The holy gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark.
And rising very early in the morning, while it was still
dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place.
And there he prayed. And Simon and those who were
with him searched for him. And they phoned him and say to
him, everyone is looking for you.
And he say to them, Let us go to the next towns, that I may
preach there also, for that is why I came out.
And when he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their
synagogues and casting out demons, and a labour came to
him, employing him and needing say to him, if you will, you can
make me clean. Moved with pity, he stretched
out his hand and touched him, and say to him, I will be clean.
And immediately the lipros left him, and he was made clean.
And Jesus Stanley charged him, and sent him away at once.
And say to him, so that you say nothing to anyone, but go so
yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what
Moses commanded for a proof to them.
But he went out and began to talk freely about it and spread
the news so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but
was in was but was out in desolate places and people were
coming to him from every quarter.
The go spoke of the Lord. Let us pray.
We thank you, Lord, for Your grace even gathering us here,
and we pray that out of your gracious mouth and lips you will
speak to us, Lord, through me. We pray with that in the name of
Jesus Christ, Amen. You can have your seats, please.
We live in a world where we are surrounded with very many heroes
and we love them, we cherish them, we admire them.
But one of the heroes who captures the essence of Go is
Superman. He acts without delay.
He dives from the skies and rescues those in danger, whether
they are in burning buildings or collapsing bridges or from
flaming planes. The heroism of Superman is a
heroism of prompt action. In the Gospel according to Mark,
we see a similar pattern. Jesus is presented as someone
who is very active. He's a doing fast figure.
He moves quickly from scene to scene, and he switches between
spectacular encounters from here to another.
Jesus shows us some kind of agency.
Here in Mark, we see a Jesus of agency.
We can ask ourselves a question. Does Mark present to us as
Superman Jesus? Certainly not, because Superman
represents the literal sense of go.
But Jesus embodies go in a purposeful and deeper sense.
The heroism of Superman is about solving problems, but the
heroism of Jesus is not just about problem solving.
It is relational and is tied to a wider mission.
I invite you to turn with me to the Gospel reading that we have
taken in Mark chapter one, verse 35 to 45.
And here we are going to see this kind of a relational
admission of driven ministry of Jesus, and we are going to trace
his rhythms of going out. And this is going to be shown to
us in his moments of withdrawal, movement, and engagement.
And as we look at these rhythms, we are going to see and
understand who is Jesus and what is his mission.
And as we are doing that, we are going to be invited to come and
follow along in the same rhythms, because Jesus is
calling us to be also people who go out just like him.
So the first element of Jesus is going out is his withdrawal.
We can ask ourselves, how does Superman prepare for his
missions? This is how he does so.
He often times begins by pausing, and then he studies the
scene and then he assesses the danger and then he plans his
move. He has a biological father.
He even has an adoptive father but really does see stop and ask
them what should I do? And even when he seeks guidance
from them, it comes in form of echoes which are distant and pre
recorded messages that sometimes he can go on and follow some of
that guidance. So basically he operates because
of his own understanding and because of his own strength.
But in contrast, in verse 45, this is what it says.
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he got up,
went out and made his way to a deserted place, and there he
was, praying. This morning is after the
busiest day in Jesus's ministry. The night before, the entire
town had gathered around Jesus, seeking for healing from
sicknesses and evil demons. So Jesus must have been
exhausted in this morning. He's a human being like us.
He could have stepped, slept on longer, or if he chose to work,
he would have begun immediately. Where he stopped from proceeded
on with healing. Because even Simon tells us that
everyone is looking for you. People are still drawing near to
see Jesus. But this is what Jesus does.
He withdraws. Instead of continuing on with
work or even having a length of sleep, Jesus chooses who we
withdraw to take a retreat. You may understand this retreat
in very many ways depending on what you believe Jesus was
seeking during this time of retreat.
If you think that Jesus was seeking for rest.
You might think that this was a Wellness and relaxation retreat.
If you think that Jesus was posing to reflect about his
ministry, you might call this a personal growth retreat.
And if you think that Jesus was tending to his inner life, you
may think maybe Jesus wanted healing.
He was on a healing retreat. But Mark makes it very clear
this was a spiritual retreat. Jesus withdrew to pray.
He was seeking quiet time with the Father, and prayer in this
essence is not just about presenting petitions.
He was not going to the Father with a lengthy wish list which
he wanted to present to the Father.
Jesus was intending to have a time of conversation and
communion with the Father. It included submission and
confession. He was able to present maybe
supplications and intercessions and praise and Thanksgiving.
In other words, Jesus was aligning to the will of the
Father in every possible way. This example of Jesus's
withdrawal addresses two kinds of Superman heroism that we can
succumb to. The first aspect of Superman
heroism that we can succumb to is hoping endlessly from one
task to another. We may keep moving from one
thing to another, never stopping to breathe.
