Mark1:40-45
40 And a man with leprosy *came to Jesus, imploring Him and kneeling down, and saying to Him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.”
Following your instructions, here’s the reformatted text:
41 Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out with His hand and touched him, and *said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.”
42 And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.
43 And He sternly warned him and immediately sent him away,
44 and He *said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”
45 But he went out and began to proclaim it freely and to spread the news around, to such an extent that Jesus could no longer publicly enter a city, but stayed out in unpopulated areas; and they were coming to Him from everywhere.
The Cleansing of a Leper
A man with leprosy
The Greek word “lepros” includes a variety of skin diseases and does not specifically refer to “Hansen’s disease,” as understood today. The Hebrew word for the same skin disease is “tzaraat.” In those times, lepers lost their homes, were isolated from society, and had no choice but to live as those abandoned by the world. A man with leprosy approached Jesus and said, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” He believed that Jesus had the power to heal his skin disease, but he wasn’t certain if Jesus would care for someone like him. Jesus reached out with his hand and touched the afflicted area. Through this action and through His words, Jesus showed deep compassion to the man. During that time when touching a leper was considered unclean, Jesus’ action was truly remarkable. He said, “I am willing; be cleansed.” At that moment, the man’s skin disease was healed. But, not only his skin; his heart was also healed. Even today, Jesus approaches us with the same compassionate heart.
Jesus’ reputation
Next, Jesus gave two instructions to the healed man. (1) He commanded him not to tell anyone about this. The reason was to prevent people from having incorrect views about the Messiah. (2) Jesus then instructed him to fulfill the requirements of the Mosaic Law, so that he can return to society (ref. to Levi. 14:2-32). In other words, the man needed to go to the priest with an offering for purification, and the priest would declare him clean. Despite Jesus’ command, the man began to spread the news. As a result, crowds flocked around Jesus. During that time, Jesus faced various challenges, including serving the pressing crowds, the silent pressure from those seeking a political Messiah, and training spiritually immature disciples. However, the most important thing for Jesus was to seek the will of the Father and constantly clarify his priorities. Are you making it your priority to withdraw to a secluded place (space of prayer) to seek guidance from the Father God? In busy times, prayer is even more necessary.
Today's prayer
Heavenly Father, I am easily confused with my priorities by the various voices that come through my ears. Please have mercy on me and help me withdraw to a secluded place (space of prayer), so that I can pray even in the busiest time. I pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.