Jesus Helps a Leper (Mark 1:40-45)
This sermon was preached on 28/2/2010
The four disciples continue in the school of Jesus as he teaches them to become fishers of men. So far they have been to the classrooms of public worship, of using their homes, and of personal prayer. If Peter is behind much of the details recorded by Mark, as is generally accepted, then he would have passed on incidents that impressed him to Mark (of course, Mark was under the guidance of the Spirit as he wrote his Gospel). The only incident mentioned by Mark from the preaching plans about which Jesus had prayed is the one involving this leper. Concerning what else took place during those preaching occasions we will have to wait until the Day of Judgement to discover what happened – after all, those who heard Jesus preach will give then an account of their responses. This is a reminder that just because our story is not highlighted it does not mean it is not important.
What was significant about the case involving leper? As is well-known, lepers were social outcasts at that time. They were outcasts from a community because their disease was contagious and they were outcasts from religious activities because their disease was regarded as defiling. Today it seems cruel, but we must recall that the presence of a leper in any crowd at that time would have caused problems. So from that point of view, the exclusion was protective.
Their exclusion from the religious rituals was designed to picture an even greater exclusion from the presence of God. It was not only lepers that were prevented from attendance at the temple. When we read thoughtfully the lists of those who were excluded, we will conclude that many type of people were in such a situation. These barriers were designed to show that perfection was what God required, that sin had consequences that barred persons from his presence. Of course, lepers were not prevented from private devotional activities.
Leprosy was a graphic picture of sin – its small beginnings, its inevitable progress of destroying life, its expected and premature end of life depict the effects of sin in the lives of all people. This is why the Bible uses it frequently to illustrate sin and its awful effects.
Another significant detail about lepers concerns the reactions of the people to them. Lepers were in need of help and it was appropriate and necessary for unaffected people to help according to their capabilities. While they could not come close to the affected persons, they could arrange for food, clothing and accommodation for them. The distress and isolation of the lepers was a continuous opportunity for healthy to do what they could for those afflicted.
I wonder what the disciples thought when they saw the leper approaching Jesus. Were they afraid of picking up a contagious disease or becoming religiously unclean through being near the leper? Were they ready to shout, ‘Keep away!’ They must have been surprised at the response of their Master, but they were about to learn lessons that they would never forget.
1. The approach of the leper (v. 40)
There are five details worth noting about his drawing near to Jesus. First, the leper had encouragement to come close to Jesus. I suspect he had heard that Jesus had healed many people of their illnesses. I don’t know if Jesus previously had healed a leper, but whether he had or not, he had healed individuals with various diseases. The experience of others would have encouraged him. And we can use the same logic concerning the disease of sin that each of us has. We are aware of others who have been healed – they may not have been guilty of the same sins as us, but whatever their sins they were forgiven. Our sins are personal, but the cure is available for all.
Second, the leper was in earnest. Mark tells us that the leper implored Jesus to heal him. It would have been unusual for such a man to approach Jesus in a casual manner; he was desperate to find a cure for his problem. Similarly we must serious when we come to Jesus for forgiveness and mercy.
Third, the leper was respectful. He recognised that Jesus was worth bowing down before. Luke tells us that the leper fell flat on his face (5:12). While it is possible that he merely regarded Jesus as a prophet, it is more likely that he had deduced he was the promised Messiah. Throughout the Gospels it is fascinating to observe the types of persons who confess the deity of Jesus. The disciples were learning not to be surprised at who next was going to confess Jesus as Lord.
Fourth, the leper was informed. He realises, on the one hand, that he cannot command Jesus to perform a miracle and, on the other hand, he knows that Jesus has the ability to heal him. Petitions to Jesus should be based on accurate information about Jesus. His acknowledgement of Jesus’ sovereignty does not mean that he doubted Jesus’ willingness to help. Instead it is an admission that Jesus is sovereign. In addition, he appeals to the particular attribute of Jesus that is most suitable to his needs – the power of Jesus. Spiritual intelligence usually appeals to what us best suited in Jesus for one’s needs.
Fifth, the leper’s concern was religiously motivated. We see this in his request to be clean, not cured of his health problem. Of course, he knew that curing his body of leprosy would make him fit to worship in the temple. But his words reveal that he had a religious motivation. His primary goal was to take part again in the worship of God. Such should be our motive when approaching Jesus for help.
2. The healing power of Jesus (v. 41)
Many of Jesus’ miracles were verbal parables – as well as showing his power they illustrated deep spiritual problems and his ability to provide the answer. The miracle of the feeding of the 5,000 did not mean that Jesus could be approached to provide food for people without them working in a normal way to get it. Instead the miracle depicted that he could feed hungry souls with spiritual food (as well as revealing his compassion for those who were hungry). We should regard the cure of the leper in this way as well.
The heart of Jesus was affected by the state of this man. Here we have insight into the emotional life of Jesus – he felt for those in need. Jesus was never in an indifferent state when it came to the needs of others. We can think of several occasions recorded in the Gospels where he revealed this moving response. But we can allude to how he showed it when he was in great distress himself on the cross – there he showed pity for the soldiers by praying for them, for the penitent criminal by assuring him of heaven, and for his mother by providing a home for her. The disciples were learning how to respond to those in need. It is often true that actions speak louder than words, but actions without compassion are not Christ-like.
