And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once, and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter.—Mark 1:4-45

Introduction

I want to use a strong word today: repulsive. This word is defined as causing someone to feel intense distaste and aversion. Synonyms would be revolted, disgusted, sickened, nauseated, to turn someone’s stomach.

What turns your stomach or revolts you and makes you want to turn away or run away or look the other way? I can think of several things right now and they give you a certain facial expression—like disgust, disapproval, distaste (yuck factor). I am not just talking about gross things like puke; what about people? Many have a certain group of people that would be revolting to them (some people put Christians in that category; some people put different politicians in that category, or the Nazis, or serial killers).

In Jewish culture, one of the most repulsive categories of people would be lepers. They were shunned by society. Leprosy was a skin condition, and it was obvious to the sight. The scribes counted as many as 72 different afflictions that would count as leprosy. The priests were given detailed information for how to identify leprosy in Leviticus 13 and 14. They would declare something to be leprosy upon examination. But as one commentator put it: It wasn’t just a disease; it was a declaration or sentence upon your life. Listen to Leviticus 13:45-46.

The leprous person who has the disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head hang loose, and he shall cover his upper lip and cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean.’ He shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease. He is unclean. He shall live alone. His dwelling shall be outside the camp.

This was not just a disease; it was a relational death sentence. You couldn’t go to the temple and worship. You were sentenced to be shunned and live alone and dwell away from the camp. You were not to approach anyone. If they approached you, you were supposed to repel them with the warning: “Unclean, unclean.”

Later, rabbis made this teaching precise. Lepers had to remain 100 cubits away if they were upwind and 4 cubits away if downwind. Leprosy was a dreaded disease, not merely because it could be physically contagious, but because it was ceremonially contagious. If you came into contact with someone, you were declared to be ceremonially unclean and you had to go through an elaborate ritual to attain the status of clean again. 

This story today is staggering. There are 10 lepers in Luke’s Gospel that cry out from a distance. But in Mark and Luke there is a leper that dares to come close to Jesus, even though he is “full of leprosy” (Luke 5:12). Many would be disturbed and incensed at this brazen burst through all of society’s fences. What he says is more stunning than what he does, and Jesus’ response is more staggering still. We will see three movements in the text: (1) The Request (v. 40), (2) The Response (v. 41), (3) The Result (vv. 42-45). The main point is that the cleansing of the leper shows Jesus is the Son of God who alone can cleanse us.

1. The Request (v. 40)

And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.”

The request is really a declaration: “If you will, you can make me clean.” This is a staggering statement. Here is why: The leper does not question the ability of Jesus. I know you can, I just don’t know if you will. Remember that someone did not come to the priests to heal or cleanse this disease, but just to identify it and declare it as such. Only God heals or cleanses leprosy. Consider Numbers 12:10–15.

When the cloud removed from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, like snow. And Aaron turned toward Miriam, and behold, she was leprous.  And Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord, do not punish us because we have done foolishly and have sinned. Let her not be as one dead, whose flesh is half eaten away when he comes out of his mother’s womb.” And Moses cried to the LORD, “O God, please heal her—please.” But the LORD said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be shamed seven days? Let her be shut outside the camp seven days, and after that she may be brought in again.” So Miriam was shut outside the camp seven days, and the people did not set out on the march till Miriam was brought in again.

There is another story in the Bible about someone healed of leprosy. It is the story of Naaman the Syrian. He is a mighty man in the Syrian army, but he is a leper. They captured a lowly Israelite slave girl on one of their raids and she lets them know that there is a prophet in Israel. Naaman goes to the king of Syria. The king of Syria sends a letter to the King of Israel. Let’s pick up the story in 2 Kings 5:5–7.

And the king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” 

So he went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing. And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, “When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you Naaman my servant, that you may cure him of his leprosy.” And when the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Only consider, and see how he is seeking a quarrel with me.”

