I hate waiting. More specifically, I REALLY hate waiting at doctors' offices, hospitals or dentists' offices. They all have this weird...medicinal...smell (or maybe it's a smelly fish tank in the lobby?). And as much as I love reading magazines, why is it that at these medical offices, I still end up stuck with Sports Illustrated, Highlights or something utterly fascinating...like Chiropractic Today? (Note to self: Stash a copy of InStyle or People in your purse next time!)
Fact: I'm a patient without much patience.
The people Jesus encountered weren't like me. At all. Many of them waded through thick crowds just to touch Him. One guy in this passage had friends that tore off part of a roof just so they could lower him to Jesus. Some of the people in this passage are what Jesus called "sin-sick"--"disreputable" people who "unlikely as it seems" became His followers. But there's one guy, a leper, whose story spoke to me today:
A leper came to him, begging on his knees,
"If you want to, you can cleanse me."
Deeply moved, Jesus put out his hand, touched him, and said,
Deeply moved, Jesus put out his hand, touched him, and said,
"I want to. Be clean."
Then and there the leprosy was gone,
his skin smooth and healthy.
The leper's words are interesting, "If you want to, you can cleanse me." I don't believe these words were spoken out of timidity, but confidence--like, "If you choose, I know you can heal me." The words and the heart "deeply moved" Jesus (Wow! What would that be like?). I love how in this story, Jesus doesn't just display His power, but His desire to heal the leper. There's a difference between the capability and the will to help others...and Jesus had both.
The next part of the story was also interesting:
Jesus dismissed him with strict orders:
"Say nothing to anyone.
Take the offering for cleansing
that Moses prescribed and present yourself to the priest.
This will validate your healing to the people."
But as soon as the man was out of earshot,
he told everyone he met what had happened,
spreading the news all over town.
So Jesus kept to out-of-the-way places,
no longer able to move freely in and out of the city.
But people found him, and came from all over.
Jesus asked the leper to stay quiet, but his joy was overwhelmingly contagious. He actually disobeyed Jesus' instruction...but I don't think Jesus was mad. He likely understood the leper's gratitude and joy. News of the leper's healing became so widespread that Jesus couldn't stay undercover. But was He ever meant to?
Tomorrow: Mark 4-5
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