The good news about Jesus – Part 3
Asbury Free Methodist May 25, 2025
By Rev. Dr. Brent Russett – Mark 1:40-45
I was talking with a friend a couple of weeks ago. He has kind of given up on faith. He has rejected large portions of scripture. He has given up on church. So, I asked him – What do you do with Jesus? My friend told me – I am not sure what to do with him. He couldn’t reject Jesus outright – but he couldn’t bring himself to follow Jesus either.
What do you do with Jesus? That is the most important question of faith. All other questions are diversions until you answer that question.
The gospel of Mark seeks to answer that question. But he answers that question, not so much by telling us, but by showing us. Mark is using the same techniques movie writers use today. If you are writing a movie and you want to show that your character is good in a fight, you don’t say Max is good at fighting. You show Max winning a fight decisively. You show what the character is like.
This is our third week in our series, “The good news about Jesus.” We are going to be looking at the first half of the gospel of Mark. Mark wants to show us what Jesus is like because what you do with Jesus is the most important question of faith.
In today’s passage Mark wants to pull back the curtain just a little more on who Jesus is. Of course, who Jesus is matters not only for Mark’s time but for our time. It matters for our lives and our decisions of faith. If you are not a follower of Jesus, then Mark helps you with the question – Do I want to follow Jesus? If you are a follower of Jesus, then you know that God has you on a path of transformation. The goal of that transformation is to become more Christlike. Mark shows us who Jesus is so that we can become more Christlike.
Come with me to Mark 1:35. We looked at this passage briefly last week. I want to remind of you, before we get to this week’s main story.
Mark 1:35–39 (NIV)
35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. 36 Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37 and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”
38 Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” 39 So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons. Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there a
Mark shows us that Jesus is a man of prayer. He also shows us that he is a man on a mission. He tells us here, why he came. He came to preach.
In other places Jesus said, John 10:10b (NIV)
I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
Mark 10:45 (NIV)
45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Luke 19:10 (NLT)
10 For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”
But here, Jesus says, I have come to preach. We know the content of his preaching because Mark has already told us,
Mark 1:14–15 (NIV)
14 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
So Jesus came to preach. Verse 39 says that he
Mark 1:39 (NIV)
39 So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.
I want to point this out because it will become important for the story we are going to look at.
Let me walk you through the story.
Mark 1:40a (NLT)
40 A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed.
Leprosy was a brutal disease to have in Israel at the time of Jesus. In the twenty-first century, we understand leprosy to be a disease that doesn’t allow a person to feel pain. So, they can damage their hand, or their feet or scratch their face, and they wouldn’t feel pain. If those wounds get infected, all kinds of disfiguration takes place.
Leprosy in Jesus’ time was that, plus a host of other skin diseases. It was thought to be contagious. Depending on the skin disease, sometimes it was.
Lepers were required to wear distinct clothing to signify that they had the disease. Whenever anyone approached them, they were to shout out, “unclean, unclean.” The person with leprosy was not allowed to touch others. It is said that a person with leprosy was considered a walking corpse.
Imagine being a leper in Jesus’ time. You were ceremonially unclean, so you could not go to places of worship. You were banished from the community. You could see, but had to keep from family and friends. You couldn’t be hugged. Whenever anyone came near – you had to tell them who you were – unclean, unclean. Your identity became that of a person who is unclean.
So, the leper in our story – Let’s call him “Bob,” has heard about what went on in Capernaum. Jesus delivered a person with an unclean spirit. Then he healed Peter’s mother-in-law. Then he healed all kinds of sickness and diseases outside Peter’s house. Now he has been travelling around the region of Galilee preaching and casting out demons.
So, Bob thinks to himself – I wonder if Jesus could heal me. Then he hears a little more. Then he thinks to himself, I bet that he could heal me. It is obvious that the power of God is in him. He could do it.
The only question is, would he do it? I am diseased. I am unclean. I have to tell everyone that I am unclean. How could a man as pure as Jesus touch a man as unclean as me? He could do it. I wonder if he would do it?
Mark 1:40 (NLT)
40 A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. “If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean,” he said.
If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean. I am amazed at how many times I have heard, “I can’t come into church. The building might fall on me. I might get hit with lightning.”
When a person says something like this, they know they are unclean. Not in the leprosy sense but in the sense of being able to stand in front of a holy God. They haven’t come as far as Bob. They don’t even think that is worth asking for God to make them clean.
But Bob got it right. It is worth asking. God says to the person who comes knowing their sin and uncleanness – anyone who comes to me I will in no way cast out. God, are you willing to make me clean? God always, always, always says yes. I am willing.
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I also think this man with leprosy represents a lot of us when we pray. Lord, I believe you can answer prayer. The question is, are you willing to do the miracle I am asking for?
I actually think this is a great question. Asking the question rather than assuming that he will or he won’t is the first step of faith. Sometimes, like in this case, Jesus answers yes, I am willing. Sometimes, like in the case of the Apostle Paul’s thorn in the flesh, he says, “I am not willing.” Sometimes, he answers wait. But going to God and saying, I believe that you can answer this prayer. The question is, are you willing to answer this prayer?
Sometimes, you will get a sense that God is going to say yes. If that is the answer stand on that promise. Sometimes, you get the sense that God says no. You may not understand why he says no. You may even doubt his goodness when he says no. You may not understand why God chose to say no until you are in eternity. But knowing what to pray for and what not to pray for is a helpful thing.
God sometimes says, wait. If he says that, you actively wait until he comes through.
Back to our story.
