Jesus Touches the Leper - Mark 1:41

Mark wrote how Jesus, “in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. And Simon and they that were with him followed after him. And when they had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for you. And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth. And he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils. And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If you will, you can make me clean”, and in chapter one and verse forty-one of his book, Mark wrote how Jesus, “touched him, and said … I will; be clean” where we read:

And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand,

and touched him, and said unto him, I will; be clean.

The verse reads, “And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, ...” Mark began with the words, “and Jesus” which refers to “the Son of God, the Savior of mankind and God incarnate whose name means Jehovah is Salvation”, “moved with compassion” or “felt great empathy, pity and yearned in His bowels with care”, “put forth his hand” which means “stretched out His hand toward the man”. Mark shared how Jesus had “deep empathy and care” for the “leprous” man.

The verse goes on to say, “... and touched him, and said unto him, I will; be clean.” Mark continued with the words, “and touched him” which means “and lightly fastened his hand upon the leprous man”, “and said unto him” or “and declared, uttered and proclaimed to the leprous man”, “I will” which means “Jesus intended, resolved, determined and purposed to heal the leprous man”; “be clean” or “be purified, free from defilement, fault and wickedness of the disease of leprosy”. Mark shared how Jesus “touched” the leprous man, declared He would “cleanse” him, and healed him.

When we meditate upon Mark's words in this verse, we see once again the “compassion” and care Jesus had for people. When the “leprous man” came to Jesus, bowed before Him and humbly asked for Him to make him “clean”, Jesus not only complied but was “moved with compassion” for him as He did. This is the way Jesus responds to those who humbly approach Him with their “spiritual leprosy” which refers to their “sin”. God's purpose for sending Jesus was to “save” people from their sins, and when they submit their lives to Him, He not only “purifies” them from them, but also “compassionately” grants them “everlasting life”.

Next time Mark shares how, “the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed” Jesus, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".