We may feel that we are very active every day of our life.
Every week we are just hoping from one task to another.
We are rushing and we can even neglect the most important
things of our lives, and that is worship and the prayer.
Perhaps it's a time for us to break that cycle.
We may need to reshape our schedules to allow us to have
room for prayer. What might this look like?
If we are supposed to pause unto our seek God in prayer?
It might involve us to break the demands of the day.
It might involve us to set apart sometimes which we keep and we
say this is time for prayer for me.
It might also involve us stepping away from some of the
things that are demanding and we focus on God in prayer because
if prayer was important for Jesus, we it is also important
for us as his followers. We shouldn't be lied to that we
can hop on from one task to another without posing to seek
God and to pray. We are called to imitate Jesus
even in that aspect of prayer. Then the second aspect of the
Superman heroism that this aspect of Jesus is posing to
pray addresses is the thing called self reliancy.
We live in a culture where independence is celebrated.
We praise being in control without needing anyone and
sometimes we think about this as being a responsibility.
Yes, it's true, but it can come with some danger if we are very
certain reliant. Because if we saw a lean on our
understanding and our strength, we even deny depending on God.
If you don't read His guidance, we don't need His strength.
We stop listening because we feel we are wise and we cannot
depend on God in any way. We ought to depend on God
because we are His followers. We ought depend on Him because
we should trust in Him that we don't have strength that we
require for our day, even for our engagement, but we require
to depend on God. What will dependence on God look
like? It involves giving time to
listen to Him, to meet Him in prayer, even to read and study
His Word, to rely on His guidance day by day.
Many times we think that we are rushing in life, but if we are
relying on God, we ought to have those moments of seizing from
our rushing and depending on God.
I will tell you of a certain time when I had to pause in life
and rely on God, though I have been doing so many times.
I am a student and at one time I realized that the aspect I
wanted to study for my dissertation, I couldn't proceed
with it because I didn't have a dissertation committee that was
committed to my work and it was in the middle of the semester
and I had to switch to something.
I had thought about this idea for a long while.
I was deeply saturated in this idea, but now I had met the the
dead end. I couldn't figure out the
dissertation committee around me for this idea.
I needed to switch to another idea in the middle of a
semester. I was stuck.
I continued on speaking to faculty and discussing and
reading around and reflecting, but I was stuck.
This is what I did. I withdrew from my bed.
I couldn't withdraw totally because it was in the middle of
the semester to take a retreat, but I retreated from my bed and
I decided to sleep on the floor in the nights, crying to God in
prayer. And you cannot know what
happened. God answered me, responded, He
gave me a wonderful idea. This is how I realized that it
was a wonderful idea. When I presented the idea to a
professor was a speciality in the book of Job in the class, I
saw his eyes dancing. I knew I had an idea, but it
came from prayer because I sought God.
I sought the mentorship around me from faculty I was reading,
but I prayed and now the idea that I have, I need where it
came from God because I paused and sought him.
So when we depend on God, prayer ceases to just be something that
we always say at certain times or at specific places.
It even flows into our everyday activities of life, even in our
meeting rooms, in classrooms and in boards and wherever we are,
prayer goes with us because we know we are not depending on
ourselves. Even as a student, I depend on
God in all the things that we do.
So dependence on God turns ordinary places into sacred
places where we can pray. Now let's stand to the second
element of Jesus's going ministry.
And this is Jesus's movement. In Uganda, where I come from,
Anglican Khadia, often appointed by bishops to lead specific
missions or to lead specific ministries.
And usually you are transferred from one ministry to another
after a time. It usually happens at the end of
the year. During such seasons, a Bishop
can appoint you that next year you are going to lead another
church, another parish. In fact, last week I looked at
one of the such transfers that you are going to lead now from
here to another place. I have gone through many of
those transfers in my ministerial carrier.
I'll not go through the details of how the discernment process
operates, but let me tell you how it feels like to be
transferred from one ministry place to another.
Oftentimes it's difficult, some kind of feel difficult to move,
especially living a place where ministry has been flourishing.
But also parishioners like you will not leave a pastor to go.
Some of them will cry. If the pastor has been serving
them well, they will cry. Some of them will even petition
the Bishop. Don't transfer our credit.
Let him stay for one more year. Because several times when we
have success, we look at the success and we begin identifying
ourselves because of that success.
We look out, we look at growth and we don't want to live where
growth has been happening. We don't want to let go where
there is success. Oftentimes it feels very painful
to step away where there is success, want to build around
there. We want to continue holding on
to the successful moments that we have had in our encounters,
even in work, not just in ministry.
Sometimes we fear, we feel that if I go to a new place, they
have been loving me here, what would happen when I go to
another place? We want to keep on the circles
we have been having because of fear.
