Unclean!

Introduction

Ill: George Muller in London

Street kids were regarded as valuable as pests. Simply a nuisance and a pain.

- Children malnourished

- Sleeping in the streets

- Dying of sickness and cold

George has tremendous pity for these children, and decides to do something about this need.

Lived the rest of his life working for the poor children; going through terrible times of poverty and pain for the sake of these dear children. Ended up building multiple orphanages and housed thousands of children where they would get food, friends, a good education, and the Gospel shared to them.

A. The Unclean is Come - Mark 1:40

Each Gospel was written to a specific people group for a specific purpose. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John share the exact same truth of the Gospel, yet they each highlight different aspects of Jesus’ life and ministry to illustrate their point to their audience. Mark is written to the Romans with the intent to show Christ as the suffering Servant who’s willing to go at great lengths to minister to the lost. And we’ve definitely seen that at play when it comes to His ministry in Capernaum.

Jesus...

Called fishermen to be His disciples

Cast out a demon

Heals Peter’s sick mother-in-law

And healed all sorts of sick and demon possessed people

This was a busy time for our Lord. The world was just being introduced to how low the Savior is willing to go so that He can minister to the ones in need. But now, that was really going to be put to the test. Mark 1:40

Mark 1:40 KJV 1900

40 And there came a leper to him,

Hold on for a second, there’s no way Jesus is going to heal this guy, he’s a leper after all! Those are the untouchables, we avoid those kind of people… And nonetheless, the leper comes by to Jesus

Mark 1:40 KJV 1900

beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

In Jesus’ day, Leprosy was the dreaded disease of society, especially if you were a Jew. If you were a leper, people around you practically saw you as a walking corpse; worthless, and most definitely not worth their time.

Leprosy in itself can be a wide variety of diseases, some more harmful than others. But they all have one thing in common, it is some kind of skin disease. It could be something as little as ringworm even. But judging by the fact that Luke says in 5:12 that this man was full of leprosy, it seems like this leper had a much more severe case. It’s probably what we know today as the Hansen’s disease. This is a skin disease that progressively gets worse and worse. It usually starts as a small white spot somewhere on your skin, but then that spot would develop and grow, it would then spread throughout your whole body. And at this point, you would have been living in constant excruciating pain because that scab that once seemed so harmless is now eating away at your flesh. It was no surprise to see lepers having their fingers and toes fallen off.

The worst part about being a leper was the social aspect of it, especially if you were a Jewish person...

Stay in exile form all society in order to not defile them

Ceremonially unclean (restricted amount of worship)

Supposed to dress in a certain way (shredded up garments to show you were a leper)

Yell “unclean! Unclean!” whenever people come near your way

Cherry on top; there was no cure, so you were destined to this way of life until the day you die.

Wouldn’t you feel a bit depressed, hopeless maybe? That man was below the lowest of all people, in society’s eyes that man was a dangerous pest. Yet he still comes to Jesus!

1. Desperate

The fact he even came to Jesus is astounding! The amount of rules and regulations this leper was breaking in that moment is plenty.

You couldn’t attract as much attention as him even if you came to church today in a bright pink suit and sparkling shoes!

The social pressure that was against this man to stay isolated didn’t stop him from coming to Jesus. He was desperate to just be cleansed of this sick disease he was tormented with.

“And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him,”

Don’t you see how desperate this man is for Jesus?! He comes in bursting wherever Jesus was at the moment, and kneels down right before the Lord; Luke’s account of this event adds that the leper fell down on his face. In this position of humility and shame, he desperately cries to Jesus. He was bold with his need and begs that Christ would heal him.

Why do you think he was so desperate?

he knew that Jesus was the only way he could be rid of this disease.

2. Full of Faith

Verse 40b “and saying unto him, ‘If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.’”

Do you feel like this leper sometimes? I have no hope but in You. Have you ever been pushed so far that all you could do was fall down on your knees and beg for God to work things out? For so long I have been tormented with this, but only You can cleanse me Lord.

The question of the matter was not the faith of this leper, he knew beyond a shade of a doubt that Christ was able to cleanse him of his leprosy. That’s why he said “thou canst make me clean.” This is really a powerful statement of faith here. He’s saying that Jesus is able to cleanse him. He uses the word “Dunamai”, the root of that word being “Dunamis” POWER. He’s effectively saying, “Jesus, I know that if you want to, You have the power to cleanse me on the spot.”

Life had been a living nightmare for the last several years of this man’s life. If you had the severe kind of Leprosy (Henson’s), it took on average 9 years for the sickness to do it’s full work and eat you alive. We know that this man was full of leprosy, so he was at least a few years into this horrible disease, probably even nearing the end. For all this time, I’ve had no hope, no peace, no rest.

Now the pressing question is, will Jesus actually cleanse him? Will Jesus risk touching this filthy man to heal him?

The fact he asked Jesus to cleanse him is significant. Why did he not just ask Jesus to heal his leprosy? Jesus healed the blind and the sick and the mame. Leprosy is the only thing that falls into the “cleansing” category. Maybe there’s something unique with leprosy, something below the surface of a physical disease...

leprosy made a Jewish man ceremonially unclean, they were not to have fellowship with others and could not make sacrifices at the temple. This disease serves as a vivid picture of what sin looks like. So, in a lot of ways, we aren’t so different from this sick man. Just as leprosy goes deeper than the skin, so sin lies deep within our hearts.

