Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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Christ Who Embraces The Rejected

Bible Reading:  St. Mark 1:40-45

Key Verse : St. Mark 1:40-41 
“A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. “If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean,” he said. Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” 

DEVOTION

In this passage, we see a man begging at the feet of Jesus, desperate to be cleansed from his leprosy. In the days of Jesus, leprosy was, in many ways, a death sentence. Those who contracted it were shunned by society, forced into isolation, and labeled as outcasts. Leviticus 13 and 14 highlight the harsh reality of their rejection. They show how lepers were stripped of their dignity and marked as untouchable. Leviticus 13:45 states, “Anyone with such a defiling disease… must cover the lower part of their face and cry out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’” 
Yet in Mark 1, we see this leper does not cry out “Unclean!” as the law required. Instead, he cries out to the Messiah, the Son of the living God: “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” The passage notes that this man begs Jesus on his knees, displaying his desperation. But he musters enough courage to defy societal restrictions and approach Christ with bold faith. 
The depth of this healing by Jesus is so profound. We need to understand that by touching the leper to heal him, Jesus was taking a huge risk. In fact, this was at the beginning of His ministry, so if everything didn't go as intended, Jesus’ earthly ministry could have been sabotaged even before it started. But Jesus sets aside His own priorities for a man in desperate need of healing, demonstrating His willingness to become unclean Himself. Here, Jesus sets the stage for His ministry by announcing to the world that He prioritizes mercy over cruelty, healing over sickness, and love over legalism. 
This miracle challenges us to do the same. In a world that still casts certain people aside, how do we respond? It is easy to remain comfortable, to focus on our own lives while others are neglected. But that is not the essence of our faith. 
In Faith Seeking Understanding, Dr. Daniel Migliore writes, “We live in a world today that is in bondage to sin, death, and destruction, where strangers are feared, violence is a way of life, and the poor and vulnerable are forgotten.” His words remind us that there are still many who are rejected in this world and awaiting the message of redemption.
So, this Lenten season, can we follow Jesus’ example? Can we embrace the rejected, extend a gentle touch, and become agents of peace? Our Lenten disciplines, like prayer and fasting, only become meaningful when they move us to acts of compassion. As James 1:27 reminds us, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” 
May the Good Lord bless us all. 

   PRAYER

Heavenly Father, we come before your presence. We confess that many times we have failed to embrace the least among us. Lord, this Lenten season, enable us to reach out to those who are neglected and follow after the example set by our Savior. Enable us to be your hands and feet on this earth and embrace the rejected. Amen. 
 
Thought for the day

“Let us pray for recovery of health for the sick, comfort for the distressed, deliverance for prisoners, safety for travelers, unity and love for those who are estranged.” (Litany from Holy Qurbana Worship Order, p. 66)

Jotham B. Simon 
 St. Paul’s Mar Thoma Church, Dallas 

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