The gospels and healing the sick

Each morning when I awake, my first task, in which I delight, is to read scripture. Even after all these years, I continually stumble on passages I had previous missed or misunderstood.

Example from this mornings’ wanderings in the Gospel of Mark (4: 3-11)

Jesus and the disciples traveled unto the Sommorah one day, and sought repast from its fishermen. While there, a group of the village elders put upon Jesus to give evidence of his divinity by healing a man whose body was covered with cankerous sores.

Jesus continued with his meal, failing to engage the elders, who became insistent, taking from Jesus the fish in his hand and imploring him to act. The disciples too implored the master to act, as evening was upon them, and shelter would not be offered if Jesus could not perform a miracle.

Jesus arose, and walked to the afflicted man. He looked upon him, and said to those around him “Verily, I say to thee, that a man shall not enter the kingdom of heaven lest his soul first be removed of cankers. And I say to this man that he shall see the kingdom, and his afflictions removed.”

He then turned to address the throng that had assembled. “Verily I say unto thee, that the works of my father on earth are here for all to see, but for those who will not see, I cannot provide. I cannot heal a man whose disease already exists, nor will I take upon myself the burden of healing him when he cannot offer up payment to the doctors and elders of the village.”

Now I understand.

Footnote: There is dispute (which has become heated at times) among scholars about the King James version, which uses the word “exists”, as it is derived from the Hebrew מעודכנת, which meant “medically extant”, but which was translated to Greek to mean אינטרנט, or “of being”. Modern American biblical translations have Jesus saying “Dude, it’s already there. Can’t fix it.”