#mark 1:40

I'm feeling a little under the weather and couldn't go to church today. So a family member sent me notes from the message, and I'm sharing them with the rest of you because I love you. 😌😊

Mark 1: 40

“If You are willing, You can make me clean”

That prayer is bathed in despairing tears. The man with leprosy knows Jesus can heal him, but will He want to help him?

Love was dead to him and he had lost his faith in the love of God. He didn't wake up like this - he got here because of the terrible suffering he'd gone through for years.

1. Leprosy - A loathsome and horrible ancient disease- dying by the inch. It was an ugly and horrible way to live.

2. He was alone. He lived alone and uncared for in a cave, separated from everyone who loved him for YEARS.

3. People believed in this day that leprosy was a mark of disapproval by God. Can you understand why he might not believe in the love of God?

Then he began to hear rumors about a rabbi called Jesus who performed miracles, and he began to wonder if maybe he could be healed. Eventually he believed that, yes, Jesus could heal him and, if only he could convince Jesus, maybe He would heal him.

He didn’t just WISH that Jesus could help him.

He ACTED upon it and went to find Jesus.

No matter how miserable we are, COME to Jesus!

Many people will speak of their misery, but then stay there.

Get up and go! Humble yourself and pray to Jesus. Tell Him you need Him! We need forgiveness- ask Him for it.

If you have ever tried to live a good moral life - you know you don’t have the power in yourself to be holy. We cannot do it!

"In my Flesh dwelleth no good thing." (Romans 7:18)

This poor Leper knew that only Jesus could heal him and make him a changed man.

He believed in the power of Jesus. Do we?

Do we think our sins are too great for Jesus to forgive? Or do we believe the word of God that He will cleanse any heart and any sin?

The leper believed all of the above, but he broke down here. He knew Jesus could heal him, but would He want to? Would Jesus care enough about him to heal him?

He didn’t have the advantage of knowing that Jesus would go to a cross and die for his and my sins.

We doubt Him, and we KNOW this!

So this poor poor man offered his pathetic prayer. He is sincere and knows his faith stinks.

So what happens?

1. Jesus had compassion on him. Pity doesn’t need love, but compassion always has love. Jesus felt his pain and got under the burden with the man. When we come to Jesus, He has compassion and feels with us.

2. Jesus TOUCHED him. Jesus knew he needed it after having not being touched in years. Jesus woke his dead heart up.

God loves us enough to guide our steps and put us in the right place at the right time.

He touches us and has compassion on us.

3. Jesus healed him! Jesus doesn’t just judge us - He took that sin on the cross. He knows how it and I feel! You wonder how you feel? He knows better how we feel than we ourselves do.

Today’s Word With Joel and Victoria Osteen – I Want To

Today’s Scripture Mark 1:40, NLT 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. Today’s Word Early in Jesus ministry, a leper fell at His feet and said that if Jesus was willing, He could heal him. Jesus could have quickly moved away from him as everyone else did, not wanting to come close to the…

     A man with leprosy came to HIM & begged HIM on his knees,      “If YOU are willing, YOU can make me clean.” Mark 1:40 [NIV]

     This man knows that CHRIST has the ability to      make him clean, but does HE want to?

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.

Do you know about Leprosy? -Throughout its history, leprosy has been feared and misunderstood. For a long time leprosy was thought to be a hereditary disease, a curse, or a punishment from God. Before and even after the discovery of its biological cause, leprosy patients were stigmatized and shunned. For example, in Europe during the Middle Ages, leprosy sufferers had to wear special clothing, ring bells to warn others that they were close, and even walk on a particular side of the road, depending on the direction of the wind. Even in modern times, leprosy treatment has often occured in seperate hospitals and live-in colonies called leprosariums because of the stigma of the disease.