One of the classes that I took in college was Biochemistry. The professor rattled on from the moment we entered class until the moment we left our seats. In similar fashion, his exams were never a question. What was on the test? Every single thing was on the test, each and every word was important. The grades seemed abysmal. He once proudly told to me that my "C" was an exceptional grade, certainly an "A" in anyone else's course. Another teacher of Organic Chemistry was equally methodical in his teaching and testing. I believe the average (uncurved) grade was well below a 30. Yes, out of 100 . The argument of the organic chemistry teacher was that we were not really allowed to make mistakes. In medicine, a mistake meant death or a an error that could not be undone in most cases. His exam booklets were strewn with paged size font ( in red ) which simply read "Zero" Testing is very much still 'a thing' in our lives.
There is of course the exams every student must endure if only to see if the knowledge has been received. Unfortunately there is a great deal more testing in the world as with the Pharisees in today's reading from Mark. You are worthy if you obey all the rules and rubrics. For Jesus, that just ain't so.
When Jesus comes across someone with a whithering hand, a paralytic, someone with seizures, years of menses, blindness, leprosy or a sick loved one, there are no questions. There is no test of worthiness. No questions to assess if you should indeed be cured or dismissed. It seems to me that the ones labelled by society as the most unworthy are the ones that Jesus deems indeed very worthy.
This is maddening to some people and to whole churches. You must do something. Jesus really apparently does not work on that premise. If Jesus did work on that premise would he have cured the Roman Centurions sickly homosexual partner ? ( Pais ). Understand, this is an officer of the occupying army, not even a Jew, not likely one who could even address any question of scripture and lived as is common in Roman and Greek life, with a subordinate ( but totally loved ) male lover. How many even today would judge this man and his companion, both, as unworthy. Perhaps worthy of disdain or hate but not love and an open cure.
It seems to me the lesson is as it was yesterday, literally, and today and tomorrow and the next. We are all worthy, we are all beloved creations of God. We need not do anything to be worthy but we are worthy by our 'mere' creation in the image and likeness of God. Our existence is reason to be loved and cured. Sounds like socialized medicine to me! Seems absolutely childlike in it's simplicity and yet that is also what Jesus said. We are after all, ALL children of God no matter who or what you define God as.
As far as God, religion and love, there should be no tests, no exams.
Mark 2:23-3:6
One sabbath he was going through the cornfields; and as they made their way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. The Pharisees said to him, ‘Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?’ And he said to them, ‘Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need of food? He entered the house of God, when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and he gave some to his companions.’ Then he said to them, ‘The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath; so the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.’
Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a withered hand. They watched him to see whether he would cure him on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man who had the withered hand, ‘Come forward.’ Then he said to them, ‘Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to kill?’ But they were silent. He looked around at them with anger; he was grieved at their hardness of heart and said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately conspired with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.
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