"Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another."

         Last week a group of our high school group came and painted the classrooms downstairs. They did a good job. I felt encouraged as I saw them respond to a need and take time to significantly help us.

         Each week I read the notes in the bulletin by people who are expressing appreciation for some kindness or practical help given by the congregation. You are continually doing acts of service and kindness, and usually I do not even know about it until the thank-you note arrives. I feel encouraged whenever I hear about these acts of love.

         What do I mean when I say I am encouraged by these types of actions? I usually don't even think about it; it just feels good to see God's work being done. The dictionary says that encourage means to "inspire with courage, spirit or hope." That was exactly how I felt when the group came to paint last week: inspired and hopeful.

         But the word for "encourage" in the Scripture has a deeper and more complex meaning. It is a form of one of the names we use for the Holy Spirit; the "paraclete," advocate or counselor. The word has an interesting history. Literally it means "to call in"; that is, to ask or inquire. But over the years it comes to mean "console" and "comfort," and then comes to mean "strengthen." When you comfort someone they gain strength. Then in the Hellenistic world it takes on the meaning of "exhort", while in the Hebrew culture the emphasis remains on "comfort." So encouragement is the mixture of comfort and exhortation.

Now that is not an easy mixture to hold together. On Saturday morning at 11 o'clock, when your teenage child is still asleep, you encourage them on the one hand by saying "Poor dear, you are so exhausted from all that schoolwork of the week, let me fluff up your pillow"; out of the other side of your mouth you are saying, "you need to get this room picked up and spotlessly clean in ten minutes, or else." Encouragement -- the mixture of comfort and exhortation.

I need to see a picture of this biblical encouragement. I need to see Jesus expressing it. Mark begins his gospel by giving us a picture of Jesus barnstorming through the towns of Galilee, preaching, healing and casting out demons. Then he zeroes in on one incident, as Jesus is confronted by a leper pleading for help. Leprosy was any of a variety of skin diseases, widely regarded as God's punishment for hidden sin. The priests of Israel made no attempt to heal it, but rather learned to diagnose it, in meticulous detail. One deemed to have leprosy was banished from all society, made a beggar, and thrown onto the mercy of God. To touch a leper was seen in the same light as touching a corpse; it caused one to become ritually unclean.

So here is this living corpse, who breaks the rules of keeping a safe distance from people, kneeling before Jesus, begging, not for money, but for his life. And Jesus encourages him; that is, he comforts and exhorts him. Out of compassion, Jesus reaches out and touches the man, which was very comforting to one who had been denied all human contact. Then Jesus spoke cleansing, and restored the man to health, to his life or relationship and worship and work. Finally Jesus exhorted him by directing him sternly to be quiet and go straight to the priest.

This exhortation part is a little confusing to us. But Jesus was not protecting himself; he knew this man would not be accepted as clean until the priest inspected him, and took him through the long and complicated ritual of cleansing. Jesus did not want this healed man to be shunned or criticized for getting healed in the wrong way.

That is how Jesus encourages people. He comforts them, heals them, and gives them direction and purpose in life. Comfort and exhortation fit together well in Jesus' ministry.

The problem is that we often lack such a balance. If we are always comforting and caring, and never speak a word of correction or exhortation, it is easy for our encouragement to become distorted into creating dependencies. If you are always the giving one, the soothing one, the fixer of other's problems, the source of funds to cover over difficulties, you soon feel worn out, used, and you notice that the ones you try to help do not get stronger.

On the other hand, if you encourage by exhortation only, and never offer comfort and understanding, you can easily become a critical person. When criticism becomes a normal way of operation, you are usually trying to regain control that you feel you have lost. No one seems to listen to you anymore. You are not consulted on decisions. So criticism becomes the short-cut to getting your way, to becoming powerful. Once criticism gets established in your life, it is very difficult to overcome. It is like spiritual blackberry vines, or perhaps buckthorn.

Biblical encouragement is not easy or natural to us. That is why the writer of the letter to the Hebrews shows that encouragement comes to us through the power of the cross of Jesus. He does not simply say, "Encourage one another," as if we were capable of doing that on our own.

He starts at the cross: "Since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus." Because of the cross of Jesus, something happens in our hearts that gives us confidence to approach God. The leper asked Jesus to cleanse him in the full confidence that he was able to do so. Now, in the cross, Jesus sprinkles our hearts, to cleanse us from a guilty conscience. All who come to him in repentance and faith experience a cleansing that both comforts us and strengthens us to live in a new way.

Instead of sinking in doubt and uncertainty, let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess.

Instead of following the pattern of a worldly criticism of those around us, let us spur one another on to love and good deeds.

Instead of wandering after what the world offers, let us not give up meeting together.

This is all grace. It is the power of the cross that brings us to a new life, in which we know the assurance of Christ's presence, the one who does not forsake us; and we hear his words of direction and command. The cleansed leper was sent in one direction by Jesus, in order to be in the will of God. But the healed man tried to go in all directions at once, telling everyone what had happened. He did not lose his healing, but he missed the life of encouraged obedience, he missed the joy of doing the will of Jesus. The encouragement of Jesus brings us to a place of deep submission. We begin to listen to his voice.

That is when we become encouragers.

Amen.