Mark 1:41–42 (NLT)
41 Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” 42 Instantly the leprosy disappeared, and the man was healed.
The word “compassion” is a difficult word to translate. Some versions render it “Moved with pity.” The NIV translates it as “Jesus was indignant.” I won’t get into all the nuances of the Greek. But whether Jesus was indignant over what Satan and society had done in this man’s life or whether he was moved with pity or compassion – Jesus had an emotional response to this man’s situation that moved him toward healing.
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Part of following Jesus is becoming like Jesus. Part of our goal in living the Christian life is to become Christlike. We take on the characteristics of Christ.
Question: when was the last time you were moved to action by compassion or, pity or even righteous indignation? There were a number of times in Jesus’ ministry where the scripture records that he was moved with compassion. He wasn’t always. His emotions didn’t dictate everything he did. But there were a number of times when his love for others moved him to action. When was the last time you were moved to action by compassion?
I am not talking about just looking at a situation and thinking that is sad. I am not talking about seeing a good thing to do and doing it because it was the right thing to do. I am talking about where your heart is moved in a way that causes you to act.
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Maybe for the next few moments, I will just preach to myself, and you can listen in. Maybe you can relate. I often find myself suffering from compassion fatigue. You hear about the people in Ukraine, Gazza, or refugee camps in Syria, or drought in the Sudan, and I find my heart not big enough to handle all those issues. Compassion fatigue.
Not only that, but we live in a world filled with scams. People will give you sob stories to get your money. There are many legitimate needs. But there are so many people who try to tug on your heartstrings in order for you to give them money.
So, in a world like this, we learn to harden our hearts. When Bob the Leper comes into our lives, our hearts do not move us with compassion. We stand afar off. But I believe that God wants to make me Christlike. If that is true, then I have to believe that he is able to form my heart in such a way that I can stand against scams but be moved with compassion for those around me when it is appropriate.
Back to her story
Mark 1:41–42 (NLT)
41 Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” 42 Instantly, the leprosy disappeared, and the man was healed.
I think the order of this is fascinating. Jesus touched this unclean leper before he was healed. He is with the man in his ceremonial uncleanness before he heals him.
I have known a lot of churches that unintentionally communicate that you can come to church after you get clean. You can come to church when you dry out or sober up. You can come to church when you get your life together. But that is not the Jesus way.
He comes close to the man and touches him when he is unclean. I am not saying that you have to sin in order to connect with other sinners. I am saying that you need to connect with them as human beings wherever they find themselves.
Jesus says,” Be healed,” and the man was.
Bob is excited. Maybe he’s too excited. After he was healed, this is what Jesus said to him.
Mark 1:43–44 (NLT)
43 Then Jesus sent him on his way with a stern warning: 44 “Don’t tell anyone about this. Instead, go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.”
I find it interesting that Jesus tells him not to tell anybody about this miracle. We are not told why. Perhaps Jesus was worried about news leaking out about what he was doing in a way that would be a challenge to the temple itself. Jesus urges Bob to go and present himself to the priest in accordance with the law. He says that when you do this, this will be the public testimony.
Perhaps the reason why Jesus told him not to tell anybody was that he wanted to be free to go to the towns and villages without extreme notoriety.
But even though Jesus warned Bob sternly,
Mark 1:45 (NLT)
45 But the man went and spread the word, proclaiming to everyone what had happened. As a result, large crowds soon surrounded Jesus, and he couldn’t publicly enter a town anywhere. He had to stay out in the secluded places, but people from everywhere kept coming to him.
Remember, a little earlier, we talked about Jesus’ reason for coming to preach the good news. But now, instead of being primarily known as a preacher, Jesus was known as a miracle man. As a result of this man spreading the word about his miracle, a large crowd surrounded Jesus. They didn’t come to hear him preach. They were hoping to see a miracle. Maybe they would receive a miracle.
Whatever the case, Jesus was now restricted in terms of where he could go and how he was perceived. In short, Bob disobeying Jesus and spreading the word about his miracle inconvenienced Jesus.
I wonder how many times you and I have inconvenienced Jesus in what we have done or didn’t do.
I know that there have been times when people have come to church, and the Holy Spirit wants to work in their lives, but I have taken the focus off him and put it on me. It is just one more fence he must jump over to work in somebody’s life. I inconvenienced Jesus.
Not every conversation that I have with people has to be a deep conversation. Sometimes I should ask questions, but I don’t want to pry. Sometimes, I have failed to make a pathway for Jesus to work in somebody’s life. I have inconvenienced Jesus. He will find another way – but now he has to go the long way around.
In looking at Bob’s story, I don’t want to do that. There is a time to speak and a time to be silent. But the wonderful thing about Jesus is that while he is inconvenienced, he is not thwarted. The Bible records that even though he is out in the middle of nowhere, people everywhere keep coming to him.
What is Jesus like? Jesus is powerful enough to deal with the things in our life. The question he wants to be asked is not if he can, but if he will to do a miracle in my life.
What is Jesus like? Jesus is moved to action by compassion.
What is Jesus like? He is willing to be associated with those who are unclean. He is willing to touch the unclean even before the miracle happens.
What is Jesus like? He can be inconvenienced but not thwarted.
What would it take for me to be like Jesus? My heart would be soft enough to be moved with compassion. I would willingly choose to be in close proximity with the unclean. I would choose to follow Jesus in what he said and do my best not to inconvenience him.
Mark has set out to show us what Jesus is like. He has done a little of that in this story. The question to ask is, will you allow God to make you like Jesus?