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READ: Mark 1:40
CHALLENGE: Put Your Hope in God
It sounds almost trite to say, “Hope in God”. Of course. Who’s not going to do that? However, to be fair, we may put hope in lots of things other than God or before we would come to God. We could look to people or family or money to bail us out and leave our Heavenly Dad on the back burner. Hope in God. And the more desperate the situation, the more hope is needed.
Hope is a necessity because it will keep you going on the darkest of days. And I’d rather have hope than live in the dark. The are dark days when Charlie Kirk is gunned down like an animal on a college campus. However, we’re not hopeless because as Charlie Kirk testified constantly, we have eternal life with Jesus Christ.
I can hardly imagine a life more hopeless than that of a leper, yet He comes to Jesus looking for a miracle. He’s not giving up. Some of you may be in a place where you feel despair. You feel hopeless without any light at the end of the tunnel. Come to Christ.
Vv40-45 – A man with leprosy[h] came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” 41 Jesus was indignant.[i] He reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” 42 Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed. 43 Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: 44 “See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” 45 Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.
Great story and perhaps shared because this leper is the reason that Jesus will no longer be able to go town to town. He stays in the wilderness areas and people were flocking to him from everywhere.
Christ’s stated mission was to go town to town, but it became impossible. The trajectory of Christ’s ministry and how it will unfold is altered right here. That happens sometimes, right? We have a plan, we have it figured out. We announce it to our circle. And then something suddenly arises that alters our intended direction. Be open because these things come from the Lord as well.
Listen to the plight of lepers. Leviticus 13:45-46 – “Anyone with such a defiling disease must wear torn clothes, let their hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of their face and cry out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ 46 As long as they have the disease they remain unclean. They must live alone; they must live outside the camp.
Can you imagine? You are required to warn everyone who comes near you. Why? Cause you’re considerd a walking corpse! You’re a LEPER! Remember back to the covid days?
Where can we find hope in this world?
- HOPE IS FOUND IN FAITH
V40 – A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”
Faith drives hope. We have hope because we believe in God! This is the start of life change, of pursuing God, of hope in a dark world. We believe in a power far beyond us. It says that a man with leprosy came to Jesus.
Society sent lepers away; Jesus didn’t. Lepers were isolated and shunned. Leprosy was a long road to the grave. It would disfigure you far before it killed you. It’s interesting that he doesn’t ask to be healed, he asks to be cleaned. Leprosy was considered something that made you so abhorable that you were considered like touching a dead person or dead animal.
What would you consider disgustingly unclean? Dirty diapers go straight to the trash! Unclean … unclean! Mice nesting in a box in the barn with rodent urine and droppings. If you to step in a pile of dog dirt – get out!! It’s dirty and filthy and you don’t want to touch it.
Now, apply that sentiment to the leper! He’s sick, disgusting, dangerous, defiling, scary. What might make a person an outcast today? A sordid history. Bad choices. Drug addiction? Promiscuity? Negativity and bitterness? Anger, alcoholism, selfishness, greed, and bad attitudes could get you there.
Leprosy is a picture of sin. And sin, like leprosy, starts small but winds up spreading into more and more areas. And I’ve often said this – sin separates. It breaks apart relationships and causes distance. And the only way to come back into the circle of loved ones with a relationship fully restored is to be “clean”. The sin that made you “unclean”, so to speak, needs to be cleaned up.
How can we change? How can we get clean? Fix relationships? Hope in faith and ….
- Faith is Convinced About Christ
He has clarity to coming to Christ. He is certain that Christ can help. He sees the light and he’s running to it. Where do you turn in times of trouble? You turning to the bottle or the Bible? You turning to your own wisdom or to God’s? You headed to your friends or your Heavenly Dad? (Note: I love Charlie Kirk’s certainly in Scripure and eternity. He wanted to be bold)
Would this have been easy? No, and that’s why he needed to be 100% convinced. What will people say when the leper hits the open road to find Jesus? What will Jesus say? It would be frowned upon. It took boldness and risk for this hideous leper to look for help. Be bold!
