When You’ve Had Enough

Mark 1:40-45 is a story early on in Jesus’ ministry. It’s a story shared in somewhat the same manner in Luke 5 – a leper being healed or cleansed.

Leprosy is a disease where your body is literally rotting while you are alive. Many lepers end up with missing fingers, ears, toes and oozing soars with the smell of rotten flesh.

There was no treatment for it and the control of it was as bad as the disease itself. Lepers had to be isolated into their own little communities. Just imagine having a family that you would not be able to touch, hold or kiss ever again. Those who were closest to you would not be allowed to console you while you suffered.

Therefore, when Jesus touched this man and he was healed he received his whole life back.

But, there is a detail that Dr Luke shares that Mark misses. It is worth noting. Luke said that the man was “FULL” of leprosy.

He was not just sick but what we would think in terms of someone in stage 4 cancer. He was very bad off when he got his life back.

How about you? Are you FULL of anything? Full of frustration? Full of anger? Full of hurt? Full of disappointment? Full of bad news? Full of anxiety?

First, the man left his community, his comfort zone, and went to Jesus.

Second, what the man did was against the law. The leper was to yell “unclean” when someone came near so that they would keep their distance. This man come so close to Jesus that Jesus was able to touch him. Sometimes I feel that many of the rules that come from our churches end up keeping people from God. Forget the rules! Pursue after Him hard!

Third, maybe out of desperation, the man declared that he knew that Jesus could heal him.

Did he really believe it. For at least that moment he did.

When you are FULL of crud it is time to believe in someone better than other humans that have to deal with their own crap when they go home too.

Lord, empty me so that I can be filled with You!

Advertisement