Mark 1:40-45
Lead in: In Mark 1:40, we hear of a leper who approached Jesus and begged him,
“If you wish you can make me clean.”
Moved with compassion, Jesus said to him, “I do wish it. Be made clean.”
Prompt: Reflect on a time when, like the leper, you begged God for healing. It could have been for yourself, or a loved one, or a friend you know or for a stranger you don’t know. Then, unlike what happened for the leper, nothing changed. How was that for you?
Prompt: Did you ever wonder why God doesn’t just fix all that’s wrong in this world? How do you respond to that question?
Lead in: In ancient times, according to the custom of religious law if one was declared “unclean” they would have to dwell apart. In a culture where community meant everything, there was great anguish for the banished leper and their family. It meant having to say goodbye to each other forever.
Prompt: A painful goodbye tugs at your heart. Reflect on a time you had to say goodbye to someone you loved. In that loss, what gave you strength?
Lead in: The lepers of Jesus’ day were outcasts, ostracized by society. We can do the same by the unkind things we do or say about certain people. Without realizing it, we can find ourselves avoiding or even shunning people because of their politics, religion, or for their race or gender.
Prompt: Was there ever a time when it felt as if you were the leper being either pushed aside or even ignored and shunned? How was that for you?
Prompt: Reflect on a time when, knowingly or unknowingly, your attitude may have contributed to someone feeling like a leper.
Lead in: The Book of Leviticus is a collection of Jewish laws. People believed that being clean or unclean, that is kosher or non-kosher, was based on what was considered to be normal or abnormal. So, for instance people with disabilities or deformities were considered to be unclean. In Leviticus 13, we hear an example of this. The priest of the temple names a man diagnosed with leprosy as unclean. He dismisses the man to live apart making his abode outside of the city to assure that he had no contact with those who are clean. At times, there is a tendency for some in religion to do the same today. There are those who separate out those they see as unclean, as not being worthy of belonging in their church.
Prompt: Was there ever a time when you were excluded from a place of belonging because you were seen as not good enough and therefore not deserving of having a place of belonging?
Prompt: What does the church need to do to assure all, no matter how unworthy they may appear, have a place of belonging within the community?
