2 Kings 5:1-14

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Mark 1:40-45

“If you are willing…”

These words ring strongly with me right now. There are people in need of healing, comfort, strength and help. They are looking for someone to be willing. He knows that Jesus is capable of healing but he is not sure that Jesus wants to heal him. Perhaps he has seen others that he thought were capable but unwilling to do anything. I would not be surprised if that were true.

My parents came back from Haiti at the end of January. They said that many people said, “Thank you for leaving your comfortable homes to come help our people”. There is a certain surprise and gratefulness in that comment. The Haitians see the great comfort of Americans and our relative inaction. They see people who are capable but who are unwilling to help.

“I am willing…”

This statement almost slips right by us. Of course, Jesus is willing. But in human experience, finding someone willing to help is rare and surprising. Jesus shows the heart of God to heal and help those in need. How much do we need to have this kind of heart to help others!

Then after stating His willingness, Jesus does the unthinkable – He touches the leper. He enters into the suffering at the risk of religious scrutiny. He does what it takes to bring healing, no matter how it looks. He knows that He has come to bring a change in our thinking – sin does not stain righteousness, righteousness changes sin. The power of healing is greater than the power of disease.

Jesus heals this man out of compassion. Yet He knew that this man would help spread the news too quickly. Love is inconvenient. Love requires willingness, bravery, confidence, and flexibility.

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Deuteronomy 18:15-20

1 Corinthians 8:1-13

Mark 1:21-28

We think that things are desecrated because of idols. But Paul reminds us that idols are nothing. Food is food is food. We have a freedom in Christ and we should live in it.
But greater than our freedom is our responsibility to our brothers and sisters. We must not destroy their faith. We must not cause them to go against their conscience.
Again, issues that this raises in my mind: What, if any, are the differences between offending and destroying one’s faith? How do we move the church into the freedom of Christ, if we have to watch for the other’s weakness? How do we stop ourselves from being controlled by spiritual bullies who only want things their way? How do we work to build each other up? How do we help the fragile in faith? What if they are older spiritually/ physically?

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The Miami Herald has an article about the needs of Haiti. After the hurricanes and tropical storm, Haiti is in great need for humanitarian aid. At the same time, America is entering a very difficult time financially. Private donations for the needs of Haiti have dropped as Americans have turned inward to take care of their needs. I understand that most Americans have needed to tighten their belts in these times: we have had to make some cuts personally. But for all of our troubles, I would be hard pressed to find examples in the US that compare to the general situation in Haiti. Even as we are hurting, we need to remember that there are others who need our help more than we need it ourselves.

I have personally seen the situation in Haiti about five years ago during a time of relative peace and stability. I have only seen pictures and video of the current state of crisis. My imagination is not great enough to picture the suffering in Haiti. My parents, who are in their late sixties, are going to Haiti next week as part of a medical mission trip. They are not medically trained but will be serving in support capacities for the doctors and nurses who are going with them. I am proud of them for their willingness to step out and reach out to others in need. Their willingness to help is not something new: it is a part of their spiritual fabric. But this is their first mission trip after a lifetime of local missional living.

My parents are stepping out in these financial hard times, despite a fixed income, to reach to those who are much worse off than they are. Couldn’t we all use a little of their compassion to open our hearts to Haiti at this critical time? If you are not currently offering help to some charity currently or if you have cut back, please consider the needs of Haiti or another trouble spot. Please pray that God will send workers into the field.

Organizations that will get donations to Haiti:

Hands and Feet Project

Hands Together

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The Anchoress has a great post about Penn Jillette of Penn and Teller fame. Penn had an encounter with a Christian man who gave him a Gideon’s Bible. Penn seems to be moved by the gesture especially since he believes that Christians (and probably all religions) should proselytize if they believe they have the truth. Penn is an atheist.

Penn brings out a powerful point: if you have the truth and it is critical to make a decision for Christ, you should be sharing with others. Again, room for self-examination. How strongly do we believe the gospel? How sincerely and honestly do we interact with others? Penn is adamant about the goodness and honesty of the man. Integrity must come before witness.

Note: the reference to Flannery O’Connor’s short story, A Good Man is Hard to Find, is intentional. It is not meant to reflect on the man who gave the Bible or Mr. Jillette. Neither is the killer or the grandmother, though I feel that lesser men (myself included) would have been. In fact, we may have two good men in this story…

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Makoto Fujimura writes beautiful and insightful posts. Mr. Fujimura is an artist whose work blends traditional Japanese methods and materials with modern sensibilities to create work that to me is timeless and powerfully emotive. His latest post is about fly fishing, the stock market and business ethics. I love his subtle and profound ways of describing things and arriving in a deep conversation.

I really appreciate the conversation about business ethics. I, too, believe that love can be the guiding principle of business, more than the bottom line. We are surrounded with the world of business and immerse our lives in the thought that the purpose of our lives is to make money. But greater than this is our call to love and business can be an expression of love to our employees, customers, suppliers and communities.

I work for an Amish construction company and I have seen first hand the ways a loving business can be conducted. Business is conducted more for the benefit of the employees and there is a wonderful network of relationships with the customers and suppliers. They hint at the possibilities of a church that lives the gospel.

Please take time to read Makoto Fujimura’s post – it is well worth the read.

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Frank Viola at Reimagining Church has a thoughtful question to ponder: What is the message of Jesus?

As I try to answer that question for myself, I have to start with the question: Is the message of Jesus different than the person of Jesus? Fundamentally, I would answer “No.” Jesus was true to His character and personhood thus His message would be the same, though perhaps spoken differently.

The personhood, work and words of Jesus together form His message. Healing, befriending sinners, calling people to repentance all speak of restoration to a wholeness. But unlike others, Jesus says that all of life and its reality are found and mediated through Him. Through His forgiveness, He is the door to reality and wholeness. Through Him, wholeness can be pursued and ultimately experienced. Through Him, life is not fatalistic but grows in hope, joy and love. Life overcomes death, forgiveness defeats guilt, love triumphs over apathy. Sin does not stain goodness, but mercy transforms fallenness.

What do you think?

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