Lepers, masks and the willingness of Jesus

I find myself re-reading and re-reading the Gospel of Mark. I began anew last night and immediately in Chapter one I was struck with the story of the man with Leprosy. Here is the text:

A Man With Leprosy  

40A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”

 41Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” 42Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured.

 43Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: 44″See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”

Many of you are already aware the leprousy was a bad deal. This disease would force you away from the one’s you loved. In isolation the closest you got to others was yelling “cunclean” whenever they got near where you were sitting.

Notice in this text, the man with leprosy comes to Jesus. We aren’t told if this was in a public place, but the leper took great risk to approach Jesus. In addition to the big risk, the leper must have had great faith. How long had he heard about Jesus? Couldn’t have been very long, but still his curiousity and his desperation drove him to the feet of Jesus.

Notice how the man begs Jesus, “on his knees…” a sign of humility. I love the statement, “if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Not, if you get around to it. Not, if you feel like it. Not, when I am deserving enough. Just if you are willing.

I want you to consider the tension and the energy in the leper’s statement as we await a response from the Savior. We need to approach Jesus like this. Boldly, confidently, securely. “Jesus, if you are willing you can free me from _______________ (fill in the blank)! What would your request be this morning if you brought your need to Jesus? I know what mine would be. What is keeping you from taking that first bold step towards healing? Are you living in leper like isolation afraid of being found out for your secret sin? Or maybe you have had to leave home or other once important relationships and are unsure how your reception would be in a new crowd. Notice the leper doesn’t appear to be concerned about social norms. He doesn’t worry about the crowd’s reaction. He goes to Jesus and is only worried about his response.

So, what was Jesus’ response to the leper’s blod faith? The text says Jesus was filled with compassion, and then Jesus does what this man had not experienced in some time. “Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man” (1:41). Isn’t that just like Jesus though, willing to touch with compassion our hurt and our pain. Jesus is portrayed throughout the gospels as one who enters into the point of other’s pain to rescue them from that pain. Those without leprosy did not touch those with the disease, so for Jesus to touch a diseased man such as this, Jesus is revealing his identity. Maybe for years this man wondered if God would show up to his rescue, He did.

Notice what happens next, to answer the man’s curious statement earlier about the willingness of cleansing, Jesus tells the man and reminds us that he is willing. I need this reminder this morning, for I too have a problem one that I have wondered over the willingness of Jesus to make me clean. I rejoice at a story like this, and I long for the touch of the Savior and the words, “I am willing…be clean” (1:42), Notice the flight of the leprosy, “Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured” (1:43).

We all are like lepers in some way. We have a sin problem. Yours is different than mine, but still we live in isolation from others, from the community of the redeemed because of the shame of our sinfulness. We attempt to mask our pain with busyness all in the name of religiousity. May we remove the masks reveal our leprosy and invite Jesus to enter into our pain. He is willing, you know!