The love of God heals our wounded heart
Mark 1: 40, 41 Now a leper came to him, imploring him, kneeling down to him and saying to him, "If you are willing, you can make me clean." Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing. Be cleansed."
Out of all the miracles recorded in the gospels, this is my favorite. This story really moves me in so many ways. In this story a leper really takes a great risk when he breaks through the crowd and falls at Jesus feet. As the crowd gasps, pitifully he says, "Jesus, if you desire too, you can heal me of my leprosy." Stirred with compassion, the Lord heals him.
So beautiful, and yet here is what I want us to recognize: before Jesus heals him, He does something first; He reaches out and touches him. Before He speaks the Word and rescues him from his dreadful disease, Jesus tenderly lays His hand upon him.
Why was it so important to Jesus that He touch him first before healing him?
It was important to Jesus because He understood no one knew rejection like a leper. Stricken with terror, people ran from lepers. The crowds threw rocks at lepers. Lepers were ghastly. Societies isolated lepers into colonies and tried to forget that they existed. No one knew the pain and isolation like a leper.
So before speaking His Word and healing the leper, why did Jesus touch him first?
Because Jesus knew "My word will heal his flesh, but my hand will heal his heart."
Jesus knew when He touched him, the power of that touch would go into the deepest places of his heart and begin to heal his rejection. Jesus knew the power of that touch would sink into those place where man's strength cannot reach, and begin to nurse the pain that comes from rejection.
All of us have leprous places in our heart, wounds that are so deep man's help is powerless to reach there. Yet because God loves us, by His Spirit He goes into these deep, wounded areas and tenderly mends the broke pieces. Sometimes it takes a work because the wounds are so deep, yet, He touches us, and touches us, and touches us again, until we wake up one morning and realize, "I am healed! I am rescued! I am delivered! Yes, the memory is still there, but the pain is gone! I am free!"
I can remember many years ago carrying a deep wound because of something that happened to me when I was a child. Even as a Christian I couldn't shake the memory and the pain. However, the gracious hand of Jesus touched me, and touched me again. In my pain and brokenness, the hand that touched the leper tenderly touched me often. I don't know how it happened, one day I just realized I was free from the pain. The memory was still there, but the pain was gone. Today the memory no longer cripples me. I am free. I am healed.
I am forever grateful.
Comments
Post a Comment