Does One Word Matter?

Nik Nur Amirah NY, Leper Series II

A leper came to him begging him, and kneeling he said to him, ‘If you choose, you can make me clean.’ ⁴¹Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, ‘I do choose. Be made clean!’ ⁴²Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. ⁴³After sternly warning him he sent him away at once, ⁴⁴saying to him, ‘See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.’ ⁴⁵But he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the word, so that Jesus could no longer go into a town openly, but stayed out in the country; and people came to him from every quarter. Mark 1:40-45

Fredrik Rubensson,Norra begravningsplatsen

Does one word matter? As I was preparing for Sunday this week I learned about a translation issue in the above passage. In verse 41 moved with pity is a translation choice that was made by the early scribes about the text. In fact the majority of translations of this Greek texts choose to see compassion in Jesus' activity of healing and made the decision to copy and keeping copying this passage as pity, compassion. The translators and then scribes like this view of Jesus. When Jesus saw a person in need of healing, when Jesus saw a person begging. pleading for healing he is moved with compassion. His heart is turned for the one before him who cries for help and he answers his cry. Jesus reached out and touched him and spoke words that would heal him. We like this image of Jesus. This is a comforting image of a man who embodies compassion, who is the love of God poured out in the world. We want Jesus to be kind, because we aren't always kind. We want Jesus to show compassion, becuase sometimes we are full of contempt. We want Jesus to care because to often our hearts are hard.

Isengardt, Anger

 

But there is another translation of this verse. Jesus' anger was kindled. Jesus was indignant. The fifth-century C.E. Codex Bezae is the only Greek translation that expresses anger, although there are versions that just solve the problem by leaving the phrase out. What does this word change do to the text, the meaning of the story, our understanding of who Jesus is?  For Jesus to be angry makes him to much like us.

Where is Jesus' anger directed?  The first chapter Gospel of Mark is full of energy and life. Everything happens immediately, full steam ahead. We have Jesus beginning to sneak away to rest and pray because everyone is eager to touch him, be healed by him. So when this leper begs him, plead with him, yells at him. "If you chose, you can make me well." Did Jesus just have enough? Did his temper flare and he snapped at the man and his statement of healing is one of those times you said fine to your kids even though you were seething inside?

 Or, is the anger here directed at the system, at the society that shows so little compassion? Is this anger at a people that have chosen winners and losers and this map with leprosy is on the losing side? Forced to beg to survive, separated from his family and community. Is he angry that when he looks around we are not caring for our sick and our poor? Is he angry that we care so little for each other? So even while angry at the world for  bringing us to this moment, he touches the man, he reaches out with his healing power and chooses to make him well. Does knowing that Jesus got angry at the oppressive forces of his day, at the injustice and lack of compassion from his society change your view of who he is? Does Jesus' anger help you to own your own righteous indignation at the forces at play in our society that still leave people out in the cold with healthcare just out of reach? That still chooses some people to be healed and some to dies for lack of access and money. Does it make you angry that there are people who we have decided don't deserve to be part of our culture, who can be treated differently, poorly.

Lately I want to embrace Jesus' anger, I want to get indignant at the forces of oppression. But I also want to moved by compassion, not pity, compassion. I want my heart open wide to the pain of the world so I can't just walk by in the cloud of indifference to the pain right in front of me.




Note: Strata, “Jesus’ Anger Rewritten as Compassion,” Biblical Archaeology Review, May/June 2012.