Jesus Heals Leprosy

March 14th
Speaker: Travis Cunningham
Text: Mark 1: 40-45 40 And a man with leprosy came to Jesus, imploring Him and kneeling down, and saying to Him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” 41 Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out with His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” 42 And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed. 43 And He sternly warned him and immediately sent him away, 44 and He 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, as a testimony to them.” 45 But he went out and began to proclaim it freely and to spread the news around, to such an extent that Jesus could no longer publicly enter a city, but stayed out in unpopulated areas; and they were coming to Him from everywhere.

Big Idea:
​No one is beyond God's power to save and cleanse from sin.  This does not mean that everyone will avail themselves of Jesus' atoning work, but those who do will be clean.  In the words of the prophet Isaiah: "Though your sins be as scarlet, they will be white as snow..." (Isaiah 1:18)  Jesus cleansing of the lepers is proof that He came to save that which was lost; to restore that which was broken; and to cleanse that which was unclean.

Theology & Apologetics:
One of the main points in this passage is that the man approaches Jesus to receive healing. This man had lived his life up to this point as an outcast in society, seen as being an unclean man, and most likely without hope. Yet, when He hears about Jesus and the power that He has to heal the sick, he does not delay in coming to Him. He knows that in the heart of Jesus there is a compassion to associate with and heal people that this world calls 'outcasts'. In Mark 1:37-38, Jesus leaves a place where He had crowds coming to Him. In verse 45, the same thing happens again where crowds are flooding after Him but because of the testimony of a man healed of leprosy. Isn't it amazing how the praise and popularity of Christ was advanced more by a leper than a man whole and in perfect health? 
Compassion: splagxnízomai (σπλαγχνίζομαι) – "from splanxna, 'the inward parts,' especially the nobler entrails – the heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys. These gradually came to denote the seat of the affections" to be moved in the inward parts, to feel compassion

Compassion is not the same as pity. Pity is standing in a high place and looking down on someone in a low place and feeling sorry for them. Compassion on the other hand is a feeling inside of your body and heart that stirs you in such a way that causes you to move into action. Almost an uncomfortable feeling. Jesus moved with this type of love and compassion inside of Himself when He saw the pain and lostness of those He was sent to save. 
Leprosy- Leviticus 14. If a man was healed of leprosy, he was to go to the priest to be inspected by the priest and then to make an offering to the Lord for his healing. Jesus was telling this man to go to the priest as a testimony. The priest would have asked him how it came about that he was healed of leprosy, and the man would have said Jesus. Jesus told this man to do this so that He could have had an audience with the priests. The priests according to the law, would have had to go to the Father and offer a sacrifice on behalf of this man who was just healed by Jesus. He would have had to praise the Father, and offer thanks to the Father on behalf to his man who was just healed by Jesus. So, get the picture here. The priest would have been offering sacrifices, praise and worship because of what Jesus did. What a predicament they would have been in. Jesus was trying to show them that He was the source of healing and the object of worship. Jesus was demonstrating to the priests that the healing that lepers receive comes from the Healer, the praise, sacrifices and worship that the priests give also goes to the Healer. Jesus was trying to show them that the Person you were sacrificing to for centuries, was now walking around on earth doing the same things He had always done, bringing healing to the afflicted. 
​The reality of this mans condition is seen in Leviticus13.
“As for the leper who has the infection, his clothes shall be torn, and the hair of his head shall be uncovered, and he shall cover his mustache and cry, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ 46“He shall remain unclean all the days during which he has the infection; he is unclean. He shall live alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp. Leviticus 13:45-46
Lepers lived "outside of the camp" and alone. They were avoided by the "clean" people because of the contagious nature of leprosy. 
Cross References:
“In that day,” declares the LORD, “I will assemble the lame And gather the outcasts. Even those whom I have afflicted. 7“I will make the lame a remnant And the outcasts a strong nation, And the LORD will reign over them in Mount Zion From now on and forever. Micah 4:6-7 NASB

For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; 27but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, 28and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, 29so that no man may boast before God. 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 NASB

“As for the person who has the leprous infection, his clothes shall be torn and the hair of his head shall be uncovered, and he shall cover his mustache and call out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ 46He shall remain unclean all the days during which he has the infection; he is unclean. He shall live alone; he shall live outside the camp. Leviticus 13:45-46 NASB

Questions to Consider:

Why do you think Jesus told the man who was healed to go to the priests and offer his cleansing that Moses commanded? See Leviticus 14:4-7

Have you ever felt compassion for someone that caused your body or stomach to ache in pain for them? 

Why do you think the man with leprosy got down on his knees in front of Jesus?