In the Gospel of Mark words and themes are repeated over and
over again. There seems to be an urgency or immediacy about what Jesus does -
almost without thinking of the cost or repercussions. Mark uses words meaning
‘immediately’ or ‘as soon as’ at least 39 times - As soon as they left
the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew - Now Simon’s mother
in law was laid aside fever stricken and at once they told Jesus about
her. As soon as something is sorted Mark presents Jesus as moving on
immediately to the next person or place.
The word aphiemi ‘to
leave’ occurs a number of times in the first two chapters of Marks Gospel-
‘Immediately Jesus called the disciples they left their nets and their
boats and families (1:18, 20).’ And approaching her Jesus took her by the hand
and raised her up and the fever left her and she began to serve them
(1:31).’
There is a letting go of something in order to move on,
whether that is a letting go by someone of something, or a demon letting go of
a person, or a person letting go of sin or sin letting go of a person, or
sickness letting go of a person or a person letting go of sickness, or people letting go of a way of life. The sin
is left behind, the fever leaves the woman behind, the fever moves on, the woman moves on, the demon moves on. Just as Jesus immediately moves on so there seems to be the expectation
that people will move on too –‘And sternly warning him Jesus sent him away at
once (1:43).’
Mark presents Jesus as one who seems to immediately know the
way things should be with people – people should be free. Jesus freed people
from the control of demons, illness and sin but beyond these was another level
of control that Jesus sought to reveal as controlling people, a double bind,
and this was the religious interpretation of the day. In the way it was
interpreted people were actually excluded from their communities rather than
included when they needed them most.
Through our prayers for healing we may not always be able to
help free people from illness or possession or sin but we can always and
immediately free them from religious bondage. It can often be religious bondage
that is keeping people from experiencing life to the full and preventing them from moving on.
Brian Stoffregen (http://www.crossmarks.com/brian/mark1x29.htm)
sees forgiveness as ‘Not letting what happened in the past control my life in
the present.’ Religion should reflect the liberating ministry of Jesus and not use
what has happened in peoples’ lives in the past to control them and prevent
them from living life to the full in the present.
So what have I/we to leave behind? What have I/we to move on to? What is preventing me/us from living life in the present?
