“A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, ‘If you are willing, you can make me clean.’ Jesus was indignant. He reached out his hand and touched the man. ‘I am willing,’ he said. ‘Be clean!’ Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed” (Mark 1:40-42).
Leprosy was not only a physical condition; it was a social one as well. Lepers were ostracized. Rabbis were known to throw stones at them to keep them away. The Old Testament instructed lepers to put their hands to their mouths and announce their condition as a warning to others by shouting, “Unclean, unclean.”
No one would touch a leper, but that’s what Jesus did. The Old Testament had laws that explained that when someone touched something unclean that person would be ceremonially defiled. That was valid then.
Jesus brought a new perspective. He was holiness personified so when He touched something that was unclean, that thing was purified. His touch made the difference. The leper knew that Jesus had the power to heal him. The question was only in Jesus’ willingness. To reinforce His answer Jesus not only healed the leprous man but He touched him. What a difference Jesus makes.
While others avoided the man because of his condition, Jesus touched him and made Him clean. That’s what He came into the world to do. He doesn’t just diagnose our conditions; He touches us and makes us clean. Anyone can throw rocks at an undesirable person. Only Jesus can heal. That healing isn’t simply cleansing the condition but it restores every area of life to us. The man could now go home and rejoin his family and his community. Jesus’ touch is still that powerful. It meets our needs at every level.
