The First Leper

The first chapter of the gospel of Mark ends with a transition caused by a leper.  This man can't stop talking about Jesus, causing Jesus to have to switch from town-center preaching to country preaching.
But my attention is caught by the interaction between the leper and Jesus (Mark 1:40-45).  Here it is:

And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once, 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.” 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. (Mark 1:40-45 ESV)

The leper did three things:  He came to Jesus, he implored Jesus - that is he begged Jesus for what he wanted, and he knelt before Jesus.
I think this is a very important sequence, and a guide for anyone of us who needs a touch from Jesus today.

Come to Jesus:  Jesus was out in a desolate place at this point (see verse 35), so no-one was around.  We wouldn't bump into Jesus here - we would have to search Him out (see verse 36).  Lepers were afflicted with a physical sickness - a terrible skin disease.  The word 'leper' might mean what we now know as leprosy, or it could also mean a broader range of skin diseases.  Either way it was life changing.  Lepers were expelled from society to live in the wilderness.  So this poor man also had an identity crisis - he was a social outcast, and he had awful loneliness - he was without friends or family, physical hurt, socially hurt and even hurt in his relationship with himself - his very identity. In this condition then - a deep awareness of his need, disease and brokenness, he dares to come to Jesus.  This is risky - will Jesus be repulsed and run from him? Imagine the shame, ignominy and how devastating it would be if that were to happen.  But what has the leper to lose?  So he comes to Jesus.  As it happens, this is exactly the best thing to do, to take courage and take the risk of coming to Jesus.  God is not a bully, or a severe master, but invites us to come to Him,  He waits with immense patience for us to make the move.  Our coming indicates to both us and to God that we are ready for what comes next.  Today we can 'come to Jesus' wherever we are just by praying to Him.  Perhaps it will be good for us to take the risk of going to a good local church, where Jesus is preached and the Bible is read.  Perhaps today we can seek out someone we respect as a wise Christian - someone we know who has Jesus in them.

He implored Jesus:  The leper used words - perhaps many words, perhaps few words, perhaps asked one time, perhaps repeated, to let Jesus know what he wanted Jesus to do for him. God is not an impersonal force.  He is not karma or fate or destiny.  No, God is a person.  He invites us not to cast a spell to try to change the future, or to forward some email, re-post some Facebook posting or say some rote prayer as if it were a spell to try to change things by magic. No, God Almighty - the One who is over all things - has come down to us in the historical person of Jesus Christ, and who is present to each of us always now - as The Holy Spirit.  He is here and He is listening, and He is available.  We can expect not a blank face, but a relationship with God The Person. He understands what it is to be us. We can talk to Him with words, or simply pour out our word-less emotions and deepest needs to Him.  In short - we can share our minds and hearts with God, and He will hear us and understand us intimately.  Beware however - you can never fool God.  He will see right through any manipulation or 'spin' that we might try to sell Him.  We must approach God with utter honesty.  Those who walk the Christian Way will approach God with deep reverence and awe. However God hears the prayers of even babies and spiritual babies.  He sees through the words into the heart of each person.  The leper came with courage, simplicity and honesty.  This is a pattern for us to follow.

He knelt before Jesus:  In this simple and profound act he placed himself at Jesus' feet, acknowledged Jesus as Lord and asked Jesus to do what only God can do - to make him whole again.  To restore him back into a full person - someone who has self-respect, relationships with others, and who is physically healthy - or at least free or this dreadful isolating disease and shame.  If we come to Jesus thinking Jesus is a magic eight-ball, or a genie who grants three wishes, we insult Him and misunderstand God. This man came and kneeled - an act of submission and subservience.  We might kneel before someone who holds our fate in His hands.  We come with nothing but an honest plea.  God is God, but we are temporary and frail - a passing mist, a fading flower.  Only God can heal our disease, can renew our identity, and make us whole again.  Only He can pierce our loneliness and see us as we truly are - needy and poor.  Only He can pour these riches into our lives - health of mind, body and soul - health of relationship with Him and with others.

Mark records for us the leper's actual words: "if you will, you can make me clean" - a two part statement.  Full of compassion, Jesus answers both parts separated by a semicolon to emphasis Jesus has noticed both parts of the man's request:  for Jesus listens very carefully to us.  "I will; be clean".

Yes, Jesus will do us good, because that is His heart!  He is full of compassion and kindness to those who come in honest neediness.  He can make us clean again: clean in our bodies, clean in our relationships with others, clean in our relationship with ourself, and most profoundly, clean in our relationship with Him.  He will even change His plans to make us clean again.