However, this is what Jesus does.
The people around him, they are praising him, they are looking
for him. But Jesus says in verse 38, let
us go to the neighboring villages so that I may preach
there also. This is why I came.
Jesus did not rise on ride on his fame.
The fame was around him, but who could stay?
But instead he chose to leave and go to another place.
He was admired. But he says even though I am
admired here, I am choosing to go.
He left the comfort and the admiration and the success and
he said it is time to go. Why?
Even though the cries of the people wanted him to stay, Jesus
knew that it was not the will of the Father for me to be at this
place at this time. He chose to go and live.
We might think that Jesus only wanted to to preach because
verse the verse 38 says that I want to preach there also.
We shouldn't be tempted to think that Jesus was only intending to
go preaching. He was not interested in healing
ministry. What was going on here?
Because the next verse tells us that Jesus continued on to
preach and heal even where he went.
In verse 39, he says he went into all Galilee preaching in
their synagogues and driving out demons.
So Jesus was also going to continue on the same ministry
where he was going. So he's preaching and healing
ministry were intertwined together.
So he left this place. He was going to continue with
the same ministry where he was going.
But Jesus was moving because he was prioritizing the will of the
Father over the expectations of the people or even his own
expectation as a person. He chose to follow the will of
the Father. The Father wanted him to go to
another place for ministry. And Jesus says, yes, I choose to
go. What can it look like if we are
to follow the same pattern of Jesus choosing to do the will of
the Father even over our expectations, we should be able
to seek God is guidance. I want to emphasize this again.
Spending time to listen to God in prayer, reading scripture,
listen to God is guidance. Even asking questions.
Personally, I have understood that even we should come to God
with all sorts of questions, ask Him.
I am. I am someone who has been cast
accustomed to asking God questions in my prayer and
sometimes the answers me mysteriously, sometimes even
through scripture, but sometimes even mysteriously because of
trusting in God's guidance. If we are to be people who are
relying on God's guidance, we should approach him day by day,
seek guidance, but also trusting the guidance that is around us
in the people of God. As we approaching discernment.
The people of God are also a good way how we should know what
we are to do so if we are to know that this is what is God's
will for us. Sometimes it involves seeking
God is guidance in many ways, but also if we are to know where
God wants us to be, we should be willing to say no.
Sometimes not everything that appears to be good is of God is
intent for us. Sometimes it should turn away
from the things that are good wonderful opportunities because
want to be aligned to God's purposes.
We must learn how to decline some of those wonderful and
glorious opportunities if at all we know that they are
distracting us from the weed of God.
This is what Jesus did. It was glorious to stay, but he
said now it's time to go to another place.
But also we should trust in God is timing stepping away from
things that are attractive. It is because we know that now
God is timing for me is to be at another place even though it's
glorious here. God wants me to another place.
God is timing is always perfect and his will is always the best
for us. We should be able to try that
and to trust in that because that is his will is good and
it's perfect for us. And if it's God is will, then we
move just as Jesus was able to move trusting the Father that he
has the best and the surest path for him and he was able to trust
him faithfully. Now I move to the third element
of Jesus is going out ministry and this is is seen in Jesus's
engagements. And I would love to look at 2
aspects of Jesus's engagements here.
And the first aspect is Jesus's transformative engagements.
You know, let me go back to Superman.
Although Superman does all these wonderful things of saving
people and doing things that are are spectacular, but here's the
limitation. He cannot restore the human
heart. He can restore safety, but He
cannot restore the human heart. We have a longing as human
beings. We need a Redeemer who can do
things that are just surpassed, the physical things to even
things that are deeper and spiritual.
Jesus restore us to transform. It doesn't just rescue us from
danger, but He rescuers us to transform us.
In verse 40, we are given a vivid picture of Jesus's
preaching and healing ministry. Jesus encounters this man who
had leprosy. His body was decaying, but also
his spirit was broken because leprosy in those days symbolized
being gladdened with sin. And in the Jewish community,
someone who was repro was looked at in two aspects.
He was almost dead. You were dead if you had repro
say. Even though you were alive, you
were dead in the eyes of the people.
But also we undergo this punishment because it was a
disease that was looked at as being a sign of sin.
And according to Jewish custom, no one could come near a leper.
A leper was someone who was kept away.
One of the rabbis, the Jewish rabbis says, said that I cannot
even buy an egg on a street where I have seen a leper.
If there is a leper around this street, a Jewish rabbi couldn't
even stop to buy an egg. Another Jewish rabbi said if I
meet a leper, I would throw rocks at him, hit him to go away
so no one could come near. This, someone like this, a
leper, he was always shunned by the community.
No one could touch him. But this slipper now finds a way
of approaching Jesus, not maybe in a synagogue.
