LENT
Lent starts a week from tomorrow, Wed, Feb 17 to Sat, April 3. 40 days (46 days - 6 Sundays). The word “Lent” simply implies the time of year – Spring – as in the lengthening of the days. Also new beginnings. The 40 days memorializes (and re-lives to some degree) Jesus’ 40 days in the desert.
During this time, the Church asks us to consider strengthening our spiritual “will” in the same 3 categories that caused the Fall of Man, which also were Satan’s same 3 temptations of Christ in the desert (since Jesus came to undo the Fall of Man!). These 6th Day (worldly) attachments attempt to enslave us in the 6th Day and keep us from entering the 7th Day, so it is advisable whenever possible to practice detaching from some of our less admirable 6th Day habits.
For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 1 John 2:16
1) Unhealthy desire (concupiscence) of the flesh (for physical gratification). Hedonism
2) Unhealthy desire (concupiscence) of the eyes (for possessions or wealth). Materialism
3) Pride (vainglory): Self-rule/no need for God. Egoism
Lust does not just mean sex. The proper word for our purposes is "concupiscence." Concupiscence: (Latin): con (with) + cupere (desire): an unhealthy or perverse desire
Our next meeting (Feb 16) is the day before Lent begins. We will talk about ideas for each of these 3 categories of what we can do for Lent. I will also provide a source for daily Lenten prayers.
Context of the Gospel (Mark 1:40-45) 7:15 – 8:35
Last week, Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law at his house in Capernaum, went off to pray, and then headed to nearby villages to preach the kingdom and heal more people.
Mark 1:40-45
A man filled with leprosy came to him and begged on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” Moved with compassion, Jesus put forth his hand, touched him, and said, “I do will it. Be made clean.” As he spoke, the leprosy immediately left the man, and he was cleansed. And warning him sternly, Jesus dismissed him, saying, “Say nothing to anyone, but go and show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed, as your testimony to them.”
Instead, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter abroad, so that Jesus could not openly enter the city. He remained in remote places, but people came to him from everywhere.
Exegesis
A man filled with leprosy came to him and begged on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”
“If you will” – means “if you simply will it” – which is a) amazing faith and b) leprosy was feared and untouchable and unbreathable. If you could cure leprosy, you could do anything.
As he spoke, the leprosy immediately left the man, and he was cleansed.
Healing diseases usually took months and leprosy was generally never healed – it ended in death. ‘Immediately’ was big news.
“… go and show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed…”
This was what was spelled out/required in Leviticus before a diseased person could re-enter their community. Note how Jesus is following Jewish law and giving respect to the priests for their role. He main grief with Judaism at the time was hypocrisy.
Instead, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter abroad, so that Jesus could not openly enter the city. He remained in remote places, but people came to him from everywhere.
Q: What are two reasons Jesus tells people after his miracles not to run around and tell everyone what happened?
1) He needs to preach for three more years before his time comes for being arrested and killed; no need to accelerate those final events.
2) He does not want his miracles sensationalized or to make a spectacle of the physical healing over his spiritual healing. If all people cared about was the miracles, it would have turned into a carnival. He came to deliver messages of love, forgiveness, and the Kingdom that he came to lead them to.
Q: How did the role of Jesus (Logos/Word) played in creation (Gen 1) relate to his miracles?
A: All physical nature (the universe) came to be through him. In Jesus’ miracles, that same nature was bending to his will.
Q: Could Jesus not have stopped his own death then?
A: Yes, he could have. However, if he used any of his powers to help himself, then he wouldn’t have lived a fully human life. Note that all his miracles were for others.
Genesis Chapter 3: The Fall of Man - will post separately.
Maranatha!
Ron
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