If You Are Willing
The Compassion of a Willing Savior
SCRIPTURE:
Mark 1:40–42 (CSB): Then a man with leprosy came to him and, on his knees, begged him, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched him. “I am willing,” he told him. “Be made clean.” Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.
OBSERVATION:
In Mark chapter 1, we observe Jesus' encounter with a leper and how those who witnessed it responded. What’s notable about this story is that the man with leprosy was allowed into the synagogue. The law required that he be separated from everyone else, and if he was walking down the street, he had to shout, “Unclean.”
Leprosy in the Bible is often used as a metaphor for sin. It isolates us and makes us unclean, sometimes in the most grotesque ways, as leprosy itself does.
Yet Jesus overlooks the leprosy, reaches out, and touches the man. Surely the people must have thought:
Jesus was largely indifferent to the questions from the crowds (though they didn't record them, I’m sure some were wondering). His compassion was stirred by the leper's question, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.”
This account reveals God's nature and character, highlighting His compassion for sinners. God's genuine compassion for the sinner is demonstrated when Jesus reaches out to touch this man.
The key point is that Jesus saw Him as a man, not a leper. How often do we follow the crowd's mindset and think, "They can’t come in here. Who allowed them in? Don't they know they will infect us"? Or assume, “If we reach out to them, we will become unclean.”
The world is lost, and we are called to show hospitality. The word 'hospitable' comes from 'hospital,' which means we should be a place of healing for those with leprosy. Yes, the church should be filled with people seeking healing, not the healthy telling the sick to fix themselves.
I love Jesus’ response: “Be made clean.” It perfectly encapsulates the gospel. We have ALL fallen short of God's glory (Romans 3:23). The wages of sin are death, but God's gift is eternal life through Christ Jesus (Romans 6:23).
APPLICATION:
When I start to see “people” as the problem rather than “sin,” I am in trouble. I (we) must be careful not to label the “leper” and overlook the desperate man seeking to be made clean.
If I want sinners to come around, I can’t expect them to shout “unclean” and “stay away.” I need to be willing, like Jesus, to reach out and touch them. I need to invite them into the “synagogue,” the church, and share the good news… Like the leper, they too can be made clean, just like you and me.
PRAYER:
Jesus, this account moves my heart and convicts my soul! So often, I find myself labeling a person rather than their sin. I prefer they stay outside the church rather than come in. Yet I was once lost—I needed a “hospital”—I needed to feel your touch and hear the words, “Be made clean.” Forgive me for thinking the church is only for the healthy, not for the sick. Change my heart.
Mark 1:40–42 (CSB): Then a man with leprosy came to him and, on his knees, begged him, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched him. “I am willing,” he told him. “Be made clean.” Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.
OBSERVATION:
In Mark chapter 1, we observe Jesus' encounter with a leper and how those who witnessed it responded. What’s notable about this story is that the man with leprosy was allowed into the synagogue. The law required that he be separated from everyone else, and if he was walking down the street, he had to shout, “Unclean.”
Leprosy in the Bible is often used as a metaphor for sin. It isolates us and makes us unclean, sometimes in the most grotesque ways, as leprosy itself does.
Yet Jesus overlooks the leprosy, reaches out, and touches the man. Surely the people must have thought:
- Why is this man here? If we let him in, we'll all risk infection and death.
- Does Jesus not know that touching this man will make Him unclean?
Jesus was largely indifferent to the questions from the crowds (though they didn't record them, I’m sure some were wondering). His compassion was stirred by the leper's question, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.”
This account reveals God's nature and character, highlighting His compassion for sinners. God's genuine compassion for the sinner is demonstrated when Jesus reaches out to touch this man.
The key point is that Jesus saw Him as a man, not a leper. How often do we follow the crowd's mindset and think, "They can’t come in here. Who allowed them in? Don't they know they will infect us"? Or assume, “If we reach out to them, we will become unclean.”
The world is lost, and we are called to show hospitality. The word 'hospitable' comes from 'hospital,' which means we should be a place of healing for those with leprosy. Yes, the church should be filled with people seeking healing, not the healthy telling the sick to fix themselves.
I love Jesus’ response: “Be made clean.” It perfectly encapsulates the gospel. We have ALL fallen short of God's glory (Romans 3:23). The wages of sin are death, but God's gift is eternal life through Christ Jesus (Romans 6:23).
APPLICATION:
When I start to see “people” as the problem rather than “sin,” I am in trouble. I (we) must be careful not to label the “leper” and overlook the desperate man seeking to be made clean.
If I want sinners to come around, I can’t expect them to shout “unclean” and “stay away.” I need to be willing, like Jesus, to reach out and touch them. I need to invite them into the “synagogue,” the church, and share the good news… Like the leper, they too can be made clean, just like you and me.
PRAYER:
Jesus, this account moves my heart and convicts my soul! So often, I find myself labeling a person rather than their sin. I prefer they stay outside the church rather than come in. Yet I was once lost—I needed a “hospital”—I needed to feel your touch and hear the words, “Be made clean.” Forgive me for thinking the church is only for the healthy, not for the sick. Change my heart.
Jesus is always willing to make the unclean clean—and calls us to extend that same compassion to others.
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