The Lord and the Leper

For the first time in His ministry a leper comes to Jesus (Mark 1:40-41). It appears to be so because the man prefaces his request to be made clean with the statement, “If you are willing . . . .” He had heard of Jesus’ many miracles. He knew Jesus loved people enough to heal them, but he had not heard of a leper being cleansed. He did not know if Jesus loved the most outcast of all—someone like himself.

In the Scriptures, leprosy is a picture of sin, a terrible disease that begins from the inside and works outward. It results in bruises, wounds, sores, and brokenness. There is no cure for it outside of God’s cleansing and amazing grace. The analogy is incomplete only in that the sin “disease” is not quite so obvious.

However, we are all lepers. We all have bruises and wounds from life’s blows. We all have sore spots where people and situations have rubbed us raw. Some of us have been broken in ways we never could have imagined. We have the scars to prove it.

Jesus’ response to the inquiry of the leper was, “I am willing.” There is no need for us to inquire. There is no question of His willingness and desire to gracefully deal with our wounds, bruises, sores, and broken places. His word of cleansing is ours for the asking!