The prophet Elisha tells Naaman to go wash in the river Jordan. Elisha certainly does not touch the leper. Elisha does not say that he is able. He is a prophet of God. God healed Naaman of leprosy.

The leper declares “if you are willing,” and “you can make me clean.” He does not say “if you ask,” but “if you will.” This assumes that Jesus is like God in that he can do as he wills (Psalm 115:1). He does not go to Jesus as a prophet in order for the prophet to intercede with God, but the leper going directly to Jesus as God. Thus, this is not a question of strength (could you?), but a question of heart (would you?). Before a display of strength, there will be a display of Jesus’ heart. Will Jesus close his heart in disgust to the leper like everyone else?

2. The Response (v. 41)

Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.”

a. Jesus’ Pity (the heart of Jesus)

The text says that Jesus was moved with pity. This is a profound word, not a condescending word. It is the word splanchnizomai. This will mean nothing to you, unless perhaps you have heard of splanchtology—the study of the visceral organs—your stomach or gut. The KJV sometimes talked about the bowels of compassion. This is what we are talking about. Not some shallow, superficial, feel condescending sorry for the poor sap. This is deep compassion from the deepest part of Jesus’ being.

Have you ever used the phrase a “gut feeling?” It means you feel something way down deep. You can care about something or worry about something so much that you actually get a stomachache. The leper did not turn Jesus’ stomach in terms of disgust; he touched his stomach in terms of compassion and love and care (gut-wrenching care and agony—loving so much it hurts!) This is a great Savior—O the heart of Jesus on display!

b. Jesus’ Power (the ability of Jesus)

The only question was the heart of Jesus, and now we have our glorious answer—so we now see the power of Jesus. “He stretched out his hand.” Some people ask why he didn’t take him by the hand. That is what God does in the Bible in healings (Exodus 4:4; 7:19; 8:1; 9:22; 14:16, 21, 26).

Jesus also touched the leper. Jesus touched the untouchable. This is probably the first human touch he has received in years. No ordinary human would touch him—the God-man goes where others will not go.

The two phrases together are so powerful: “I will” and “be clean.” Jesus could have responded like the king of Israel to Naaman, “Am I God?” He could have responded like Moses who interceded to God in behalf of Miriam. He says, “I will.” “Be clean.” The cleansing of the leper is proof that Jesus is the Son of God. If Jesus is God, then there should be no surprise as to what the immediate result is.

The Result (vv. 42–45)

And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once, and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter.

I want to make five observations as the scene closes. First, notice that for the second week in a row the silence theme shows up again. Why here? There are several reasons. Jesus does not seek the adoration of a crowd that has awe, but no faith and no awareness of who he really is and what he has really come to do. Faith based on sensational signs is no faith at all. The clamor of the moment will give way to the offense of the cross—that is where faith must rest. He does not want to be known as a mere miracle worker (a celebrity healer). They would only be spreading the false idea that Jesus mainly came to heal and he would not be able to move about freely (which is exactly what happened). It also shows that Jesus cannot be charged with stirring up an insurrection. He is trying to restrain the crowds not stir them up.

Second, imagine the joy of no longer crying “unclean, unclean,” but “I’m clean, “I’m clean.” He could not keep it to himself. He should not have disobeyed Jesus’ direct command, but I do not feel better than him. Consider this: He had a commission to “not tell anyone,” while we have a Great Commission to “go tell everyone” and we often fail, even though our commission is so much greater.

Third, notice that as a result of the leper’s disobedience that he and Jesus have traded places. The leper has now returned to the “camp” life so to speak, but he makes it almost impossible for Jesus to remain in the camp of the cities. Jesus must now abide in the wilderness or desolate places.

Fourth, notice how consistently Mark uses the terminology “clean” or “cleansed” not healed. Leprosy is not so much a disease to be healed as a condition to be cleansed. This is a purity issue—clean before God.

