Mark 1:40-45 – Intentionally crossing barriers
Jesus compassion drove him to cross any barrier to free someone so they could respond in faith to him.
In Jesus day there was a huge social stigma associated with anyone who contracted the dreaded disease of Leprosy. Leprosy knew no boundaries, it was not an exclusive disease that plagued a particular social, economic, racial or geographical group of people. It did not particularly care how much education a person had. Leprosy could infect anyone from the king to the common merchant to the lowest beggar.
Anyone infected with the disease immediately became a threat and outcast to the community. They were forced to live outside the city walls, often gather with other lepers in caves or anyplace they could find a bit of shelter. Not only were they excluded from the community, but if a healthy person were to come around them, they were required to cry out "Leper, Leper" as it to take the responsibility to announce their shame to the world. There was no hiding the fact they were the lowest, most dispised and threatening people on the earth. And to make matters worse - there was no cure, no hope of cure, they would live every day of the rest of their life and then die an out cast.
Philip Yancey, in his book "The Jesus I Never Knew" tells the story of a trip he made to India. He describes how 2000 years has not lessened the wretching impact of the disease. He met a well educated man in India who contracted leprosy and sat in his car weeping while his daughter was getting married inside the church. He did not dare to go inside and ruin the day for his daughter, for all the guests would run out in fear at one glance of his disfigured face.
In this passage a man came to Jesus, the very act of which would normally cause him to be stoned, so he most likely stopped several yards from Jesus and yelled to him "If you are willing, you can make me clean." Jesus - filled with compassion, moved to him, reached out to him and touched him. "I am willing, be clean" There was no barrier that prevented Jesus from offering compassion, healing, love, except perhaps the barrier of lack of faith. The other lepers - who are not mentioned, but likely there - did not receive healing, but all that Jesus could possibly do to bring healing - physical & spiritual healing - he did.
What barriers did Jesus cross to come to you? - have you forgotten those barriers that kept you from living life?
The man who was healed would likey carry the scars of his leprosy for the rest of his life. He will have a choice, to try to hide the scars so he would fit back into the community around him or live each day with those scars exposed for the world to see and take each opportunity to proclaim how he encountered Jesus who healed him and brought him back to life.
Which option have you chosen? Do you hide your scars so you can fit in to the rest of the world, who works hard to hide their own scars. Or, do you let the world see the scars of your lfie and take each opportunity to tell how Jesus brought you back to life?
Jesus commands the leaper not to tell anyone, but instead he goes out and begins to talk freely. Because of the mans disobedience, Jesus was no longer free to travel openly, instead staying outside in lonely places.
Jesus and the Leper traded pillows.
In Jesus day there was a huge social stigma associated with anyone who contracted the dreaded disease of Leprosy. Leprosy knew no boundaries, it was not an exclusive disease that plagued a particular social, economic, racial or geographical group of people. It did not particularly care how much education a person had. Leprosy could infect anyone from the king to the common merchant to the lowest beggar.
Anyone infected with the disease immediately became a threat and outcast to the community. They were forced to live outside the city walls, often gather with other lepers in caves or anyplace they could find a bit of shelter. Not only were they excluded from the community, but if a healthy person were to come around them, they were required to cry out "Leper, Leper" as it to take the responsibility to announce their shame to the world. There was no hiding the fact they were the lowest, most dispised and threatening people on the earth. And to make matters worse - there was no cure, no hope of cure, they would live every day of the rest of their life and then die an out cast.
Philip Yancey, in his book "The Jesus I Never Knew" tells the story of a trip he made to India. He describes how 2000 years has not lessened the wretching impact of the disease. He met a well educated man in India who contracted leprosy and sat in his car weeping while his daughter was getting married inside the church. He did not dare to go inside and ruin the day for his daughter, for all the guests would run out in fear at one glance of his disfigured face.
In this passage a man came to Jesus, the very act of which would normally cause him to be stoned, so he most likely stopped several yards from Jesus and yelled to him "If you are willing, you can make me clean." Jesus - filled with compassion, moved to him, reached out to him and touched him. "I am willing, be clean" There was no barrier that prevented Jesus from offering compassion, healing, love, except perhaps the barrier of lack of faith. The other lepers - who are not mentioned, but likely there - did not receive healing, but all that Jesus could possibly do to bring healing - physical & spiritual healing - he did.
What barriers did Jesus cross to come to you? - have you forgotten those barriers that kept you from living life?
The man who was healed would likey carry the scars of his leprosy for the rest of his life. He will have a choice, to try to hide the scars so he would fit back into the community around him or live each day with those scars exposed for the world to see and take each opportunity to proclaim how he encountered Jesus who healed him and brought him back to life.
Which option have you chosen? Do you hide your scars so you can fit in to the rest of the world, who works hard to hide their own scars. Or, do you let the world see the scars of your lfie and take each opportunity to tell how Jesus brought you back to life?
Jesus commands the leaper not to tell anyone, but instead he goes out and begins to talk freely. Because of the mans disobedience, Jesus was no longer free to travel openly, instead staying outside in lonely places.
Jesus and the Leper traded pillows.
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