Following Jesus and doing the right thing is not always applauded. Followers of Jesus go to church. Tell the truth even when it hurts. Stay sexually pure. Say no to drugs. Avoid and run from temptation. Why? You’re convinced that following Jesus and doing good is the right thing to do.
What will your friends say if you live for Christ? As DC Talk sang years ago, what if someone calls you a Jesus Freak? As they sang, there’s no disguising the truth. Let them!
Leprosy and troubles will drive you to Jesus. Let nothing stop you. Be convinced about Jesus. And as current events unfold, my advice is to be even bolder.
- Faith Earnestly Pleads
He begged Jesus. He got down on his knees and pleaded. Think about the theology of the famous song, “Oh Holy Night”. Long lay the world in sin and error pining. ‘Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn Fall on your knees; O hear the Angel voices!
The world lay in sin and error pining. We were hurting. When Christ came the soul felt its worth – a thrill of hope! Fall on your knees. I think to the leper falling on his knees before Jesus Christ pleading with Jesus for healing. These are earnest prayers. Beautiful picture right there.
When Peter was in prison, the situation was so dire. The church gathered and earnestly prayed for him. And that earnestness is like embers in a fire and glow and pulse and that’s us praying. Fervent and intense. Hannah sincerely prayed to God for a son and God answered that prayer. What drove Hannah to that point? Despair. But also faith and hope in God.
There is nothing wrong with pleading and nothing wrong with falling to our knees before a merciful God.
- Faith is Humble
If you are willing. He believed Jesus could but didn’t know if he would. This is all prayer, right? We don’t know what He will do. We don’t know the game plan. So, we constantly pray, thy will be done. This is the humble surrender to God’s bigger plan. A plan in which we believe in. We believe that God ultimately knows what’s best and we humbly allow His say.
We should pray for God’s will in all situations. But we’re also praying our will because we’re asking. The leper clearly has a request and that is to be clean.
- Faith Acknowledges God’s Power
You are able to make me clean. You have the ability, the might, the strength to take even leprosy away. That faith is that God’s power is greater than your weakness. God is always stronger than your problem, right?
He’s asking for quite a miracle. Make me clean. Reverse the damage. Make my skin pure so that I’m no longer contagious. So that I can embrace my family and friends. So that I can be back in fellowship. Make me clean. The disease was blocking him from having any kind of normal life or relationship and with that barrier, he could not be in proper standing. That’s incredible.
Wow! What’s your obstacle? What is your impossible situation? What is ruining your life? Bring it to God.
The gospel is about removing sin – spiritual leprosy. Romans 3:23 – for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Jesus removes that barrier through paying for my sins on the cross! When you want to be clean of some sinful leprosy, you can be.
- HOPE IN GOD (v41)
- Hope in God’s Love
V41 – Jesus was indignant. He reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!”
Jesus is indignant. Somehow this was upsetting to Jesus. Some believe that Jesus is upset at the problems that plague man and what evil has done to the world. Perhaps he’s upset that he’s asked if He’s willing. Of course He is. The willingness of Christ is never the issue. Our willingness is.
Let’s look at Jesus in this story because he touches the leper. He doesn’t have to touch him as he could just pray and let his words touch him. But he puts his hand on the leper when no one else would. You wouldn’t touch a leper any more than you’d want to pet a rabid dog. Yet, here’s Jesus unafraid to reach out his hand.
This is compassion. Acceptance. Love. It’s shown in doing what no one else would do. You are loving the leper. If you’re really going to make an impact on the world, you have to love the struggling.
Do you ever stop to think about how much God cares about you. Since he cares about you, He’s not looking for your downfall. He’s looking to bring life. Jesus is the Good Shepherd. One who cares for His sheep. You know that He is going to supply your needs.
- Hope in God’s Good Will
Jesus said, “I am willing, be cleansed”. Be clean and in this moment Jesus does something for the man that he would never be able to do for himself. And this is the hope that God provides.
