Asking For Help

 Mark 1:40-43

Jesus Heals a Man With Leprosy

⁴⁰ A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”

⁴¹ Jesus was indignant. He reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” ⁴² Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed.

⁴³ Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: ⁴⁴ “See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” ⁴⁵ Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.

Like the leper, we have many needs that seem beyond our strength and the capability of others to help us. Imagine the plight of this leper:  an outcast, and patient sufferer from the pain caused by the disease.  His one hope was in Jesus, about whom he had heard so much.  He begs on his knees, and expresses not only his wish, but his belief that Jesus can cure him if he so desires.  A beautiful, simple act of faith and confidence.  Our translation here reads, "Jesus was indignant", but other manuscripts say, "Jesus was filled with compassion.", which makes more sense.  The Latin translation states his response in two terse and powerful words, "Volo. Mundare." I will it;  Be cleansed".."Made clean."

Two thousand years later, we continue to benefit from this lesson on the prayer of petition:  Be humble enough to get down on our knees, politely insert the "If clause" (If you are willing), and express our faith, "you can make me clean." Or whatever our petition might be.  If we don't pray this way now, we might learn from this brief passage and model our petitions after it.

We might question both the admonition not to spread the word of the cure, and the man's total ignoring of it. Commentators have expounded extensively on "the Messianic Secret", but in summary we might boil it down to the desire of Jesus to await his good time to reveal himself, and, simply from a human standpoint, to avoid the time consuming crowds who came to beg for cures. Despite his initial desires, we see that time after time, Jesus never refused those who came to him in faith for help.  May we humbly, yet boldly, present out needs to him, confident that in his time and in ways best for us, he will grant them.

Bro. Rene