Sunday 12th February 2006 Septuagesima
Fr Andrew Norwood, Chaplain to the University of the Arts
2 Kings 5.1-14, 1 Cor 9.24-27, Mark 1.40-45
One of the themes running through the lectionary readings for today is about the physical body. Paul talks about running the race: disciplining the body – not running 'uncertainly', nor fighting as beating the air. It made me think about the classes I do at my gym – I do step and cardio kick if those terms mean nothing to you let me explain: cardio kick is an intense aerobics exercise to music using kick boxing moves – step is again an aerobic exercise with jumps and kicks using step platforms – not good if you've got dodgy knees... I guess St Paul might just approve of this kind of 'false' exercise – punching and kicking the air and running on and around a box... Whatever, it certainly exercises the heart and gets the blood pumping round the system.
The reason for bringing [the] body under discipline is that it might serve, not distract, in living a life of faith.
'Brother ass' is how St Francis of Assisi is alleged to have referred to his physical body. There is a Christian ascetic tradition of punishing the body: the mortification of the flesh. It has sometimes been taken to unhealthy lengths and the body regarded as intrinsically evil and among the results are self-hatred and prudery. It is hard to see how a Christian faith, which is committed to the reality of the incarnation, can rest content with such a position. But St Paul, in writing to the Corinthians is not going so far here. The reason for bringing his body under discipline is that it might serve, not distract, in living a life of faith.
Our own culture today has a curiously dualistic attitude to these things. We are increasingly aware of the penalties of an unhealthy, sedentary lifestyle. There is growing concern in medical and political circles about the state of people's present health and the wellbeing of future generations. Health clubs and gyms have proliferated in recent years.. It seems many people want to keep their bodies 'in shape' for the sake of a longer and healthier life, and are prepared literally to sweat it out in hard work involved.
Yet many of us, and I probably include myself in this; want our spirituality without such effort. The hard discipline of learning to pray, persevering with reading the bible and spiritual books, giving time to be with God, getting out of bed to go to church, has been replaced listening to a CD of plainsong, or lighting an aromatherapy candle. I'm not particularly knocking those things (I do them) but they're easy. How do we discipline ourselves so that we are 'temperate (self- controlled) in all things'? At the YMCA I quite frequently hear the phrase 'no pain, no gain' when applied to getting fitter: perhaps that slogan has some relevance too when we think of our spiritual health. Lent is approaching: what things are we not going to 'give up', but take on or do differently?
The OT reading is a wonderful story with vivid details – one of a few which shows Israel's God caring for people of all races. A great man Naaman has had his usefulness to his king threatened by leprosy; he is dependent for the thing he needs most on an insignificant and unnamed female slave; there is a diplomatic misunderstanding which nearly results in tragedy. Naaman's pride is affronted and he cannot believe that God only requires something simple from him, and the lesson of humility, again dependent on the servant, needs to be learned. It is when Naaman acts according to the word of the Elisha, the servant of God that he is healed of his leprosy and becomes clean.
The prophet Elisha sent a messenger out to Naaman. Jesus responds to the leper's request with a touch of his hand – a gesture which signals his compassion for and identification with the outcast and the marginalised. So healing of the leper by Jesus echoes the Naaman story and shows powers which go further than anything up to this point in Mark's Gospel.
Leprosy, as well as being unclean, was believed to be incurable. The language is very strong, and Mark seems to understand Jesus' anger and emotion as caused by the forces of evil with which he is in conflict. Clearly he wanted the healing to carry with it a spiritual obligation. There is some suggestion in the text that Jesus feared being hindered by the crowds looking for physical miracles only. Again the point is made: outward healing is a sign or more profound changes afoot.
As an aside, it's interesting to note that the story has a sting in its tail. The leper was so overjoyed at this rehabilitation that he went round telling everyone. The result of this enthusiastic publicity was that Jesus was swamped by demands from the sick and needy and also became suspect in the eyes of the authorities. Ironically, he and the leper changed places – and it was now Jesus who was marginalised and had to stay outside in the desert places.
So – (I don't think God is calling us to go to the gym!) looking after ourselves physically is a good thing and not to be ignored (we are after all the temple of the Spirit). But more importantly God calls us to look after, and to discipline, our whole beings not just for our own good and spiritual growth – but so that we can do as Jesus did, go out beyond our four walls, beyond our boundaries, and touch and heal the leper and the world out there. May God give us his spirit of wisdom and discipline, compassion and justice to do just that. Amen