We have seen Jesus was preaching in the synagogue.
This slapper couldn't come to such a synagogue.
But in one way or another he sold out to Jesus.
And when he found him somewhere, we are not told somewhere, maybe
in privacy, he kneels down and pleads with Jesus and says, if
you're willing, you can make me clean in verse 30.
And then the next verse, verse 41, this is what it says.
Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out his hands and
touched him. I am willing, He told him, be
made clean. This was a touch that was
breaking all forms of social rules.
No one can touch a leper. But here we see Jesus doing so,
touching the leper. In that touch the man was
healed. Yes, yes, the man was instantly
healed. Immediately the leprous left him
and he was made clean. We are told that in verse 42,
instantly the man was healed. But something even greater had
happened in the life of this man.
His dignity was restored, his place in the community was
renewed, and then Jesus sends him to the priest.
The priest where the guardians of the community, the communal
gates, he sends him to go and testify about this healing
because leprosy was more than a disease.
It was a physical sign of inner corruption.
So it was not just something that this was not just a
physical healing, it was a ritual cleansing as well.
But also it was a restoration in the eyes of the spiritual and
the moral community. It was the restoration that this
man had been spiritually and morally restored.
What should we do? We are called to touch like
Jesus. There are many people who are
hurting. They need a touch, not just a
physical touch. They need our presence.
There are many people who need who are looked at as being
outcast. No one wants to associate with
them. We are called to reach out to
such people. But also there are many people
who is dignity is is is in suspense.
We are called to reach out to restore the dignity of such
people. Because if Jesus touched and
they touched was miraculous, we can also touch, we can also
encounter people in a way that transforms them from being
outcasts and being hurting to another state.
Then the second aspect of Jesus's engagement is that his
engagements. We are divinely oriented.
You know, Superman has this way of being things.
He does things in ways that are dramatic and public, full of
spectacle. His aspect of heroism is a
heroism that leads to uploads. Yet when Jesus heals this man,
this is what he tells him. He tells him in verse 44, see
that you say nothing to anyone. He wanted the work to be quiet.
He was not focused on the glory of men but on the praise of God.
Jesus did not perform all his crowds with this miracles
because He wanted to attract the crowds.
Even many times that just as we are seeing Him, He was
withdrawing from the crowds. He didn't want to pull the
crowds himself. That's why he stepped away from
that place. He said let me go to another
place because even we see at the end of the reading, He within
draws into the wilderness because He didn't want all these
crowds around him. He was not looking for the
praise of the people. That is why when he was this
man, he tells him to be silent. He instructs him instead of
being all over the place speaking to the people, go and
speak to the priest. That is the only person he sends
him to. Don't speak to the people, go
and speak to the priest. Why?
Because we have already seen that the priests, we are the
guardians of the community in a sense that they were they want
to know who is the right person to socialize in our community in
a rich role in a in a way that is pure.
So these are stating him to go to the priest was saying that
you go and be confirmed that you belong to the community instead
of speaking to the community first to go and you'll be
confirmed that you now belong to the community.
You have been healed. Jesus wanted this man to be
declared that now he has been restored, he can belong to the
community. So Jesus was not looking for
performance. That is why he said don't speak
to anyone, speak to the right people.
Don't just speak around to anyone.
Even though the man went out and began speaking to the other
people. But Jesus was not looking for
the praise of the people. His was just a ministry of
kindness. It was the ministry of aligning
to the weed of God. It was the ministry of not
seeking the praise of men, but the praise of God.
What does this look like for us? If we are to seek the praise of
God, it means that sometimes we should do things not because the
cameras are there to watch us, not because we are taking this
picture to post all over social media for the people to see that
have done this, but because we are doing this because it's the
weed of God. Not looking for the praise of
men, but for the praise of God. There are four friends.
The world around us still looks for people who are ready to give
a hand of rescue. It longs for people who are
ready to share hope and healing. Of course, we are not like
Superman. We cannot come and fly over and
save the people. Yet we can still touch people
like Jesus. We can restore humanity like us
Jesus. This involves us seeking for the
guidance of God day by day. It involves us seeking for God
is strength because we cannot do it on our own.
So we are called day by day to seek God, to rely on him even in
our business schedules, to rely on God in this ministry that God
is calling us for. God is calling us to cross all
forms of barriers, barriers of fear and stigma and prejudice.
God is calling us to cross such barriers.
He's calling us to serve, not because we are looking for the
praise of men, but because we are looking for the praise of
God. We cannot be like the Man of
Steel, but we can be like the Man of Sorrows who bought our
pain and gave us our life again. Therefore, I would love to
invite you to go out and serve with courage and with
compassion, not serving because of fame, but serving because of
the glory of God, the name of the Father, the Son, and the
Holy Spirit. Amen.