Jesus also identified himself to and with the leper by touching him. It would have been unsafe for another person to touch the leper. In touching him, Jesus was telling the leper not to be afraid that his disease would be too much for Jesus to deal with. He identified himself as being beyond contagion by the man’s illness. This is what he does with penitent sinners as well. He reveals to them that their sins cannot defile him. Jesus also identified himself with the leper – touching was an act of friendship towards a lonely person who had been estranged from community life. In touching him, Jesus was saying, ‘Welcome to the community of my people.’ The disciples were learning how to welcome the outcasts.
When Jesus spoke the words, ‘I will; be clean,’ the cure was instantaneous. In a moment, the leprosy disappeared and the former leper was ready to take part in the worship of God. This is a marvellous picture of the deliverance from sin that Jesus provides. In response to faith in him, Jesus pardons all sin and removes from the new believer all personal barriers to participating in the service of God. It only takes a second for Jesus to make a sin-riddled person into a new creature. What a lesson for the disciples to learn!
3. Honour God’s requirements (vv. 43-45)
It is important to observe that compassionate Jesus then spoke sternly to the cured man. Perhaps the leper had indicated that he would like to stay with Jesus and the four disciples. Whether he did or not, Jesus commanded the man to obey the regulations specified in the Old Testament concerning cured lepers. Here we have an insight into the priority of Jesus – his followers must live in conformity to the Bible.
There is also a sense in which these words were a real test for the cured man. After all, his request had indicated that he wanted to be fit ritually for taking part in the worship of God. While Jesus had made him clean, he could not pronounce him clean as far as participation in the temple worship was concerned. I suspect that Jesus wanted all to know that he honoured the Word of God, even although the actual requirement was not essential for the man’s cleansing. We can easily apply this to ourselves. The Bible requires us to do many things that are not essential to our salvation – an individual will get to heaven without going to the Lord’s Table, but he will get there having refused to honour the Bible’s requirements.
The man was marked by enthusiasm and he proceeded to inform all that he met about what Jesus had done for him. If we had seen him we would have been very impressed by him. Yet he was witnessing to the wrong people – Jesus had wanted him to be a witness to the temple authorities concerning the power and priorities of Jesus. Enthusiasm for other matters can never be a substitute for obedience to specific commandments of God.
Sadly the enthusiastic man became a barrier to the work of Jesus. As a result of his testimony, people came and listened to Jesus for the wrong reasons. Probably they focussed on the physical aspect of the miracle. This is the danger latent in some testimonies. Jesus can be perceived as a path for physical cures rather than the Saviour from all sin. It was an important lesson for the disciples. Always point new converts to the Bible and inform them of what it requires rather than allowing them to do what they want.
What was significant about the case involving leper? As is well-known, lepers were social outcasts at that time. They were outcasts from a community because their disease was contagious and they were outcasts from religious activities because their disease was regarded as defiling. Today it seems cruel, but we must recall that the presence of a leper in any crowd at that time would have caused problems. So from that point of view, the exclusion was protective.
Their exclusion from the religious rituals was designed to picture an even greater exclusion from the presence of God. It was not only lepers that were prevented from attendance at the temple. When we read thoughtfully the lists of those who were excluded, we will conclude that many type of people were in such a situation. These barriers were designed to show that perfection was what God required, that sin had consequences that barred persons from his presence. Of course, lepers were not prevented from private devotional activities.
Leprosy was a graphic picture of sin – its small beginnings, its inevitable progress of destroying life, its expected and premature end of life depict the effects of sin in the lives of all people. This is why the Bible uses it frequently to illustrate sin and its awful effects.
Another significant detail about lepers concerns the reactions of the people to them. Lepers were in need of help and it was appropriate and necessary for unaffected people to help according to their capabilities. While they could not come close to the affected persons, they could arrange for food, clothing and accommodation for them. The distress and isolation of the lepers was a continuous opportunity for healthy to do what they could for those afflicted.
I wonder what the disciples thought when they saw the leper approaching Jesus. Were they afraid of picking up a contagious disease or becoming religiously unclean through being near the leper? Were they ready to shout, ‘Keep away!’ They must have been surprised at the response of their Master, but they were about to learn lessons that they would never forget.
1. The approach of the leper (v. 40)
There are five details worth noting about his drawing near to Jesus. First, the leper had encouragement to come close to Jesus. I suspect he had heard that Jesus had healed many people of their illnesses. I don’t know if Jesus previously had healed a leper, but whether he had or not, he had healed individuals with various diseases. The experience of others would have encouraged him. And we can use the same logic concerning the disease of sin that each of us has. We are aware of others who have been healed – they may not have been guilty of the same sins as us, but whatever their sins they were forgiven. Our sins are personal, but the cure is available for all.
