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Week:07, Season:1,
2012
Posted on Saturday by PCT
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Love that conquers fears and barriers
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Scripture：《
Mark 1: 40-45
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40 A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”41 Jesus was indignant. He reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” 42 Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed. 43 Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: 44 “See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” 45 Instead he 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.
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Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD) was recognised as highly infectious plague with no cure in the early years. It was not only the Jewish society which regarded it as this way but also Taiwanese society a hundred year ago. Back in those days there was no medicine to cure leprosy. The Mackay Memorial Hospital, founded in 1924, provided free treatment for leprosy patients in Taiwan but the poor knowledge of leprosy amongst local people caused a string of protests in the neighbourhood. Missionary Dr George Gushue-Taylor was the person who worked very hard for the treatment in leprosy in Taiwan. In 1929, the Japanese government took over Taiwan and built a public hospital for lepers, also known as Hsin-Chuang Lo Sheng Sanatorium, and adopted a “compulsory segregation“policy. At that time when patients were forced to stay in Lo Sheng Sanatorium, their only destiny was to wait to die in this place. The institute even set up layers of barbed wire with walls and iron gates to prevent the patients from running away. It also set strict boundaries between medical workers and patients. These patients lived an isolated life with inhuman treatment.
Knowing what was happening, Dr George Gushue-Taylor, based on his Christian spirit, built another leprosy institution in Taiwan in 1934, the Presbyterian Happy Mount Leprosy Colony. Dr Gushue-Taylor and his wife dedicated themselves to serve leprosy patients. They even did not dare to have their own child in order to carry on this mission. It was not until the announcement of leprosy medicine and the abolition of compulsory segregation that Lo Sheng Sanatorium started to open its gates after 1954 with the decrease in the number of leprosy patients. Those isolated patients went home after 10 years’ segregation. The compulsory segregation was not abolished until 1961 and then Lo Sheng Sanatorium finally started its outpatient service. Somehow the general public were still fearful of leprosy patients and refused contact with them. In 2002, the construction of Taipei MRT (Mass Rapid Transport) Hsin-Chuang factory caused heated debates and protests about the plans to replace the heritage Lo sheng Sanatorium as well as the resettlement issue of the patients. Since then the history of Lo Sheng Sanatorium and the human rights and compensation of leprosy patients once again aroused public opinion.
What message does this story of Jesus curing a leprosy patient have for us today？
Faith and mercy fulfil healing miracles
Mark 1: 40-50 says one man with leprosy came to Jesus and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” What a prayer with faith! This leprosy patient deeply believed that Jesus had the power and authority to heal; therefore he overcame many difficulties and came to seek healing from Jesus. According to Jewish law, those who had leprosy were required to be isolated. People were not allowed contact with these patients. If someone contacted this kind of unclean person, he would also be treated as unclean. This man with leprosy came to Jesus and begged, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” How great was the courage and faith he had! Jesus saw the faith of this man and was indignant. He reached out his hand and touched the man. This shows that Jesus truly accepted this man without any fear of being made unclean. Then Jesus said, “I am willing. Be clean!” Immediately the leprosy left this person and he was cleansed.
From this event, we see how the faith of a leprosy patient and the merciful heart of Jesus worked together to achieve this miracle healing. In other words, in addition to human faith, we need the nature of compassion from Jesus to offer the healing. Jesus even touched the patient to express his true acceptance. Isn’t what Jesus showed us here far more than his healing power？ He showed the love comes from his mercy. Only this love can make people conquer fears and barriers.
Jesus expended much care
After Jesus cured this man, he sent him away at once with a strong warning with two commands: 1. Do not tell this to anyone. 2. Go and show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony. In order to help this person go back to the Jewish society and restart a normal life, Jesus showed much care. He told this person that he must obey the Jewish law to see the priest and offer the sacrifices to prove the cleansing. Then the former leper would be allowed to go back to his normal life. At the same time, Jesus warned him not to tell anyone about the miracle. This was because the time of Jesus had not yet come. In order to prevent a conflict with Jewish authority before the time was right and then break the plan of preaching the kingdom of God, Jesus warned the man strongly: do not tell anyone.
However, this man went out and began to talk freely about the miracle he received. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to Jesus from everywhere and greatly affected Jesus' mission of preaching. Isn’t it a tremendous reminder for those who often talk about things that should not be told but keep quiet about spreading the gospel!
We need the love of Jesus to conquer our fears and cross the barriers
For modern people, most diseases have well-developed medicines and treatment. Leprosy is no longer seen as a terrifying plague. However, diseases such as AIDS, with a high infectious risk and no specific medicine, still make sufferers dreaded and shunned. Sufferers of this kind of disease are often rejected by society; even are tagged as being“ sexual promiscuous.” In fact, some sufferers of this disease are completely innocent without knowing anything, such as AIDS babies.
What they face is as the same as the status of leprosy patients back in Jesus’ time as well as Hansen patients in early Taiwan. As long as we have sufficient understanding of AIDS, the patients are no longer scary. They urgently need us to touch them and share our genuine care as the real acceptance like Jesus did for his people. What we really need is the love that conquers fears and barriers as Jesus has. I believe that when we reach out our hands, miracles happen.
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For discussion：
1. In the passage today, how was the person with leprosy cured？ What is it that the miracle of healing gives us today？
2. What is the message of this story that Jesus healed the leprosy patient, told him not to tell anyone but go to see the priest but still this person spread the news everywhere？
Please pray for：
1. Pray to be able to reach out your hands to others with Jesus’ love across fears and barriers.
2. Pray for those who are forgotten and rejected from society. Ask for Jesus’ love to come to them. Pray that people around them can accept them.
Prayer：
Dear Jesus, thank you for revealing not only your miracle of healing but your merciful love to us. Only through this love are we able to be like you in conquering all of the fears and barriers to touch those who need us. Please help us to learn to cross our boundaries and reach out our hands to others. May we can see your miracles around us. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen!
Something you can do：
1. Reflect in your heart and write down what are fears and barriers you cannot cross. Ask for God’s help and healing.
2. Try to understand and care about the latest status of the negotiations about the compensation ordinance to Lo Sheng Sanatorium and the resettlement issue regarding Hansen patients. Share practical actions you can do with your team.
3. Collect information about AIDS. Try to understand the current status of AIDS patients and the caring institutions in Taiwan. Help your church to treat AIDS patients in a proper way. Donate money to support these AIDS institutions.
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