Ryan, it's okay to tell Daddy that we got him a present. But you must not tell him that it is an Axe.

Transcription

1 The Messianic Secret Mark 1:40-45 ~ April 12, 2015 ~ Heritage Lutheran Church Here is a story about my oldest son, Ryan. When he was four years old, he was just catching on to the whole gift giving thing for birthdays and Christmas. He had learned about getting gifts pretty early. But like all children, the concept of giving gifts took just a little longer. By December in 1984, while we were living in Kalispell, Mt, Kris decided it was time to teach Ryan about this by having him help buy a Christmas present for his dad. At that time a wood burning fireplace insert was a recent addition to the parsonage. So Kris hit upon the idea of buying me a double bitted axe for Christmas. I think I may have made some prideful comments about my prowess of being able to split wood. Ever thoughtful, Kris was completely in favor of a nicely filled wood box. Of course buying an axe was not something Kris does every day. I ve never heard the full story, but I suspect that there was a hardware salesman that was very relieved to finish running the gamut of questions from Kris and her four year old assistant. As they left the store, Kris started to teach Ryan about the etiquette of secrecy involved in Christmas presents. Ryan, it's okay to tell Daddy that we got him a present. But you must not tell him that it is an Axe. Ok Mommy. I will tell Daddy that we got him an Axe for Christmas. No Ryan, You must NOT tell Daddy what the gift is, do you understand? Yes, Mommy, I won t tell Daddy that we got him a gift. It's ok to tell him that we got him a gift, Ryan, just don t tell him that it is an Axe. That is a secret. What's a secret, mommy? A secret is something that we don t tell people, Ryan. So we won t tell Daddy about the Axe, because that s a secret. Ok Mommy! Ryan, what is it that we are not going to tell Daddy? 1

2 I won t tell daddy that we got him an Axe. That s right, Ryan, that is a secret Ok Mommy. The moment I walked in the door that day, I was greeted by an excited little boy speaking in a loud soprano, "Daddy, daddy, we got you an axe for Christmas." And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once, and said to him, See that you say nothing to anyone... Throughout the Gospel of Mark, Jesus seems to have about the same luck with secrets as Kris did with Ryan. As Mark tells the story, Jesus repeatedly instructed people to keep their understanding that he was God's messiah to themselves. This story about the leper is only the first in a series of many instances where Jesus carefully instructs people not to share their understanding about who he really is. Time and time again the individual instructed to keep the secret runs out and blabs it all over the place, just like what happens in today's text. But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town So what is going on in this story? Why is Jesus so concerned about secrecy? Is it just that he wants to have better freedom of movement or is there something more behind Mark's mysterious way of telling these stories? Actually, understanding what Mark is up to here will enable us to better comprehend the very nature of Jesus mission. First, we will start by talking about the miracle, healing a man of Leprosy, that sets up the need for secrecy. Then we will examine why Jesus wanted it kept a secret. Leprosy was a terrible disease that terrified everyone in Biblical times. It was known to spread through close association with people who had it. So, having leprosy brought with it complete isolation from everyone you had ever loved or known. Together with a slow agonizing death, where the victim's body was rotted away bit by bit, this made leprosy a frightful affliction. In many cultures the lepers were labeled "untouchables" and were herded into isolated communities where they had little or no way to make a livelihood. And yet when Jesus was confronted by a leper, who looked at him with faith, something very amazing happened: 2

