Sssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

One of the features of Mark’s Gospel is the big SECRET, what scholars call the ‘Messianic Secret’.

Whenever Jesus heals people in Mark, he tells them not to tell anyone. On the odd occasion when the disciples show a little bit of understanding, he tells them not to say anything to anyone about his miracles. You would think that Jesus would want it shouted from the rooftops, never mind the torture it would be for people to try and keep something like this quiet. But Jesus is not that kind of Messiah. He doesn’t want the publicity, not yet. He doesn’t want people to have the wrong idea about what his MISSION involves. It is not about the glory, it is not meant to be easy, it is not without the difficult paths, the cross! It is all about service.

We can think of the leper as all those people in society that we don’t want near us… they are easily identified by this question: ‘who do you not want living next door to you?’ Jesus reaches out to the alienated and by doing so, in today’s Gospel, he himself becomes alienated.

Jane Mellett ~ Intercom 2012
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