Devotional: Mark 1:40-45, Touched By Jesus

1/5/2023

Read Along:
Mark 1:40 Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.”

41 Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” 42 As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed. 43 And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, 44 and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

45 However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.

Additional Passage: Leviticus 13:2-3, 45-46
2 “When a man has on the skin of his body a swelling, a scab, or a bright spot, and it becomes on the skin of his body like a leprous sore, then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons the priests. 3 The priest shall examine the sore on the skin of the body; and if the hair on the sore has turned white, and the sore appears to be deeper than the skin of his body, it is a leprous sore. Then the priest shall examine him, and pronounce him unclean.
45 “Now the leper on whom the sore is, his clothes shall be torn and his head bare; and he shall cover his mustache, and cry, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ 46 He shall be unclean. All the days he has the sore he shall be unclean. He is unclean, and he shall dwell alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp.

Prayerfully journal your thoughts on these questions:
The leper said, " If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean." Why would the leper say “if you want”?

If Jesus doesn't need to touch in order to heal, why did Jesus touch him then?

Why do you think the healed man told others that Jesus healed him after Jesus told him not to?

Apply the message:
How can I apply the message that I've learned from this reading to my life?

What practical thing can I do in the next 24 hours, in order to apply the message that I've learned?

4 Comments

Jose Sr

1/5/2023 10:41:10 pm

I love the fact that when Jesus, after preaching and casting out devils, was moved with compassion towards the leper.. Jesus knew the agony that the leper had and that's why the leper, knowing Jesus, kneeled to Jesus and begging for healing. Jesus always has compassion for those that are suffering. I too should have compassion, and love for those in need of what ever it may be. Reaching out and touch someone. In my early walk with Jesus, after reading of Jesus having compassion after seeing the multitude of people, like lost sheep. I started praying for that and I still do, to have His Love and Compassion for others.

Wayne Jamel

1/6/2023 08:55:55 am

That's a beautiful prayer, to have compassion like Jesus had for the lost sheep.

Debbie-Ann MaGann

1/6/2023 05:45:07 am

This was such an inspiring and timely devotion. In this era of Covid and other serious respiratory illnesses, people are justifiably afraid of contagions. But here is Jesus, our friend and Lord at the same time, Touching someone with a contagious disease, demonstrating his faith, power, compassion and most importantly Love for others, especially the “ least” of them ( the outcasts, the forgotten ones, the scourges of society). It is a lesson for us to always demonstrate love and kindness to others first (leave judgment to the Lord) and also call out injustice, inequality, harsh treatment of others and as people of God bravely advocate for others who may not have a voice. When we do these things, we fulfill the law of Christ ( love). Romans 13, 8-10.

1/6/2023 09:01:02 am

What an amazing passage there in Romans. Love is the fulfillment of the law. I really like your application about touching the outcast in society can also be done through dealing with injustice and inequality.

Devotional: Mark 1:40-45, Touched By Jesus

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