Word for the day by Christian Education Forum
Jesus Christ who sanctifies
St. Mark 1: 40-45The Gospel of Mark is considered as the most translated book in the world and also usually the first portion of the bible to be translated since it’s a very short gospel but contains the most essential truth of Jesus’s life and ministry. The Gospel of Mark is comparatively less of the “sayings” of Jesus and more on His “doings”.
In the passage that we are meditating today, we see an encounter of Jesus Christ with a leper, who is an outcast from society and considered a cursed and unclean person. The interaction in itself was something radically challenging the standards of religiosity of the day both by the leper and Jesus who listens and intervenes with compassion.
For the Leper who was ostracized from his family and who by law had to stay away from human dwellings and always required to keep his distance from other people, crying out “unclean, unclean” everywhere he went, the courage to approach Jesus was equivalent to being stoned to death. The Jews considered him as the walking dead and also that he deserved to be punished by God for the sins he had committed. For Jesus to stop and have this interaction itself was to become unclean as per ceremonial laws, since it was illegal even to greet a leper.
The willingness within us to approach the saving grace of Christ
This unnamed Leper reminds us of how we are spiritual lepers! But unlike the leper in this passage we are often unconscious of our sin and the pervasiveness of our sinful condition. Warren Wiersbe says "This man not only needed to be changed, but he wanted to be changed. Lepers were required to keep their distance, but he was so determined that he broke the Law and approached the Lord Jesus personally”. The biggest challenge that we face today is to face our own spiritual depravity as a real thing. We want to say that everything is ok and be accepted for all that we do. But the leper approached the Lord Jesus with willingness to become clean and thereby be accepted.
The willingness of a compassionate Lord to sanctify us
In Jesus' day while sick people may have aroused compassion by the society at large, a person with leprosy never arouse compassion, because it was truly disgusting and the person was unapproachable. However for Jesus, he saw the man's heart and his intent, not his scaly disgusting appearance. And sinful as we are today, Jesus looks at you and I that same way -- at our heart, ever looking for a heart which is willing for a cleansing and also of Spirit empowered loving obedience to His will. That is what Jesus Christ can do for you, for anyone in an instant, in a split second of belief. The sanctification of Christ in salvation from sin is instantaneous and complete.
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In the passage that we are meditating today, we see an encounter of Jesus Christ with a leper, who is an outcast from society and considered a cursed and unclean person. The interaction in itself was something radically challenging the standards of religiosity of the day both by the leper and Jesus who listens and intervenes with compassion.
For the Leper who was ostracized from his family and who by law had to stay away from human dwellings and always required to keep his distance from other people, crying out “unclean, unclean” everywhere he went, the courage to approach Jesus was equivalent to being stoned to death. The Jews considered him as the walking dead and also that he deserved to be punished by God for the sins he had committed. For Jesus to stop and have this interaction itself was to become unclean as per ceremonial laws, since it was illegal even to greet a leper.
The willingness within us to approach the saving grace of Christ
This unnamed Leper reminds us of how we are spiritual lepers! But unlike the leper in this passage we are often unconscious of our sin and the pervasiveness of our sinful condition. Warren Wiersbe says "This man not only needed to be changed, but he wanted to be changed. Lepers were required to keep their distance, but he was so determined that he broke the Law and approached the Lord Jesus personally”. The biggest challenge that we face today is to face our own spiritual depravity as a real thing. We want to say that everything is ok and be accepted for all that we do. But the leper approached the Lord Jesus with willingness to become clean and thereby be accepted.
The willingness of a compassionate Lord to sanctify us
In Jesus' day while sick people may have aroused compassion by the society at large, a person with leprosy never arouse compassion, because it was truly disgusting and the person was unapproachable. However for Jesus, he saw the man's heart and his intent, not his scaly disgusting appearance. And sinful as we are today, Jesus looks at you and I that same way -- at our heart, ever looking for a heart which is willing for a cleansing and also of Spirit empowered loving obedience to His will. That is what Jesus Christ can do for you, for anyone in an instant, in a split second of belief. The sanctification of Christ in salvation from sin is instantaneous and complete.
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Prayer
Dear Lord we approach your throne of grace this day with humility realizing how sinful we are and there is no one who can cleanse us but you. We pray that you will touch us, cleanse us and make us whole so that we will live this day reflecting your glory and witnessing your love for us. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Thought for the day
“he love of Jesus is the source of salvation. He loves, He looks, He touches us, WE LIVE.
C. H. Spurgeon
Rev. Thomas K. Mathew
Youth Chaplain – Philadelphia region