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. He strictly warned him, and immediately sent him out, and said to him, “See you say nothing to anybody, but go show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing the things which Moses commanded, for a testimony to them.”
Mark 1:41-44
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. He strictly warned him, and immediately sent him out, and said to him, “See you say nothing to anybody, but go show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing the things which Moses commanded, for a testimony to them.”
Mark 1 [45.] But he went out, and began to proclaim it much, and to spread about the matter, so that Jesus could no more openly enter into a city, but was outside in desert places: and they came to him from everywhere.
Meaning:
A man with leprosy had knelt before Jesus and said, "If you want to, you can make me clean" (Mark 1:40). These verses give Jesus’ answer. In His compassion, His touch, His words, and His instructions we see the heart of the Savior toward those who are broken and excluded.
- Moved With Compassion:
"Being moved with compassion": Before Jesus acts, Mark shows us how He feels. The man’s suffering moved Him deeply. Jesus does not heal reluctantly or coldly; His power flows from love. The same compassion moved Him when He saw the crowds "like sheep without a shepherd" (Matthew 9:36).
- He Touched Him:
"He stretched out his hand, and touched him": Jesus could have healed with a word, but He chose to touch a man whom no one else would touch. Under the Law, touching a leper made a person unclean. With Jesus the opposite happened: His holiness was not defiled; instead the leper was made clean. For someone who had perhaps not felt a human touch in years, this was healing for the heart as well as the body.
- I Want To:
"I want to. Be made clean": The leper had asked whether Jesus was willing. Jesus answers with the very words of his request. "Immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was made clean." Jesus is both able and willing to restore.
- Show Yourself to the Priest:
"Go show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing the things which Moses commanded": Jesus respected the Law, which provided a way for a healed leper to be declared clean and welcomed back into community and worship. The healing would be "a testimony to them", evidence to the religious leaders that God was at work. Jesus also told him to say nothing to anybody, because He did not want to be seen merely as a miracle worker, but the man spread the news anyway (Mark 1:45).
The Significance of This Healing
- Jesus Touches the Untouchable:
There is no one Jesus is unwilling to reach. Whatever makes us feel unclean or unworthy, He is ready to meet us with compassion. We have a High Priest who is "touched with the feeling of our infirmities" (Hebrews 4:15).
- Cleansing and New Life:
Leprosy is often seen as a picture of sin, which separates us from God and others. Just as Jesus cleansed the leper, He cleanses all who come to Him: "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation" (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Cross-References:
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 same compassion that moved Jesus to heal the leper.
Hebrews 4:15: "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." Jesus understands our weakness and welcomes us.
Isaiah 53:5: "But he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought our peace was on him; and by his wounds we are healed." The healing Jesus gives points to the healing won at the cross.
2 Corinthians 5:17: "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new." Jesus not only cleanses but makes all things new.
Conclusion: Mark 1:41-44 shows Jesus moved with compassion, reaching out to touch a man whom others avoided, and declaring, "I want to. Be made clean." He healed him completely and restored him to his community. These verses assure us that Jesus is willing to cleanse and restore all who come to Him, and they invite us to show the same compassion to others.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible