Touching the Leper - All The LORD is near Daily Devotionals for 2024

Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean." Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed." As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.
Mark 1:40-42

Touching the Leper
According to the Law, a leper was unclean and had to live outside the camp of Israel alone, and cry out "Unclean! Unclean!" when someone approached (Lev. 13:45-46). This leper approached Jesus, knelt down to Him and asked for cleansing—if Jesus were willing! Would Jesus be willing to heal a poor ragged outcast like this, whose leprosy—always a picture of sin in the Bible—was defiling, making anyone or anything touching him unclean?

Evidently the man was in compliance with the Law's requirement, staying a proper distance away from Jesus; for we are told that Jesus, "moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him." The Holy Spirit, who inspired the very words the "holy men of God" used in writing the Bible, delights to show us the heart of our blessed Lord. We first see His compassion. Then He is stretching out His hand, reaching out to the man; and then we hear His simple, loving, powerful words, "I am willing; be cleansed." Who knows when last this leper had felt a loving touch? Others would have shrunk back from him, dreading becoming defiled, becoming lepers themselves. Never had he met anyone so compassionate, and able and willing to heal a wretch like him.

What a beautiful picture of salvation! The Lord Jesus came down in tender compassion to where we sinners were. He knew full well our uncleanness, our sinfulness. He reached out to us with hands pierced on account of our sins and stretched out on the cross. He is still both able and willing to save lost sinners today.

Eugene P. Vedder, Jr.