Like leprosy, sin starts small and spreads like a wildfire. That angry word to your loved one started as a “harmless” thought of frustration toward her, but then over time you allowed your sinful and selfish thought to grow to the point that you lashed out hurtfully at her. That bitterness you feel toward your husband started as a “momentary” resentful thought, but over time you allowed yourself to dwell on what’s bothering you to the point you are cold and bitter with him. That addiction to pornography started as an “innocent” look, but you let your imagination take over and it brought you to your own demise and shame.

We’re broken, fallen people! We’re even worse than that leper!

Ephesians 2:1 KJV 1900

1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

On our own we are helpless, dead in the nasty reality that is our sinfulness. Hopelessly looking for relief, we turn to Christ for the cleansing that only He is able to give us. But with the leper, we ask “If thou wilt”. “God, I know you are able to cleanse me, only You are. But are You willing to? After all that I’ve done?” Have you ever wondered if you are too far gone to be forgiven? “You have no idea what I’ve done. How could God ever forgive a person like me?!” Where’s our hope?!

B. The Unclean is Cleansed - Mark 1:41-44

1. Full of Compassion

Mark 1:41 KJV 1900

41 And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean.

He had compassion! Here is your hope lost sinner! Here is your hope defeated Christian! Christ was moved with compassion for this helpless and sad man. To have compassion means to be deeply moved; this is such a deep pity and compassion for this man’s estate that Jesus’ own stomach is churned for this poor man.

His compassion leads to action, and Jesus touches this man who is full of leprosy. Just think about that. Jesus could’ve healed the man and then touched him, yet He chooses to touch the man first. That poor man did not need improvement before Jesus would reach for Him. Jesus comes to him in his broken, wretched, and pitiful state. Sinner, quit trying to make yourself better before coming to Jesus. Quit thinking that your morality and desire to make things right will make you more worthy to come to Jesus. Face the truth, we are broken and rotten to the core in our sin. But Jesus looks on us in this state and has compassion on us. He does not require us to be better before we come to Him, that’s His job. All He requires is a broken heart, desperate for the cleansing that only He can provide.

Jesus says to him, “I will; be thou clean.” Friends, if Jesus wouldn’t cleanse this leper, what hope would we have of being cleansed from our sin? If Christ would not have compassion on that leper, who knows if Christ would have compassion on you? We give Jesus no good reason to be cleansed and forgiven. But that’s not the kind of God we have. Our hope is placed in a Saviour who loves poor sinners. We have a Saviour who’s heart yearns for your soul to be restored to God. Christ cleanses broken people like you and me. He restores deflated Christians because He has pity on us and loves our souls.

So don’t wonder whether or not you will be received. Jesus will save you if only you come to Him. It doesn’t matter how unclean you feel in that sin, Jesus will forgive you and cleanse you if you simply come and ask.

2. Miracle Made

Mark 1:42 KJV 1900

42 And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed.

Now, amazingly, this incurable disease is fully washed away. What a miracle! Immediately the leprosy departed from him. The death of this disease had no choice but be eradicated at Jesus’ powerful command. John 1:4-5

John 1:4–5 KJV 1900

4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

life consists in Christ, He is the light of the world. It is no wonder then that the powers of death and darkness have no authority against Jesus. They hold no power against our Lord. He indeed is able to cleanse that leper!

3. Strict Command

What was an encounter full of compassion and pity took a sharp turn here,

Mark 1:43–44 KJV 1900

43 And he straitly charged him, and forthwith sent him away; 44 And saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

Jesus “straitly charged him” and basically kicked him out of where they were at. He commands that healed man that he must follow the ceremonial law and go to the priest where he could be inspected. He was still deemed ceremonially unclean until the inspecting priest confirmed that that man was truly cleansed. Notice what Jesus said that would be in the end, “for a testimony unto them.” Going to these priests as a man fully and miraculously healed from leprosy would be an incredible testimony of the power of Christ. Only God could heal a leper like that, and the priest would have no choice but to recognize that power.

C. The Message is Spread - Mark 1:45

1. Outright Disobedience

But the leper had a different testimony in mind. he was so excited to share what happened that he took things in his own hands. Mark 1:45

Mark 1:45 KJV 1900

45 But he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter, insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places: and they came to him from every quarter.

This is exactly the opposite of what Jesus wanted to happen.

Now you might be confused here. “What’s wrong here? This changed man is joyfully telling the world about the amazing Saviour he has. What’s the problem?”

You probably have mixed emotions when reading this. Is he wrong?

This leper rebelled against the clear instruction of Jesus. Jesus said, “Be quiet, tell no one, go tell the priest.” Obviously his gratitude is commendable here, but this man was violating the clear commands of Christ, and that cost Jesus big time!

2. Unwanted Results

“insomuch that Jesus no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places: and they came to him from every quarter.”

The news spread so broadly and quickly that Jesus couldn’t escape the crowds. Wherever He went from now on He would be followed by hundreds and by thousands. This was not the main problem, the issue was the reason for all these people coming to Jesus. For most of them, all they wanted was for a miracle healing and go home.

But that’s not what Christ’s ministry is all about. Jesus is after greater things than just the healing of men’s bodies. He is after the cleansing of lost souls. Jesus has compassion on poor people like you and me. You could say that we are spiritually leprous, and our only hope is for the Lord of life to come and show pity towards us. No matter how bad you are or how vile your sin is, Jesus is ready to receive you. Will you come?