Daily Bible Reading Thursday 13th August 2020
by William Moody
Mark 1:40–45
Jesus Cleanses a Leper
40 And a leper1 came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” 41 Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” 42 And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. 43 And Jesus2 sternly charged him and sent him away at once, 44 and 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, for a proof to them.” 45 But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter.
Footnotes
[1] 1:40
Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13
[2] 1:43Greek he; also verse 45 (ESV)
In the healing of this man with leprosy, we see two important things about Jesus. a. His great compassion (v41) and b. His desire for secrecy (v43-44).
The leper is convinced of Jesus’ power to heal, but he is not so sure of His love or willingness to do it (v40). We can be in danger of thinking this way. Look at the reaction of Jesus (v41), He is ‘moved with compassion’. As we bring our needs before Him, He is still the Saviour moved with compassion.
Now we need to look at this desire of Christ’s for secrecy (v43-44). The reason is the same as to why He earlier left Capernaum (v35-38).
Jesus doesn’t want people coming with the wrong attitude, of just having physical needs met. He wants people coming out of a desire to get right with God and to have their spiritual needs met. Jesus wants sincere worshippers and followers, not just people who want to be entertained or get what they can out of Him. As you come to Jesus to pray today, do you do so with a reverent respect for Him? Do you come as a sincere worshipper and follower surrendered to Christ?
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