As the restrictions for the pandemic ease around us it’s really hard to know the difference between what can and can’t we do as opposed to what should or shouldn’t we do. One of the trickiest for me as a Pastor is should or shouldn’t I shake your hand – and I’ve had a couple awkward moments in the past few weeks.
It’s been customary for Pastor’s to greet worshippers before and especially after the service by shaking their hand. Shaking hands has never actually been banned it was just discouraged. Or maybe you’re a person who likes to hug people when you meet them. And I struggle to believe that at some point the Dept of Health is going to come out and say – you can now shake hands or give hugs. Even our Prime Minister recently said, even when the vaccine is introduced we will still be observing things like social distancing.
Physical touch has been an important part of the Christian faith in particular for healing even though it is discouraged for the very same reason – for healing. When Jesus invited the children to come to him Luke says: He took them in His arms and began blessing them, laying His hands on them. When groups were brought to Jesus Luke says: While the sun was setting, all those who were sick with various diseases were brought to Him; and laying His hands on each one of them, He was healing them. And in today’s Gospel it was again healing through touch – He came and took Peter’s mother in law by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them. I’ve even been wondering about our Ash Wednesday service as a central part of that service is the Imposition of Ashes which would require not just me touching you with the ashes but I would need to sanitise my hands between each member receiving the ashes and even changing the ashes between each person.
Personal touch is an important aspect of the Christian faith and I’m sure it is also among other religions. But Jesus reminds us today that there are always going to be distractions to take us away from what is the true focus of our Christian faith – and that is the proclamation of the Gospel. And I believe that this should also remain our focus too – on what is our central mission that supports everything we do. And Jesus tells us in our Gospel reading what the central focus is for his mission because the healing was leading to his disciples being distracted on what God had sent Jesus to do.
So let’s look at the sequence of what is happening. Jesus has just healed a demon possessed man in the synagogue – that was last week’s reading. They head off to Peter’s place and find that his mother-in-law is sick. He takes her by the hand – picks her up – and she is healed. No doubt word of Jesus’ miraculous powers got out to the people so in the next scene we see the sick and demon possessed surround Peter’s home.
Mark says: the whole city was gathered around the door. And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons;
Jesus could have spent his entire time on earth focused on this. In fact, if he did, the chances are that he would not have been crucified because his popularity and importance would have increased more and more.
But is that what he came to do? In fact he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him and that would have caused more and more people to distract him from his mission. So in the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed.
We don’t know exactly what he prayed about but it strengthened him for the task God had sent him for and to keep him focused on that.
Peter and the others went looking for him because the crowds wanting healing were building up more and more and there was so much demand on Jesus’ time to heal more and more people. But to their surprise and perhaps disappointment Jesus replies: 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. Jesus was not sent to be a miracle worker, even though he performed great miracles. No, if we think back to John chapter one it tells us there that “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us”. God’s word is what the world needs – God’s word of grace and mercy and forgiveness is what the world needs to bring true healing.That is what the world needs today – true healing that comes through God’s word of grace. And that’s what Jesus came to do and that is what the church has been created to do.
Sometimes we can be side-tracked by our busyness to do things for the Kingdom of God. We can become burnt out by all the physical needs and demands on us. We can feel inadequate when we are no longer able to physically do the things we used to do. Or we can feel disillusioned when things like last year’s lockdown happens and we can’t do church. It’s not to say that doing things for the Kingdom aren’t important.
Not at all – Jesus didn’t stop healing people but he understood that his task was to proclaim the good news of God. Jesus was so focused on the message being proclaimed rather than physical healing that he told us that this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
All of us who are waiting for Jesus to return – Jesus will not return until EVERYONE has had an opportunity to hear the Gospel. And as much as Covid has impacted us it has seen an increase in online services with the word of God reaching out further. Jesus prophesied that no one knows the day nor the hour of his return, not even the Son because he would not return until EVERYONE has had an opportunity to hear the message preached to them.
The church plays an important role in society looking after the under privileged and other social justice issues.
But Jesus reminds us that the core of our existence is to proclaim the message of the Kingdom. This is what the true identity of the church needs to be – not another charity organisation but a place where people find God’s love and grace and acceptance. Paul also issues a warning if we neglect this important function of the church: He says: An obligation is laid on me, and woe to me if I do not proclaim the gospel!
As we do these other functions that we do in the church they too can be the Gospel in action as we serve God by serving our neighbour. But notice what was central to Jesus and his ministry – prayer with his heavenly Father and proclaiming the Gospel. He could have spent his entire ministry healing the sick, feeding the hungry, raising the dead and performing all sorts of miracles. But his concern was not in tending the physical needs of people but to their spiritual needs and eternal life. And it began and was strengthened by prayer.
So friends, as we go about our Christian ministry let us also remember to make time for prayer with God and as St Peter says, always be prepared to give the reason for the hope we have with gentleness and respect.
