A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, "If you are willing, you can make me clean." Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured. –Mark 1:40-42
The Scriptures show us that Jesus was always willing to go beyond the social norms of the day in order to minister to peoples’ needs. Jesus consistently placed human need over and above following the letter of the law. When the Lord reached out and touched the leper’s hand he broke a number of social norms and customs. First, people simply didn’t touch lepers; that would be inviting the disease upon themselves. Secondly, for the Jewish man of Jesus’ day, coming into contact with someone who was unclean (such as a leper), would make the man ceremonially unclean for the rest of the day and he would be unable to enter the temple to worship. There is also the consideration that the leper broke a rule of society as well; he was supposed to cry out “Unclean! Unclean!” However, in his desire to find healing he disregarded this custom and sought the Lord. The leper possessed the faith that Christ could heal, and Jesus was perfectly willing to heal the man of his affliction. What a blessed outcome; faith that Jesus could heal followed by the Lord’s healing touch.
When we look around us we see that there are countless people in need of the Lord’s healing touch. While we won’t see many lepers around us, we will see those whose lives have been ravaged by addiction, poor choices, bad judgment, sickness, crises, and painful life circumstances. Like the leper seeking the Lord, they can find spiritual healing through Jesus Christ. The leper walked away cleansed from his illness. Those today who seek the Lord can also be delivered from that which is destroying their peace and joy. Christ has the power to overcome anything that sets itself up against us. No circumstance is too big or too great for the Lord to handle. Those who seek Christ will find Him, and those who desire the Lord’s healing touch will experience a wonderful spiritual redemption.
Don’t stand on the outside wondering if there is hope for you. In Christ there is hope. The Lord stands ready to heal, cleanse, and forgive. He will not abandon you in your time of need.
When you come to Him in simple faith and say, “Lord, if you are willing you can make me clean,” the Lord will respond in kindness and grace: “I am willing; be clean.”
