March 3, 2026

GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY:

“Instead of showing himself to the priest and offering the appropriate sacrifices, the man cured of leprosy by Jesus went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to Him from everywhere.”

(Mark 1.45)

TODAY’S REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:

Jesus would not be deterred. Having waited for the appropriate moment to begin His righteous ministry of reconciliation, the way being prepared by His cousin John, Jesus went to preach. He established the pattern for His ministry by going first to the synagogues to teach. That means that Jesus showed His desire to honor the Sabbath. The synagogue was vital to the community. On the Sabbath, it was the hub of activity. Everyone would be gathered there for prayer, fellowship, singing, the reading of the Torah, a word of the Prophets and teaching by the local priest or rabbi or by a visiting spiritual leader. The mention of Jesus frequenting the synagogue and being asked to speak there informs us that He already was known as a spiritual leader. He would have been known as more than that because of His works of healing. As we follow Jesus and the “four men for men,” we see the pattern continue. However, because of the works of healing, Jesus is pursued by great numbers of people. There were a lot of “sick” people. The numbers were so great that Jesus was pushed further away from the cities. Even when He would go out early in the morning to pray, the people found Him there. They had a need. He had an answer. How could He refuse when they demonstrated such faith and belief in Him?

In the story Mark presents of the healing the leper, the word “indignant” was used. It was not the man who was indignant but Jesus. What did the man say that pressed on Jesus? He said, “If you are…,then….” Where would we hear these words again but from the impenitent thief on Golgatha’s hill. It was there that Jesus was crucified between two thieves. One thief repented and recognized the truth of Jesus. The other spoke as a representative of the voice of all those who feared and doubted Jesus as a spiritual and holy man of God. There was more to his taunt. We know, of course, that Jesus had the power and the ability to let Himself down from the cross. He could have called down a legion of angels and set the Romans at bay. He could have walked back into Jerusalem triumphantly and assumed the position of King and Priest. To do so, however, would have put Himself at odds with God. It would have been a sin to deny His own calling, His mission, His purpose, His soul’s sincere desire. In other words, Jesus would have been counted as a transgressor in the eyes of God. He would not do it, therefore He could not do it. This was not the cross when the paths of Jesus and the leper intersected. The moment was similar to one Jesus faced in Cana when His mother pressed Him to salvage the wedding party. Jesus knew what she was asking. He responded, “Why do you ask this of Me knowing My time has not yet come?” In both instances, and in others to follow, Jesus desired to defer the spectacular in order to proceed normally. He had a course in mind which was to preach the good news of a great joy in all the synagogues. He was pursuing a revival in the synagogue among the very people of God. Yet the problem in Israel was far greater than even what the synagogue could handle. The good news was strong and the need for it was great. The volume of people who needed to hear it and wanted to hear it exceeded where it could have been heard and experienced. But because of the crowds, Jesus was forced to avoid the towns and find refuge in the lonely places. Even there, Jesus was not alone. The people found Him because the people were looking for Him. Even if He wanted to be in secret, He would be exposed because the people were hungry for the Word of God that was sharper than any double-edged sword. They thirsted for that taste of new wine which springs up as living water and revives the soul instead of numbing the heart and mind.

It was an odd word that Mark chose for Jesus’ reaction only because the course was inevitable. Would Jesus be indignant with us today? Are we not declaring in our own way “If you are…, then….”? We look for the signs of His return and count the days for our reward. Jesus declared “My food [i.e. reward, sustenance, affirmation] is to do the will of the One who sent Me and finish His work.” (John 4.34) Mighty ones of God, it is the same for us even now in these troubling times. Jesus knew the timeline He faced in His ministry. He would not be deterred. What was most important was to complete the work given to Him. That work was to proclaim the gospel of righteousness and reconciliation. It was to restore the lost and bring healing to the land long promised to the people of God so that God’s people would come and expand its borders. Even in these early chapters of the gospels, the message is clear: come and follow and go where I send you. We don’t always do it just as the man cured of leprosy did not do so. What was his offense? It wasn’t about telling others about Jesus, that was good news. His offense was not going to the synagogue, show himself to the priest, present the appropriate offerings and thus give all praise, glory and honor to God! It was about “honoring the Sabbath and keeping it holy.”

TODAY’S PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING:

Father, in these days we are finding the need to believe even more than ever before. We all have known trouble, some in greater ways than others, but You are offering us the assurance that we will not be consumed by it forever. Regardless of the “time” we are in and the “time” we have been given, we ask for Your Holy Spirit which Jesus asked You to share with us, to lead and guide and direct us in the paths we should go. Teach us what we still need to learn. Empower us to put that learning into action. Bless our actions not as a works righteousness but as righteous works of faith, hope and love in Jesus’ name. AMEN.