Fifth, why does Jesus send him to the priests? It could be that Jesus shows his compassion in that he did not want the man in social limbo (the man would need the consecration of the priests to be reinstituted in society. It could also be that Mark is showing Jesus’ high regard for the Law (he did not come to abolish the Law). I think the emphasis is probably more on the link between the cleansing of leprosy and the cleansing of sacrifice. Leprosy is like a parable functioning as a symbol for the uncleanness of sin. It is “an outward visible sign of an inward, invisible corruption.”

Leviticus lays out the sacrifices necessary. The healed person was instructed to present two birds, one of which was killed in the temple in Jerusalem. The other bird was dipped in the blood of the slain bird and released. After a waiting period of eight days the healed person further brought to the priest three lambs, one a sin offering, one a guilt offering, and one a whole offering (Leviticus 14:10–11). Leviticus makes it very clear that the priest is offering the sacrifice to the Lord to make atonement for sin. Remember the main point:

The cleansing of the leper shows Jesus is the Son of God who alone can cleanse us.

Application

Jesus ministered to the social outsiders (crossed many social lines). Will we? There was something about Jesus that was approachable. Lepers knew what the response of all the religious leaders would be: He would be shunned. They would enforce the distance between them. Jesus was different. This leper knew it.

We need to ask if the same is true of us. Are followers of Christ known for having the compassion of Christ? Do ethnic minorities view us as safe people – people of compassion? How about widows? Divorced? Poor? Homeless? People who disagree with your political views? When they come to ask for help, would you use your influence and resources to help them so that compassion is tangible and visible and practical?

Here is where it gets difficult. It could be condescending to come to them if you think of yourself as an insider going to an outsider (in “superiority” or “inferiority” terms). We do so from a position that moves from the superiors in society to the inferiors of society. Yuck! The church does not think that way. It will smell of condescending pride. Here we are the big shots helping the little people.

Where does compassion spring from? A place of identity. We know ourselves not to be the superiors, but the outsiders. Jesus came to us. There are no spiritual insiders. We were more unclean than we can imagine. Here was a person that gave society a “gag reflex.” They would be repulsed by his uncleanness—and his ability to make others unclean. The proper response was to maintain relational (and geographical) distance at any cost.

But the whole point of this section is that people do not see their real problem. Jesus did not come to cleanse people on the outside. Everyone knew that the leper had a problem—he was unclean. But Jesus came to show that our real problem is not a skin problem, but a sin problem. We are all spiritual lepers, but unlike physical lepers, it is not as obvious to ourselves and those around us. We are all spiritually unclean—much worse than a skin condition—our disease goes much deeper, to the core of who we are as children of wrath.

The problem is that we fixate on the external—it is projected on the outside for all to see. We do a good job usually of hiding our internal uncleanness. What if there was a video projector attached to your mind and heart that would play all of your secret envious thoughts, lustful thoughts, anxious thoughts, hateful thoughts, angry, cutting words, angry actions—one filthy thought or action after another. Wouldn’t you and people around you be repulsed?

That is the whole point of leprosy and the connection to the sacrificial system. Take for example the Day of Atonement. There was an enormously detailed preparation that the high priest went through. A week before that day, the high priest was put in seclusion so he would not accidentally touch anything or eat anything unclean. Clean food would be brought to him.

The night before the Day of Atonement he didn’t go to bed. He stayed up all night praying and reading God’s word to purify his soul. On the Day he bathed head to toe and dressed in pure, unstained white linen. Then he went into the holy of holies and offered an animal sacrifice to God to atone or pay the penalty for his own sins. After that he came out and bathed completely again, and put on a new white linen and went in again to sacrifice for the sins of the priests. Then he came out a third time, bathed again from head to toe, they dressed him in new pure linen, and he went again into the holy of holies to atone for the sins of the people.

One Old Testament scholar pointed out something I never knew before—he said that all of this was done in public. The temple was crowded, those in attendance watched closely. There was a thin screen and the high priest bathed behind that. But the people saw the process of him bathing, dressing, going in, and coming out. The high priest was their representative before God—they were very concerned about his purity. So when the high priest came before God, there was not to be a speck on him.

