Blaze Abroad

Introduction

Read Mark 1:40-45

Expand on the “blaze abroad” thought.

Evangelism is a beggar telling another beggar where the bread is.

What is today’s sermon slogan?

The Demise of the Leper

Mark: A New Covenant Commentary Healing of the Leper (1:40–45)

What is known as leprosy in the Bible is not Hansen’s disease. Instead the term is used to refer to a variety of skin diseases. Leviticus 13:45–46 shows the lengths to which someone afflicted with it has to go to avoid contaminating others: he had to wear torn clothes, leave his hair unkempt, wear a mask to cover the lower part of his face, and cry out, “Unclean! Unclean!” in order to ward people off. He also had to live in colonies, separated from society. More burdensome was the religious meaning of such a dreaded disease. It was regarded as incurable, being a result of God’s judgment (see Num 12:9–15; 2 Chron 26:16–21; cf. also the telling remark in 2 Kings 5:7). Such a person could not appear before God in the Temple. With this background, we can understand the desperation that drove the leper to meet Jesus and thus violate some social customs. Instead of standing afar and calling to Jesus, this leper goes to him, falls poignantly on his knees and beseeches Jesus to heal him (v. 40).

Jesus shows his compassion (see excursus) and does the surprising thing by touching him, thus breaking a taboo. Moreover, Jesus declares him clean. To show the efficacy of Jesus’ declaration, Mark uses his favorite word “immediately.” If Jesus can declare someone clean, what becomes the role of the priest, since in the OT he is the only one who can pronounce a leper clean (Lev 13:2–6)? With this, we come to the ominous note in vv. 43–44.

Do you or have you related to how this leper feels?

The Messianic Secret

Why does Jesus advise the people he heals and his disciples not to tell anyone that he’s the Messiah?

I’ll offer three theories:

1. Willhelm Wrede in 1901 suggested that Jesus never believed He was the Messiah. Wrede said that the disciples sensationalised and ordinary man and inserted this secrecy theme to prop up Jesus’ Messiahship afer his death.

2. The Bible says in the verse () that Jesus was no longer welcome in towns after the proclamation.

3. Many commentators now suggest that it wasn’t time for Jesus’ name to be proclaimed as the Messiah. This was meant to happen on the day of Pentecost after his Death and from then on henceforth.

Who do you say Jesus is? Do you believe He is the Messiah?

Too hot too hold.

“Evangelism is a beggar telling another beggar where the bread is”

tells the story of four beggars who found themselves in a strange situation.

They were unable to keep the good news to themselves. They had to tell the people of the city.

This leper that Jesus healed understood what it meant to feel ostracised, rejected, and desperate. He accepted the invitation to taste and see that the Lord is good. And He was willing to challenge protocol to do so.

Have you experienced the grace of Jesus Christ? Write down what it was. Share it with somebody.

Conclusion

You can’t give what you don’t have

If you have experienced Jesus as our Messiah, then tell somebody. If you haven’t, but you believe Him to be the Messiah, tell somebody why you do.

The Bible says that all things were made through him and for him. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. Jesus can afford to give you everything you require. And he invested everything he had so that you may know who the Messiah is. He risked eternal death so that you and I may have eternal life.

Make it your aim this year to share with someone where the bread is.

“Evangelism is a beggar showing another beggar where the bread is.”

Who is the person in your life that needs to know and experience your Messiah?

Practical and Simple Suggestion for Evangelism in 2019 (borrowed from Timothy Keller):

If you strictly do Evangelism, the outside world sees it as recruitment, increasing your tribe, a power grab. You need to combine Word and Deed.The best way to combine Evangelism and Good Deeds is on a personal level (more difficult to do on a organizational level).

You’re not going to love a friend without sharing the Gospel with them. And as a friend you will serve them as there is a need

Two steps for setting up Evangelism:

Let the other person know you go to church.

Let the other person know that your Christian faith means something to you, even in passing: “my Christian faith has really helped me here…”

There are a lot of simple behaviors that you should be doing, that will lead in a very organic way into deeper spiritual discussion. You should be doing the simple behaviors first: Loving and caring for people. Being a person of integrity. Letting people know that you’re a Christian. And it will just bubble up naturally. Most people think, I have to find out a way to get the whole gospel out in one conversation or get in a debate about Creation and Evolution. That’s not the way to go. Be simple. Pray for them and listen for direction from the Holy Spirit.

Check out the following webiste: https://disciple.org.au/resources for many rich resources and suggestions to help you blaze abroad.