A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. “If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean,” he said. (Mark 1:40 NLT)
The man's name is unknown. He is just "leper" to us - unnamed and unclean. He approaches Jesus. Really? Aren't lepers supposed to stay out of the way, unnoticed and unseen? What was there about Jesus that emboldened the leper to come to him?
Jesus responds with kindness. He is he motivated from a heart of compassion. Not from arrogant condescension ('poor pitiful guy,' deep sigh, 'I guess I can help') or from duty ('I am a Christian, I have to be nice'), but from a heart broken for the lost, the least, the leper.
Who are the lepers in my world? Do I even see them? Is there enough Jesus in me that they would feel invited to approach me? And if so, what is my response?
Read Part 2.
Read Part 3.
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