On episode 20, we follow the account of Jesus encountering a man with leprosy. To have leprosy meant you were forced to live in isolation. Your only community were other lepers. You couldn't go home, go to work, or go anywhere other people were. We can all agree this would make for a miserable existence. So if this was your life, but you heard about a man who could make you well, wouldn't you do whatever it takes to get to this man?
I admire the courage of this man. He risked all he had left to get to Jesus. Mark wrote that Jesus was indignant. This is a shocking word to use. We discuss why Mark chose this word to describe Jesus' emotional response to the man before He healed him.
We engaged in a conversation that made the three of nervous to have on a podcast. We talked about our personal experiences of being friends with people in the LGBTQ community. The fact that we were nervous tells me this was a conversation that we needed to have. Friends, we believe the Church has to do a better job of having these conversations. Open up your hearts and welcome people to your table. There are people all around us who would like to just be able to get in the room to learn about Jesus and what it takes to follow Jesus. What can we do to help them encounter Jesus?
Mark 1:40-45