Can you imagine the leper—covered in leprosy coming before God in the holy of holies?! We forget that is what he actually did when he came before Jesus! Zechariah 3 has an even worse scene. Zechariah sees Joshua the high priest standing before the presence of God in the holy of holies, but his garments are covered in poop. He was unbelievably defiled.

How could anyone let the high priest in like that? This is a prophetic vision for the way that God sees us. We can go through an elaborate ritual to clean the outside of us, but God sees the inside. We are covered in sin. God is repulsed and revolted by how caked we are with sin—like we would be if someone came to church caked in pig poop. God sees that our hearts are full of filth. Jesus said the Pharisees are full of dead men’s bones. Isaiah said that even our righteous deeds apart from Christ are like filthy menstrual garments.

No one around you sees it, but God sees all of it. And he is the Most Holy Being, the One who is more repulsed by sin than anyone is or even could be. So he came to trade places. He, the Son of God (talk about insider) comes to the children of wrath on the very outskirts of hell and takes our place. He pays the price for our sins, bears the wrath, absorbs the punishment due our sins. He is treated as if those were his thoughts and actions (every bitter thought, every evil deed, crowning his blood-stained brow). But the deep darkness of our dirty stain was no match for the purifying power of the blood. What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus! O precious is the flow that makes me white as snow. No other fount I know. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. At the end of this Gospel the temple veil separating the Holy of Holies is torn because of Christ’s death.

Conclusion: Communion

So what is communion? If leprosy is “an outward visible sign of our inward, invisible corruption” that makes one say “unclean, unclean,” then communion is an outward visible sign of Christ’s redemption that makes believers say, “I’m clean, I’m clean.” If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Jesus stretched out his hands on the cross to reach us. We belong to him. He purchased us. And he purchased a family and prayed that we would be one. Does everyone feel like they belong here—at this church and at this table? You cannot be at Christ’s table and be an outsider. Those washed in the blood are insiders—entered into the everlasting kingdom. Some of you are seated at the table, but you are not seen at the table.

I repent of how easy it is for me at times to only see people that fit the standard profile. I will give you an example. We are not being abstract about sin here. A few weeks ago, I told the husbands here at church to make a way for their wives to go to the women’s conference. You know what I didn’t say? What about all the single women? What about all the widows? What about all the divorced women? They were invisible to me when I made that appeal, and I am sure they felt invisible (a couple of you bravely let me know about that). I repented to them and I repent to you. There is no child of God who is invisible to God. Let no child of God be invisible to the people of God gathered now at Christ’s table. All of us different in many ways but unified in the most wonderful way—all forever cleansed, washed whiter than snow by the blood of Christ, symbolized here on the table.

Sermon Discussion Questions

Outline

1. The Leper’s Request (v. 40)
2. Jesus’ Response (v. 41)
3. The Result (vv. 42–45)

Main Point: The cleansing of the leper shows that Jesus is the Son of God who alone can cleanse us.

Discussion Questions

• What was so terrible about leprosy in Jewish culture? How did it dictate someone’s social and relational standing?
• How does leprosy serve as a parable of sin? How does Jesus’ cleansing of the leper function as a parable of the cross?
• Why did Jesus tell the man to be silent? Why did he tell him to go to the priests?

Application Questions

• Do you ever question the ability or willingness of God to do the things you bring to him in prayer? Which one do you doubt more—his ability or his willingness?   
• How can we follow Jesus in ministering to the outsiders of society? How does what Christ did for us impact how we minister to others? How are you doing in this area?
• In this message, what truths landed upon you that you need to share with others in your life? How can you share these truths? Devote it to prayer!

Prayer Focus

Pray for a grace to see that Jesus alone can cleanse us. Celebrate that the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all unrighteousness. Pray that we will grow in our compassion for those who are considered to be outsiders and outcasts.