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.
Question 1
Have you ever felt lonely and without many friends?
Question 2
Why do you think Jesus is so eager for people not to publicly say who he is?
To truly understand this story, one has to know a little about the illness the man was suffering from. It is an illness that affects the nerves, which means that it is possible to hurt yourself without realising. Because the illness could be contracted by others, people who suffered were forced to live far from others, apart from society, with almost no contact.
When this person came to Jesus, it is very likely that everyone else would have run away, or at least stayed away. But look at the lovely way Jesus responds. He doesn’t pull back. It does the opposite – touches the man. This man probably hadn’t felt another person touching him for a long time. By Jesus’ words he was healed instantly.
Jesus didn’t want people to know who he was until the right time came, so he asks the man to keep quiet about his experience, but he fails. He shares with anyone willing to listen.
Question 3
How do you think these events would have made the lonely man feel?
Question 4
How should the love of Christ here change the way we treat others? What kind of people does our society consider dirty and try to stay away from?
Pray:
that God will help you love others no matter who they are, putting their needs before yours.