Second, the leper was in earnest. Mark tells us that the leper implored Jesus to heal him. It would have been unusual for such a man to approach Jesus in a casual manner; he was desperate to find a cure for his problem. Similarly we must serious when we come to Jesus for forgiveness and mercy.
Third, the leper was respectful. He recognised that Jesus was worth bowing down before. Luke tells us that the leper fell flat on his face (5:12). While it is possible that he merely regarded Jesus as a prophet, it is more likely that he had deduced he was the promised Messiah. Throughout the Gospels it is fascinating to observe the types of persons who confess the deity of Jesus. The disciples were learning not to be surprised at who next was going to confess Jesus as Lord.
Fourth, the leper was informed. He realises, on the one hand, that he cannot command Jesus to perform a miracle and, on the other hand, he knows that Jesus has the ability to heal him. Petitions to Jesus should be based on accurate information about Jesus. His acknowledgement of Jesus’ sovereignty does not mean that he doubted Jesus’ willingness to help. Instead it is an admission that Jesus is sovereign. In addition, he appeals to the particular attribute of Jesus that is most suitable to his needs – the power of Jesus. Spiritual intelligence usually appeals to what us best suited in Jesus for one’s needs.
Fifth, the leper’s concern was religiously motivated. We see this in his request to be clean, not cured of his health problem. Of course, he knew that curing his body of leprosy would make him fit to worship in the temple. But his words reveal that he had a religious motivation. His primary goal was to take part again in the worship of God. Such should be our motive when approaching Jesus for help.
2. The healing power of Jesus (v. 41)
Many of Jesus’ miracles were verbal parables – as well as showing his power they illustrated deep spiritual problems and his ability to provide the answer. The miracle of the feeding of the 5,000 did not mean that Jesus could be approached to provide food for people without them working in a normal way to get it. Instead the miracle depicted that he could feed hungry souls with spiritual food (as well as revealing his compassion for those who were hungry). We should regard the cure of the leper in this way as well.
The heart of Jesus was affected by the state of this man. Here we have insight into the emotional life of Jesus – he felt for those in need. Jesus was never in an indifferent state when it came to the needs of others. We can think of several occasions recorded in the Gospels where he revealed this moving response. But we can allude to how he showed it when he was in great distress himself on the cross – there he showed pity for the soldiers by praying for them, for the penitent criminal by assuring him of heaven, and for his mother by providing a home for her. The disciples were learning how to respond to those in need. It is often true that actions speak louder than words, but actions without compassion are not Christ-like.
Jesus also identified himself to and with the leper by touching him. It would have been unsafe for another person to touch the leper. In touching him, Jesus was telling the leper not to be afraid that his disease would be too much for Jesus to deal with. He identified himself as being beyond contagion by the man’s illness. This is what he does with penitent sinners as well. He reveals to them that their sins cannot defile him. Jesus also identified himself with the leper – touching was an act of friendship towards a lonely person who had been estranged from community life. In touching him, Jesus was saying, ‘Welcome to the community of my people.’ The disciples were learning how to welcome the outcasts.
When Jesus spoke the words, ‘I will; be clean,’ the cure was instantaneous. In a moment, the leprosy disappeared and the former leper was ready to take part in the worship of God. This is a marvellous picture of the deliverance from sin that Jesus provides. In response to faith in him, Jesus pardons all sin and removes from the new believer all personal barriers to participating in the service of God. It only takes a second for Jesus to make a sin-riddled person into a new creature. What a lesson for the disciples to learn!
3. Honour God’s requirements (vv. 43-45)
It is important to observe that compassionate Jesus then spoke sternly to the cured man. Perhaps the leper had indicated that he would like to stay with Jesus and the four disciples. Whether he did or not, Jesus commanded the man to obey the regulations specified in the Old Testament concerning cured lepers. Here we have an insight into the priority of Jesus – his followers must live in conformity to the Bible.
There is also a sense in which these words were a real test for the cured man. After all, his request had indicated that he wanted to be fit ritually for taking part in the worship of God. While Jesus had made him clean, he could not pronounce him clean as far as participation in the temple worship was concerned. I suspect that Jesus wanted all to know that he honoured the Word of God, even although the actual requirement was not essential for the man’s cleansing. We can easily apply this to ourselves. The Bible requires us to do many things that are not essential to our salvation – an individual will get to heaven without going to the Lord’s Table, but he will get there having refused to honour the Bible’s requirements.
The man was marked by enthusiasm and he proceeded to inform all that he met about what Jesus had done for him. If we had seen him we would have been very impressed by him. Yet he was witnessing to the wrong people – Jesus had wanted him to be a witness to the temple authorities concerning the power and priorities of Jesus. Enthusiasm for other matters can never be a substitute for obedience to specific commandments of God.
Sadly the enthusiastic man became a barrier to the work of Jesus. As a result of his testimony, people came and listened to Jesus for the wrong reasons. Probably they focussed on the physical aspect of the miracle. This is the danger latent in some testimonies. Jesus can be perceived as a path for physical cures rather than the Saviour from all sin. It was an important lesson for the disciples. Always point new converts to the Bible and inform them of what it requires rather than allowing them to do what they want.
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