -- even a leper (1:41), whom he cannot touch without becoming unclean himself.

We are reluctant to touch people who are ill, in part because we don't want to hurt them, but also because we are afraid of catching their disease.  In modern times our understanding of viruses and bacteria has reinforced that notion, but fails to explain our reluctance to touch a person who has cancer or another non-communicable disease. 

There is something healing about the human touch.  Jesus was not afraid to touch.  Touch was part of his ministry.  However, we should add a caveat regarding touch as a part of our ministry.  It behooves us to be very careful to avoid touch that has or could be construed to have sexual overtones.  Improper touching can lead to disastrous consequences for pastors and churches, as well as for the recipients of improper touch.

And Jesus went out of Simon’s house publicly healing people.  And then, he went off to a deserted place to pray.  Of course, no good Christian criticizes anyone for praying.  We might think that Jesus would not require prayer.  But Jesus gave out spiritual energy all day every day, so he needed time for renewal -- time alone with the Father -- opportunity to recharge his spiritual batteries so that he could face the challenges that he encountered every time he entered a new town.

But his disciples lost patience with Jesus.  They found him missing, and began searching for him.  The Bible (NRSV) says that they "hunted" for him.  That is a good translation of the original Greek.  That word is katedioxen.  That is the word that people used to speak of hunting animals.  It was as if the disciples had gone on a manhunt looking for Jesus -- trying to figure out where he went -- searching everywhere to find him.

They finally found him in a lonely place -- all by himself -- praying -- seemingly oblivious to the crowds clamouring for his attention back in Capernaum.  They couldn't believe that Jesus had gotten the people so stirred up and had then walked out on them.  It didn't make sense.  They had marvelled at Jesus' teachings --and everyone was in awe of his healing power -- but the disciples silently wondered what Jesus was doing out here in the middle of nowhere when he was needed back in Capernaum!

I can imagine how they felt.  Jesus had raised people's expectations -- and then had disappeared.  With nobody else to turn to, I am sure that the people turned to the disciples.  There were only four of them at this point -- Peter, Andrew, James, and John.  But what could they do?  They didn't know how to handle these crowds.  They didn't know how to heal the sick.  They had only recently begun to follow Jesus, and they certainly weren't qualified to stand in for him.  I'm sure that the disciples were feeling the pressure -- that they were mystified and angry when Jesus disappeared -- when he walked off and left them holding the bag.

When they found him, they said, "Everyone is searching for you."  I think they really wanted to say, "What's the matter with you Jesus!  Everyone's searching for you.  Come on!  Let's get back to town!  Let's take care of business!"

I think that they also wanted to say, "Furthermore, don't do that again!  Don't leave us alone!  Don't get the crowds all stirred up and then disappear.  It's not fair!  It's not fair to them -- and it's certainly not fair to us!"

But Jesus was having none of it.  He answered:

"Let us go on to the neighbouring towns,

so that I may proclaim the message there also;

for that is what I came out to do."

I'm sure that the disciples were stunned.  "But what about all these people who are searching for you Jesus?  They want to see you.  Everyone wants to talk to you.  There are people who need healing -- and there is a young man who wants to be your disciple -- there's a rich man who wants to build you a synagogue.  You don't need to travel all over Galilee, Jesus.  There are more opportunities right here in Capernaum than you can shake a stick at -- opportunities to last a lifetime!"

Another old phrase comes to mind -- "Let's strike while the iron is hot!"  I don't know where that phrase came from either, but it means, "Let's take advantage of this opportunity!  Let's not let this one slip through our fingers!" 

But Jesus said:

"Let us go on to the neighbouring towns,

so that I may proclaim the message there also;

for that is what I came out to do."