Sometimes as a church, we’re helping people in ways that they could never help themselves. The roof project is an example. Celebrate Recovery is a big program that the church provides. We want to be involved in God’s work and impacting people in a way that they cannot do for themselves.
Jesus says, “Be Clean”. This is outide of the leper’s ability. He needs it but cannot do it himself. So obviously Jesus is not telling him to clean himself. So what is this? He will want him to exist in a realm of purity. Live it.
Saying to “be good”. “Be positive”. “Be holy”. What does that mean? Exist in that state. May that characterize your conduct. What if the man continues to live like he’s got leprosy. Continues to live by himself. Continues to act like he’s unclean. That would be weird!
If I’m free of gluttony, then I’m not still wolfing down a baker’s dozen blueberry donuts. I’m not eating for five. I’m not closing down Golden Corral. Right? I’m disciplined
If I’m free of a bad attitude that makes me unpleasant and difficult to work with, I’. If I’m free of being a Philadelphia Karen who demanded a home run ball from a child, then I’m free. I’m not going to be getting into people’s faces any more. I’m going to smile. I don’t need to walk around scaring kids being irate and grumpy. Be free.
Be clean. It would be ridiculous not to live it. I am willing, be clean. Christ is willing. Are we? Again, it comes down to will. It comes down to how hard we work at things.
What might Jesus tell you today? Be patient. Be kind. Be humble. Be righteous. Be clean.
- Hope in God’s Power (v42)
V42 – Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed.
The mechanics of the cleansing start with the leprosy being gone. It showcases the powerful touch of Christ. I think of the holiness of Jesus transmitting onto this person and counteracting the corruption of disease in this case. This miracle is stunning beyond imagination. It’s almost as stunning as a resurrection because it’s counteracting so much damage.
The health and vitality of Christ transmits to this person driving the unhealth away. The cleanness of Christ is stronger than the corruption of man. And that cleanness invades every cell and drives out the evil.
Leprosy erodes you. Deforms you. Deteriorates you. That damage is undone by the touch of Christ. This is a bacteria that does the damage and every bacteria cell is dead. It’s been entirely changed around.
He is undone and rebuilt. The ultimate reversal is the power of God. The reversal of all the evil you’ve experienced and all the hurts. Let’s come for God’s touch who can reverse the effects of all these things.
This is so opposite of anything we can think or imagine. Talk about God going beyond. There is no way a healthy person touches a leper. Normally you cannot expect that a healthy person touching an unhealthy person makes them all better. You go into the room of someone with bronchitis and they’re not getting better because you walked in. On the other hand, you might get sick! Health does not transfer one person to another, but sickness does.
The same is true of sin. Typically you’re not making people holy by your presence. But you go into wicked places and it very well may rub off on you. However, God’s power can go beyond all that we can think or imagine and do something truly impressive. The touch of the divine can undo all evil. My human touch cannot.
When it comes to ministry, keep in mind that the leper approached Jesus. Let the sinners come to the light and we will help them. I don’t know that I should be putting myself in places where I can be tempted. Me going around a bunch of people not interested in changing may not be where I need to be. But be open to the worst of sinners who want to get it right.
- HOPE IN EFFORT (vv43-45)
Vv43-45 – Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: 44 “See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” 45 Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.
Christ has now entered celebrity status. Jesus just wanted him to go to the priest and offer the sacrifice. You’d be going back to the ones who told you that you were unclean and you’re showing them that you’re healed. This will bring glory to God. It’s the proper line and it’s consistent with the Bible.
Note how Jesus handled things biblically and he supported the process by which someone was determined to be clean. However, this man went and spread the amazing miracle story to everyone.
People still came to him from everywhere. One thing that I notice is that you find help when you look for help. You cannot erase effort out of your Christianity. Jesus said to take up our cross and follow Him. The Bible says that we find God when we seek for God.
Put some effort into your walk and into getting better. What will happen to all of these people who seek healing? They will find it! They come to him from everywhere and they will find help the same as the leper did.
What are you willing to do? This man was willing to risk it to fix it. What are you willing to do in order to make your world better?