Mark 1:40-45 | Psalm 4
We can assume the incensed Jesus was not about him smelling better, but his heightened dissatisfaction with an unjust situation. We might like the calm Jesus who is always not much more distressed than a sleeping baby.
But that is not the Jesus of the gospels. Jesus regularly displays his feelings and emotions, particularly when coming across people who are in one way or another mistreated, underrepresented, or unhelped.
And yet…he’s still Christ. He’s still loving. And his anger is productive.
Mark 1:40-45
A man with a skin disease approached Jesus, fell to his knees, and begged, “If you want, you can make me clean.”
Incensed, Jesus reached out his hand, touched him, and said, “I do want to. Be clean.” Instantly, the skin disease left him, and he was clean. Sternly, Jesus sent him away, saying, “Don’t say anything to anyone. Instead, go and show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifice for your cleansing that Moses commanded. This will be a testimony to them.” Instead, he went out and started talking freely and spreading the news so that Jesus wasn’t able to enter a town openly. He remained outside in deserted places, but people came to him from everywhere.
Psalm 4
Answer me when I cry out, my righteous God!
Set me free from my troubles!
Have mercy on me!
Listen to my prayer!
How long, you people,
will my reputation be insulted?
How long will you continue
to love what is worthless
and go after lies? Selah
Know this: the Lord takes
personal care of the faithful.
The Lord will hear me
when I cry out to him.
So be afraid, and don’t sin!
Think hard about it in your bed
and weep over it! Selah
Bring righteous offerings,
and trust the Lord!
Many people say,
“We can’t find goodness anywhere.
The light of your face has left us, Lord!”
But you have filled my heart with more joy
than when their wheat and wine are everywhere!
I will lie down and fall asleep in peace
because you alone, Lord, let me live in safety.
Prayer
God -
There are many things in the world that make me angry. Hunger might be at the top. There are so many resources and yet how we live in this technological age of incredible feats of transportation and can’t solve this…it’s maddening. I can get almost anything I want delivered to my doorstep in less than 24 hours, but we can’t get simple food to our neighbors who need it in Haiti.
Lord, help us.
I imagine there are things I get angry about that I don’t need to as well. Keep my anger righteously directed. And help me not to sit and stew, but to move with determination.
By your spirit & in Christ,
Amen.