If You Will

Mark 1:40 - 45

From this passage comes one of my favorite quotations, "If you will, you can make me clean ... "

Leprosy is a skin, bone and joint disease.  If you had this you were an outcast from society and it was believed that this was a judgment from God due to  your sin.  God is punishing you.  You are going to lose your identity, your community, family, everything!

Can You Care Enough To Feel Compassion?
God came to be the father to the father-less.

Jesus confronted with a leper, is moved to act.

Are You Convinced Enough To Ask?
Twice in the Old Testament, God had healed leprosy.
This leper saw that Jesus could heal.
He KNEW Jesus could heal him!

Will You Stretch Yourself Enough To Touch?
Jesus touched the leper.
He did not have to.
But, he was proving that God is not unclean!

And the leper was healed, cleansed, now ceremonially clean!

Are you even aware of the needs of those around you?
Who are the untouchables in your life?

Will You Be Bold Enough To Tell Others?
The leper witnessed to all whom would listen!
Jesus was not looking for followers based upon miracles.
Even though miracles, in this case healing, is a sign of God - it is the cross and resurrection which are the point!

Touch someone this week ....
Jesus, did and so can you.