Daily Devotional for Saturday, September 2

Jesus and the Leper

“And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean,”
Mark 1:40, 41.

Life as a leper was one of despair and loneliness, the likes of which most people may never know. When someone was diagnosed with leprosy, they would be banished to live outside of town with other lepers. They could not enter town or visit with family until they were proclaimed to be clear of leprosy. If someone walked near a leper, the infirmed person would be required to shout “unclean” to warn of his condition.

That Jesus could heal this leper proves His power and authority is from Heaven. However, the fact that Jesus would draw near to someone so sick and downcast shows the depths of His compassion. Earthly rulers may use their power and authority for personal gain while demeaning those less than them. Jesus exercised His power and authority to extend compassion to those most broken and hopeless.

While Jesus healed the sick and raised the dead through the power of God, He consistently extended compassion to the lost or broken of the world. As followers of Christ, we must spend our lives meeting the needs of people and showing compassion so that we can reach the hearts of people with the gospel. Jesus was undeterred by the brokenness of the leper. Christians should never turn a blind eye to the brokenness of 
people around us. Rather, we should walk into their brokenness with compassion and care while we share the good news.

FINAL THOUGHT: No person is too broken or too dirty for Jesus to save. Christians must take the gospel of Christ with the compassion of Christ to all the world.

Steven Ridings