A look at the gaps in the lectionary.
This week: the gap between Proper 7B + 8B
The text: Mark 5:1-20
This week we skip over an important story. What happens on the other side. After the storm that scares the disciples. After Jesus gets away from the hangers-on. Another shore. There, he will heal a man with a legion of demons.
The surprise of the story is different for us than for them. Because we aren’t horrified by what Jesus has done. We welcome it. He stilled a storm. Now he’s exorcizing a thousand demons at once. That is some omega-level power there. And totally Son of God terrain. We eat that up.
They don’t, however. Which puts us in a weird spot—not really understanding what they are going through. At least I assume that’s the case. Maybe the thought horrifies you. But I’ve never heard a single person suggest this story is scary. Its always the opposite.
Something else scares us.
If we’re being honest anyway.
Jesus frees a man and leads pigs to their death. That’s weird. Then, when the people freak out at it all, fearing the man Jesus just healed, that same man wants to follow Jesus—devote his life to him—and Jesus says “OK”.
Just kidding. No. He says no. Stay here.
Everyone else gets to follow Jesus, but this man doesn’t? What the heck, man?
There’s only one logical conclusion and we probably don’t like that, either.
The man is now an apostle.
More or less.
Not a disciple, because he doesn’t get to literally follow Jesus. But he gets to proclaim the Good News in his stead. Like an apostle.
Proclaim the Good News to the people who feared what happened. As a symbol of the greatness, mercy, and love of God.
Love personified to a people scared of it.
And all of the blessed saints who come after will demand devotion and fealty to hierarchies. They will tell you about the rules and the mandates. We will hear about the should-dos and the can’t-possiblies and all the while there is a man sent out to proclaim the Good News without a seminary education, ordination, or certification.
Like the Ethopian Eunuch who is given the grace of baptism on a whim—only this is on Jesus’s whim. On his desire to send the man out.
I cannot underscore enough how transgressive this idea is in the life of Christianity. Because it isn’t built on the man’s belief alone. Or on proof of his suitability. Or even his desire to proclaim the Good News.
Jesus sends him to do it when he’d rather follow.
And then what does Jesus do? Sail back to the other side.