A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing you can make me clean. Jesus was indignant. He reached out his hand and touched the man. I am willing he said, “Be clean!” Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed.”~Mark 1:40
A couple of days ago I wrote a post you can read here regarding the coronavirus. I would first read that post before you continue.
The last post looked at verse 41 and with this one let’s take a deeper look at verse 40. “A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing you can make me clean.” I love how beautiful and active God’s Word is. A couple of days ago I was so amazed at verse 41 that I read right over verse 40.
I think about this man who was suffering with leprosy. Unlike many diseases leprosy is one you can’t really hide because of the lumps and spots all over the skin and so his physical sickness was visible for all to see. I’m amazed by this mans boldness in coming to Jesus. “He came to Jesus and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing you can make me clean.” This man was desperate for help. He knew he couldn’t make himself clean that he went so far as to get on his knees and beg Jesus.
I was just in this scripture with friends in my neighborhood and one friend pointed out the statement he said to Jesus, “If you are willing YOU CAN make me clean.” I think about the bold faith of this man who was an outcast. He came to Jesus in his sickness acknowledging he wasn’t clean knowing Jesus was the one he needed. The man probably was not expecting what Jesus did next in actually reaching out in compassion and physically touching him, a man with leprosy who no one would be near.
The picture of the man with the leprosy is really a picture of all of our hearts. Isaiah 64:6 reads, “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.” Read that again. We are all unclean. There is nothing the government can do to help. There is no doctor who can help or vaccine around the corner that will help. There is no good deed we can do for all our righteous acts are like filthy rags as we are all stained with sin. Sin works its ugly way way into every thing we do as we are stained by it.
BUT THERE IS GOOD NEWS.
There is one who is willing. The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world has come. Though our sins are like scarlet he washes the one who turns to him as white as snow. Just like this man with leprosy we have to see that we ourselves are on the outside and our souls are sick. Isaiah 59:2 reads “Your iniquities have separated you from your God, your sins have hidden his face from you.” We see Jesus did not turn the man away in his sickness he did the unthinkable he reached out and touched him with compassion. That is the same that he does for the sinner that repents and comes to him. Jesus provides purification for all sins. The ground is level at the foot of the cross. It’s this kindess of God that leads us to repentance.
So what is to be our response? In Luke 17 we read an account of where Jesus healed 10 people with leprosy. However, only one of them returned to him praising him with thanksgiving. We see here this is the only right response. It’s a response of thanksgiving and praise for all of our days for all eternity to the Lord of Lords and King of Kings who with his blood reconciled a people from every tribe and language and people and nation.
May God use CVOID-19 to open the hearts of many nations that hope can not be found in wealth, health, government, our works etc. Hope is available though. Hope is not a thing you do but a person you come too. He has a name, Jesus Christ and He is willing to cleanse the soul of the one who calls upon his name.
“Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands , you sinners and purify your hearts, you double minded.” James 4:8
Eyes Fixed on Jesus 