Worship 0662

The Account highlights not only the power that Jesus has over diseases but the absolute authority of any power in this world including the microorganisms that brings about ailments and diseases.

Mark 1:40–45 (NASB95) — 40 And a leper came to Jesus, beseeching Him and falling on his knees before Him, and saying, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” 41 Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” 42 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.

Prior to this the disciples had come to Jesus while Jesus was at a secluded place, and after being told that everyone was looking for Jesus, Jesus replied

Mark 1:38 (NASB95) — 38 He said to them, “Let us go somewhere else to the towns nearby, so that I may preach there also; for that is what I came for.”

We think of Leprosy as a certain disease one of horrible dimensions cause people to be cast out and away from society

Leviticus 13:1-46 covers the subject of leprosy.

1:40. On Jesus’ Galilean tour, a man with leprosy came to Him (a bold move for a leper). “Leprosy” included a variety of serious skin diseases ranging from ringworm to true leprosy (Hanson’s bacillus), a progressively disfiguring disease. This man experienced a pitiful existence due not only to the physical ravages of the disease but also to ritual uncleanness (cf. Lev. 13–14) and exclusion from society. Leprosy brought anguish at all levels: physical, mental, social, and religious. It serves as an illustration of sin.

Luke’s account has the leper in one of the cities in a populated area. This show two things.

1. The leper was not concerned of the abuse of the bystanders that would be hurling insults at him for being in the city

2. It would be a place where all would witness the love and compassion of Jesus to the extent that he touches the untouchable

3. He demonstrates his authority over and above the religious leaders who lacks the authority over the micro world.

The Rabbis regarded leprosy as humanly incurable. Only twice does the Old Testament record that God cleansed a leper (Num. 12:10–15; 2 Kings 5:1–14). Yet this leper was convinced that Jesus could cleanse him. Without presumption (If You are willing) and without doubting Jesus’ ability (You can make me clean), he humbly begged Jesus to heal him.[1]

Mark 1:40 (NASB95) — 40 And a leper came to Jesus, beseeching (παρακαλέω [parakaleo /par·ak·al·eh·o/] v to call upon to exhort make a plea, )Him and falling on his knees before Him, and saying, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.”

Falling on his knees is humbly submitting to the person of the Lord. It is surrendering to the Lord. The body posture is an outward expression of the inside submission. What does the Leper have to lose in humbling himself? He has already been humbled the very reason that he us unclean before the Jewish people. He is banished from worshipping in the temple. But here he goes farther by dropping to his knees, and even in Luke 5:12 the man falls all the way to his face.

1:41–42. Moved by compassion (splanchnistheis, “having deep pity”),

It is curious here that the word

ὀργίζω [orgizo /or·gid·zo/] v. From 3709; TDNT 5:382; GK 3974; Eight occurrences; AV translates as “be angry” five times, and “be wroth” three times. 1 to provoke, to arouse to anger. 2 to be provoked to anger, be angry, be wroth.

That this word orgizo is found 9 times in the Greek. And eight out of nine times it is moved by anger. Only once is it moved by anger.

Better words are used for compassion

This is a difficult passage and some ancheint manuscripts actually changes the Orgizo to Splanchnizo to avoid confusion.

Unfortunately between the three gospels this is the only place that mentions Jesus’ motivation.

The Leper comes and humbles himself in faith. Faith pleases God and does not inconvenience him. We cannot assume that Jesus was angry at the Leper. Jesus affirms His desire to cleanse the man indicating He is not upset at the Lepers plea.

Jesus … touched the untouchable and cured the incurable. His touch showed that Jesus was not bound by Rabbinic regulations regarding ritual defilement. Both this symbolic touch (cf. 7:33; 8:22) and Jesus’ authoritative pronouncement—I am willing (pres. tense), be clean (aorist pass., decisive act received)—constituted the cure. It was immediate (euthys; cf. 1:10), complete, visible to all who saw him.[2]

Notable in this passage is the touch.

His touch showed that Jesus was not bound by Rabbinical regulations. This would by just an example of many things that caused the religious leaders to violently hate Jesus. The Narcissism of the religious hierarchy and governments want people to depended upon them. And under their dominate control. Jesus was not there way. and they hated him even more to see that others were bowing to him and not to them.

To the Jewish mind the touch would have made Jesus unclean, unfit to worship God. but instead of the transference of the disease to Jesus, Jesus transfers healing and cleanliness to the Leper.

What do we learn from this account?

1. Humble adulation and submission to the son is our gain not our loss.

Luke 18:22 (NASB95) — 22 When Jesus heard this, He said to him, “One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

The carnal nature seeks its own, but in the end we are but dust and dust we will return. So in the end all the self-aggrandizement ends with the unbeliever with all of his efforts with nothing.

When the Leper gave his whole self to the Lord in Humility the leper gave back cleansing.

2. The picture of Salvation

At the cross there was the great trade off. Our sins were transferred to Jesus, and it was his righteousness that would be transferred to us.

2 Corinthians 5:21 (NASB95) — 21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

3. Jesus as he is demonstrating His authority not only over that which is seen and understood but also to the microscopic world

a. There is not one a single germ that is not under the sovereignty of God.

[1]Grassmick, J. D. (1985). Mark. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 111). Victor Books. [2]Grassmick, J. D. (1985). Mark. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 111). Victor Books.

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