Thursday January 16, 2025

Mark 1:40-45

A leper came to Jesus and pleaded on his knees: ‘If you want to’ he said ‘you can cure me.’ Feeling sorry for him, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him. ‘Of course I want to!

My first question as I read this most powerful passage is, how did he do it? How did this leper get that close to Jesus. This was a failure on the part of whoever was in charge of the security of Jesus. This leper should have been stopped 300 meters away from the Lord.

Maybe there is a teaching here for me. Do I block people from reaching the Lord or do I help them get an audience. Our call really as believers is to get as many people as we can to God. It is not our duty to vet who gets an audience. So to all clergy, to all who feel they need to protect the Lord, I say maybe we should examine our calling.

The other teaching here for me is the response of Jesus. Of course Jesus will heal the man, but does he have to touch him? Does he have to feel sorry for him? A healing without the extra stuff would suffice.

He touched him!!! Maybe hugged him, embraced him. Sometimes a lot of healing comes when we just show compassion. When we are willing to accept the pain of others, they do not feel alone. You know the pain of this leper was that he was ostracized from his family!!! In Jesus he finds a family who will love him to wholeness. Try that one. Try hugging the pain of another. It will change them but more importantly, it will change you.