"That is what I came out to do."  Jesus was focussed.  It means staying focused on the one thing that counts most.  A soccer player who has his eye on the ball isn't listening for the crowd's cheers -- isn't worried about the mud stain on his pants -- isn't trying to figure out how to invest his latest bonus.  The soccer player who has his eye on the ball is focused on the one thing that counts -- the game -- the play -- and most especially the ball.  He needs to know many things -- which team has the ball -- where they are on the field -- which team is ahead -- where he is in relationship to the other players.  But none of that counts unless he knows where the ball is.  If he loses sight of the ball, he isn't likely to defend effectively -- and certainly can't score.  Keep your eye on the ball.  Stay focused on the one thing that counts most.

"That is what I came out to do," he said.  What was it that he came to do?  He came to preach -- to proclaim the message to the neighbouring towns.  What message was that?  Mark told us earlier that Jesus proclaimed "the good news of God" -- that he preached, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news" (1:14-15). 

There is a lesson here for us.  We, as Christ's church, need to be doing a thousand things.  We need to feed the hungry -- provide shelter for the homeless -- visit the sick and those in prison -- send blankets and money to hurricane victims.  But those things are not our first order of business.  Our first order of business is proclaiming "the good news of God" -- preaching "Repent, and believe in the good news."  That is what it means for us to have our eye on the ball.  If we are not preaching the Good News of Christ, the other things won't amount to much. 

It is MY job to preach the Gospel on Sunday mornings at eight and ten o'clock.  But it is OUR job to preach the Gospel the other hundred sixty-seven hours of the week.  It is YOUR job to preach the Gospel in the many places where you have influence -- certainly in your family -- to your neighbours -- to co-workers -- to friends. 

You do not need to be in full-time to share the message of God’s love.  Just a few verses ago, Simon and Andrew left their nets to follow Jesus -- and James and John left their father (vv. 16-20).  However, either they have yet to leave Capernaum or they have returned home after a short absence -- in other words, they are still at home -- this story takes place in the home of Simon and Andrew. 

We will find, in the first eight chapters of this Gospel, numerous references to boats (3:9; 4:1, 36-37; 5:2, 18, 21; 6:32, 45, 47, 51-54; 8:10, 13-14), some of which most likely refer to the boats that these four new disciples left behind.  "Leaving everything to follow Jesus is thus about priorities more than about actually abandoning people and things.  It is about putting kingdom matters first" (Geddert, 48).

Do you need to be discreet about that?  Of course!  It is, as we all know, possible to alienate people instead of persuading them.  But the problem for most Christians isn't that we are likely to alienate people by being too pushy -- but that our witness is likely to be so low-key as to be invisible -- no witness at all -- and that is not what Christ asks of us.

Let's start with the witness to your family.  Surely you can let your family know that you are a Christian.  Surely you can help them to grow in faith.  Surely you can make faith a daily part of your family's life.  Surely you can expect your children to participate in Sunday school -- and worship -- and church youth groups. 

-- Would it be too much for Christ to expect that you will make it a point to eat at least one meal a day as a family -- and that you begin that meal with a prayer of thanksgiving? 

-- Would it be too much for Christ to expect that you who are parents of small children will find a good book of Bible stories and read those stories to your children in the evening? 

-- Would it be too much for Christ to expect that you will have prayer with your children at bedtime? 

-- Would it be too much for Christ to expect that you will personally make Sunday worship a priority in your life -- and that you will encourage your family to do likewise? 

-- Or maybe your family is grown.  Perhaps you have grandchildren.  Perhaps you could give some thought to how you might encourage them in the faith.

I'm not talking about anything difficult here.  I am not talking about buttonholing strangers on the street and asking, "Do you know Jesus?"  I am talking about your family -- the place where Christ expects you to take the lead.  It doesn't matter whether you are father or mother or child -- or grandfather or grandmother.  In the family, each person is important and each can help the other to grow in faith.  

When the disciples found Jesus and asked him to take care to the crowds in Capernaum, he said that he had to go to neighbouring towns to proclaim the Gospel, because that was what he had come to do.

That is what God has called us to do -- to proclaim the Gospel.  Let us be faithful to that calling.