What Kind of Savior

What Kind of Savior--January 16, 2019

"A leper came to [Jesus] begging him, and kneeling he said to him, 'If you choose, you can make me clean.' Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, 'I do choose. Be made clean!' Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean." [Mark 1:40-42]

The Gospel's message is not merely that Jesus is strong, or that Jesus is powerful.  It is that this Jesus, who is, yes, both strong and indeed powerful, is...good.

Sometimes I think we forget that. Or we forget how big a deal the goodness of Jesus, the kindness of Jesus, and the compassion of Jesus, really were for the writers of the New Testament.  Honestly, in the 1st century Greco-Roman world in which our Gospels were written, stories about gods who wielded power were a dime a dozen.  There was Zeus with his capriciously lobbed lightning bolts, Apollo in charge of the sun's life-giving light, Hades with power over the realm of the dead, and Poseidon lording over the furious force of the seas.  Oh, and the Romans wanted you to believe that the Emperor was a god, too, and they pointed to Caesar's military might and wealth as evidence.  In the world of the Gospels, there were a million religions and deities known for their brute strength and shows of power.

But Mark (and the other gospel writers with him) are not content simply to tell stories about how powerful Jesus is.  Certainly, that much is clear.  Jesus heals the sick, raises the dead, calms the storm, and feeds the crowds.  Those reveal a connection to a divine power beyond what you or I can do on an ordinary Wednesday.  But they are not merely about strength, or toughness, or power.  They are about compassion.  Because that is really what makes Jesus worth writing home about.  He is not just a powerful human being--he is evidence that the God of the universe really is good.

Jesus never uses his Messianic authority to raise up and army and command troops to go kill in his name--not once, despite multiple opportunities. Jesus never uses his divine foreknowledge to impress people with his ability to predict the future.  Jesus never pulls rank on his followers to say, "I'm the boss around here, so I get the perks, and you all are here to make me look good and do my bidding--so wash my feet and get my dinner."  No, always (always!) just the opposite.  Jesus' power is real, but it is always harnessed for use in serving, healing, and offering love.  Jesus' authority is real, but he never needs to toot his own horn, brag to the world about his great intelligence, or insist he has the power to do things before he does them--instead, he is the one using his authority to forgive sins, cast out demons, raise the dead, and prevent lynch-mobs from stoning someone to death.  

That's what I love about this scene from early on in Mark's Gospel where Jesus heals a man with leprosy.  It's so obviously about much more than proving Jesus is powerful and mighty.  We could have gotten that point with just a short, "And Jesus healed a leper," and moved on.  But Mark has held onto the conversation that surrounds the miracle, as a way of showing us that the really good news is that Jesus is the sort of Savior who has compassion on us, rather than being a pompous dictator or a self-important blowhard.  Jesus isn't just able to heal a man with leprosy: he is willing to do it.  Jesus is "moved with compassion" when the sick man approaches him, and Jesus chooses to heal him by touch (even though the Gospel writers would all insist that Jesus can heal people without even being in the same place just with a word).  Jesus is not simply powerful, not simply authoritative, and not simply mighty.  He is moved by love.  That's what stands out about him against the backdrop of myths like Zeus and the rest, who only do things out of capricious whims and the insecure need to make themselves look strong.  

This is also a really important point for us in this day and this moment in our culture, because it is a reminder that our hope (and our need) is not merely for a Savior who is tough, or who "looks the part" being mighty and powerful.  It matters that Jesus is good, not simply that he looks the part of being "great."  Honestly, big names who tout their own "greatness" today are as much a dime-a-dozen commodities as the fictional deities of Zeus and Hades.  But the notion of a Messiah whose character is compassionate and good, well, that is a rare bird.

I say that because from time to time (honestly, much more frequently than should be the case) I will hear or read people make the argument that character doesn't matter in the people we look to--that all we need is someone who will act powerfully, who will be bold, who will rattle sabers and talk big to get things done, regardless of what sort of human beings they are.  I see rather frequently this train of thought that says, "It doesn't matter if they are honest or decent or compassionate, whether they are truthful or faithful or generous--all that matters is having someone in charge who is strong and intimidating, so they can "get things done."

But honestly, if that is the case, then we don't really want Jesus... because Jesus doesn't just steamroll through situations, bullying and cajoling others to get his way.  In Jesus, we don't get a Savior who sells out his integrity in order to get his way.  And we don't get a Messiah who merely "gets things done" with the ruthless efficiency of the Romans.  After all, Jesus takes the time to talk to this man with leprosy, to reach out his hand, and to restore this outcast back into life in his community--Caesar would just brush the sick man aside and get where he was going.

All of this is to say that the character of the ones we place our trust and hope in matters, not simply their power.  It is not worth giving your devotion or allegiance to anyone--human or divine (or in Jesus' case, both)--who "gets things done" on their agendas, but lacks decency, goodness, and compassion.  The first followers of Jesus understood this: they did not worship Jesus merely because he was the most powerful one they had ever heard about, but because they had met in him a genuine love that was compelling in its compassion.

Today, let's not fall for the terrible thinking that says, "It doesn't matter what someone's character is, as long as they look strong and tough enough to get things done."  Rather, let's ask the more fundamental question first, "What kinds of things are worth doing in the first place?" and then that will point us in the direction of what kind of savior we are really in need of.  The world has a million loud tough-sounding voices promising they can "get things done."  There is only one, however, whose power and authority are matched by a love that stops to talk with lepers, lifts up the lowly, puts others first, and embodies compassion for the people on the margins.  

I do not worship Jesus because he is the most powerful figure I have ever heard of--I give him my allegiance because in his skin we meet a God who is good, as well as "great."

Lord Jesus, overwhelm us with your compassion, so that we will not fall for the tired old voices bragging about their power.