What a crazy day…I went from meeting to meeting to meeting…you are probably getting the picture.  It was great to start the morning reading Mark and realizing that many fellow Crossbridgers would be joining me on this journey today!  I love the book of Mark.  As a writer he is blunt, to the point and provides great insight into the actions of Jesus while he was walking the earth.  Mark is all about ACTION!

I noticed something this morning as I sat at Bagel Heads reading the first chapter.  Mark starts by recording the emotions that others had about Jesus and then in verse 40 he transitions and focuses on the emotions of Jesus in the account of the man with leprosy.  I love so many things about this story…I love the faith of this man, I love his boldness to approach Jesus, I love how he doesn’t mess around.  He starts on his knees and gets straight to the point…”If you are willing, you can make me clean!”

How many times do I come before Jesus justifying my (uncleanness) sin rather than just turning it over to Him.

How many times do I try and deal with my own issues rather than recognizing as this leper does, that I am in the presence of the one that could heal?

How many times do I come before Jesus lacking the boldness and faith that this man reveals?

This leper is the image I think of when I read Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5, where he says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”  Even better is the Message translation, which says it this way, “You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.”  Is that not this guy?  What else does he have?  Where else can he turn?  There is nothing this guy can do to heal & cleanse himself.  He is the definition of poor in spirit / at the end of his rope!

I also love Jesus’ reaction.  He doesn’t run away as probably any other Rabbi of His day would have done to preserve their purity.  Jesus doesn’t rebuke the man, as he had the right to do, and as most of the people watching would have expected.  Mark says, “Jesus was filled with compassion.”  How did he know this?  Did Jesus tell him later?  Did he see it in Jesus’ expression?  Maybe it was just evident in the way Jesus chooses to heal this man.  The crowd would have been horrified as they watched this respected teacher reach out and TOUCH this unclean man!  What was Jesus thinking?  He risked contracting this disease.  He would have made himself ceremonially unclean by touching a leper…but he touched him!

God, give me the faith and the boldness of the leper.  Help me to recognize the the hopelessness of my situation, to stop pretending that I have the resources to handle it, but recognize that I am poor in spirit and at the end of my rope without you.  I give up the facade of my own strength and confess that I am nothing without you.  Thank you for your compassion.  Thank you for your power.  Thank you for your touch.  Thank you for your healing.  Thank you, that you are willing!

God, fill me with your compassion and allow me to be your hands to ouch those that others may consider untouchable.