3 And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, If you will it, you can make me clean. Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him It was unusual for a leper to initiate conversation with a clean person, but evidently something about Jesus drew this leprous man. And he was consumed by faith in Jesus. Jesus responded to this faith in a way that would have brought sharp criticism from everyone who saw it. Jesus reached out and touched him. Jesus touched the untouchable. He had compassion in a way that risked himself and his community. If Jesus had become leprous his whole mission and ministry would have come to a complete halt. He would have been cast out and made an untouchable himself. But Jesus compassion was above these fears. Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, I will it; be clean. And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. Naturally this action does not surprise us, but it must have flabbergasted everyone who saw it. The compassion and touching would have been enough to cause general comment. But, when the desperate leper stood up completely healed of his terrible disease it would have been an occasion for complete amazement. Life's most dreaded disease was suddenly wiped away by a word from Jesus, I will it; be clean... show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them. Jesus careful instruction to the leper about going and showing himself to the priest was exactly what healed lepers were supposed to do. Only a priest had the authority to declare a leper clean and return him to the community. But this leper must have been in such an advanced stage of the disease that everyone immediately saw his miraculous healing. There is no evidence in the text that the Leper ever even went to a priest. But now we come to a very interesting twist in the plot. Why did Jesus sternly charge him and send him away saying, See that you say nothing to anyone? That certainly doesn't sound like the Jesus we know does it? It mystifies us. Isn't Jesus the one who tells us to go, make, baptize, and teach to the ends of the earth? We are supposed to tell everyone about Jesus. So why did Jesus tell this newly healed leper to keep his mouth shut. And the Bible makes the point that he ordered this in a very serious and stern fashion. This is truly mysterious? 3

4 Well there is an explanation to this. It is something that we are going to need to know as we work our way through the Gospel of Mark. This is a feature that is peculiar to the way Mark tells stories about Jesus. It even has a name. Biblical scholars call this the Messianic Secret. What it means is that Mark's gospel uses secrecy about Jesus role to highlight the true purpose for the Messiah's work. As the Messiah, Jesus did not come to earth just to heal some sick people or to feed hungry people a meal or two. The miracles Jesus performs are only signs to help us know who his is. But everyone tends to get so excited about the signs that they miss the true purpose of God's messiah. The true purpose of God's messiah is to save us from our sins and to reconcile us to God. If we get all caught up in the power of Jesus miracles, then we might miss the point of why he came. Only when the whole story is told; only after Jesus died on the cross, only after he was raised from the dead, can anyone understand the true work of God's messiah. So, all through Mark's Gospel, Jesus is telling people to be quiet about the miracles and works of power. Mark wants people to focus on the message. He wants people to listen and understand what Jesus has come to teach. Only then can people put it all together to understand what God has truly accomplished in Jesus as our Messiah. But according to Mark, Jesus was no more successful with the newly healed leper than Kris was with Ryan and the Christmas axe. As the Bible tells us, "He went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter." It s true that the loud mouth leper caused problems for Jesus ministry by spreading the word. But the real problem was that a sensationalized approach to Jesus led people astray from the true purpose of what he had come to do. The leper's blabbing made Jesus into a celebrity to go see; a performer to watch; a show to take in. The leper's report whipped up the crowds to follow Jesus, but they did not follow him in faith as their savior. They were focused on their own desires for healing, power, and earthly security. The crowds that chased Jesus out into the wilderness did not care about their eternity with God. They were focused on their earthly desires. Jesus had come to turn their hearts toward God. But the crowds were turned toward the world and wanted to use Jesus for earthly purposes. 4

5 The purpose of the Messianic Secret in the book of Mark is to help us see that distinction. Even today, on this side of the crucifixion and resurrection, we can become confused about who Jesus is and what he came to do. We too are susceptible to missing the point about who Jesus is as the Messiah. It is so easy to focus on power for the daily living that we forget that our true goal is heaven. Heaven is what Jesus came to share with you. Yes, he does have compassion on you, and like the leper he reaches to touch you. He cares about and answers your prayers for things you desire in your lives now. But his true concern lies in eternity. He is the savior who makes your eternity with God possible. The message we are called to share is about Jesus and his cross, Jesus and his empty tomb. It is a message that reaches to touch our corruption, disease, hopelessness, and despair with the hope of heaven. Jesus has made heaven your true home. You can have faith today even in the face of adversity, pain, and uncertainty because Jesus has touched you with eternity. He has made you a son or daughter of his Father. Even now you are on your way to your true home. And that is not a secret. That is the gospel. There is no need to keep that a secret. Let it ring out everywhere. The cross is full. The tomb is empty. Jesus is alive and leading us out to go, make, baptize and teach disciples. Let us take up our cross and follow him. 5