A
leper came to him, begging him, kneeling down to him, and saying to him, “If you want to, you can make me clean.”
Mark 1:40
Mark 1 [38.] He said to them, “Let’s go elsewhere into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because I came out for this reason.” He went into their synagogues throughout all Galilee, preaching and casting out demons.
Mark 1 [40.] A leper came to him, begging him, kneeling down to him, and saying to him, “If you want to, you can make me clean.”
Mark 1 [41.] Being moved with compassion, he stretched out his hand, and touched him, and said to him, “I want to. Be made clean.” When he had said this, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was made clean.
Meaning:
As Jesus travels through Galilee preaching (Mark 1:38-39), a man with leprosy approaches Him. In the ancient world leprosy was not only a painful disease; it made a person ceremonially unclean and cut off from family, worship, and community. This verse captures a desperate man’s humble and believing request.
- A Leper Came to Him:
"A leper came to him": Under the Law of Moses a person with leprosy had to live apart and warn others to keep away. For this man to come near Jesus was bold and risky. His need drove him past every barrier, and he came straight to the One he believed could help.
- Begging and Kneeling:
"Begging him, kneeling down to him": His posture shows humility and urgency. He does not demand healing as a right; he kneels and pleads. True prayer often begins this way, with an honest recognition of our need and of Jesus’ greatness.
- If You Want To:
"If you want to, you can make me clean": The man has no doubt about Jesus’ power: "you can". His only question is whether Jesus is willing. He places his request entirely in Jesus’ hands. In the next verse he receives his answer: "I want to. Be made clean" (Mark 1:41-44).
The Significance of the Leper’s Request
- Coming as We Are:
No one is too unclean, too far away, or too ashamed to come to Jesus. The leper came with his disease and his shame, and Jesus welcomed him. We too can "draw near with boldness to the throne of grace" (Hebrews 4:16).
- Faith and Surrender:
The leper’s words combine confident faith with humble submission. Believers can bring every request to God, trusting His power while yielding to His will.
- Jesus Sees the Outcast:
Jesus’ compassion reached those whom society avoided. His heart for the harassed and the helpless (Matthew 9:36) remains the same today.
Cross-References:
Mark 1:41: "Being moved with compassion, he stretched out his hand, and touched him, and said to him, “I want to. Be made clean.”" Jesus answers the leper’s "if" with a willing "I want to."
Hebrews 4:15-16: "For we don’t have a high priest who can’t be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but one who has been in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace for help in time of need." Like the leper, we are invited to come near to Jesus for mercy.
Matthew 11:28: "Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest." Jesus welcomes all who come to Him with their burdens.
Matthew 9:36: "But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion for them, because they were harassed and scattered, like sheep without a shepherd." The compassion of Jesus reaches those in great need.
Conclusion: Mark 1:40 records the humble, believing approach of a man whom society had cast out. Kneeling before Jesus, he trusted His power and placed himself in His will. His example encourages us to come to Jesus just as we are, confident that He is able and, as the next verse shows, willing to make us clean.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible