St. Mark 1:40-45
Divine Service
Epiphany 6

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

Sometimes God seems so arbitrary with the talents and attitudes as he matches them up in His people.  For a short while, I worked with an artist who had his Fine Arts degree from one of the better schools, and he was working in the paint shop of a factory – painting helicopters in camouflage.  He was not even close to using all of the talent and training that he had.  And I have always been a little envious of those whom God has gifted with athletic prowess.  At the same time I have been very frustrated with those whom God has gifted with that athletic ability and who have just never put in the effort to make use of that ability. 

So many people are not using all of their talents, neither to help themselves nor to help someone else.  It may be that they feel that it will take too much time or too much effort.  It may be that they feel that the goal is too large to attain, or to small to be worth the effort.  For whatever reasons, they are not helping.  For some reason, either these people are never where and when they are needed, or they are just not ready and willing to help.

In our text, we read about Jesus being where and when he was needed – and – he was both ready and willing to help.  Jesus is not only able, he is also willing – not just to cure this leper, but to heal all of our diseases – especially the most fatal disease – the disease of sin.

This leper in our lesson does not ask a question of Jesus – he makes a statement.  “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”  This man has a serious problem – he has a disease called leprosy.  Leprosy in the ancient world was almost any form of skin disease; this could be as simple as ringworm or truly the deadly disease of leprosy itself.  But it did not matter which specific disease this man had – society and the priests considered him to be a leper!  This leprosy makes him an outcast; an outcast from society and too unclean to enter the temple.  He may not approach anyone – he is not permitted offer sacrifice at the temple – he must wear tattered clothing.  These are the Laws given by Moses to those who have skin diseases – leprosy.

He approaches Jesus to be healed – begging, pleading on his knees.  This was slightly audacious – he actually approached Jesus.  He recognizes the one who has the power to make him clean.  He trusts in the mercy of this one – this Jesus who has been healing those inside the towns throughout Galilee that the leper could not enter.  He sees this as his chance to be given some sort of normal life back.  The worst that could happen to Him is for Jesus to say ‘NO’ to his request – and with that he would remain exactly as he is.

And how does Jesus respond?  “Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man.”  Jesus reached out His hand; just as he will do to save Peter when he was walking on the water – the exact same gesture.  And it is so extraordinary in this context.  When Peter was in danger of drowning, he was not considered unclean.  This man is a leper –the ultimate unclean man!!  Temple law forbade this action; the touching of something unclean – particularly a leper – made you unclean also!  Yet, in his compassion, Jesus reached out and touched this man. 

Jesus then said to this man: “I am willing, be clean!”  And what happened?  “Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured.”  Just as in our Old Testament reading, Naaman was cleansed and ‘his flesh restored and became clean like that of a young boy.”  So, too, was this leper cleansed; cleansed both physically and spiritually.  This man who had had leprosy could now participate in both society and in the worship of God in the Temple.  He has been given his entire life back!

This should not surprise us.  We, each of us, have seen the compassion of Jesus Christ.  We read about it in the Bible, some of us know it even personally – we have been saved from death; or possibly from something that we feel may be worse than death. Of course, we know – our human logic tells us – that Jesus is there, ready and willing to help us, too.  But our human nature also tells us “why should He bother? – Why would He want to help me!?”  “What makes me special enough that Jesus cares about me??” 

We have a whole host of troubles that plague us – I don’t know of any of us who have leprosy, but we have problems – some of us are lonely, some of us are worried about illness and disease, a lot of us are simply troubled by the aches and pains of advancing years.  We are not outcast from society – our problems have never been that bad.  We are still allowed into church! 

We know that these troubles, these illnesses and diseases, are caused by the same terminal illness that affects all of mankind.  We all have a disease that makes us unclean in the sight of God – We are so riddled with this disease that on our own we can never approach God in His new Temple – His perfect heavenly Jerusalem.  This disease is simply called sin.  And sin is pandemic.  This disease isn’t found just somewhere else.  It isn’t just the other guy who has this disease; it lives and grows in every one of us.

Just as that leper in our lesson, we, too, need to approach Jesus and appeal to Him for cleansing.  We know that He is all‑powerful and thus is able to help.  But our human nature makes us so uncertain of His desire to help li’l ol’ me.  How can someone with all of that majesty care about my little problems.  Why would God – the one who was there at the creation of the universe – why would he care about all of those little things that I need to get by every day?  This is the way that even some of the churches think and teach – that God’s sovereignty prevents His interference in our every‑day lives. 

But still we do wonder whether or not God is willing to help us.  At the beginning of the service, we confessed that ‘we are by nature sinful and unclean.’  Just as that leper was unclean.  And that ‘we flee for refuge to Thine infinite mercy.’  Just as that leper, we appealed to God for his healing touch, for these are things that we cannot help but do – we sin constantly in ‘thought word and deed.’

And we also know that our God is merciful.  And that through Jesus Christ we have been cleansed.  He is ready and willing to cleanse us of our sins as quickly as he cleansed the leper in our lesson.  In His compassion, He reaches out to us just as He reached out to Peter, and just as he reached out to this leper.  And, yes, He does touch each of us.  He touches us in the sacraments of the church; through the Word, in our Baptism, through Holy Communion, and not to be overlooked, in the Absolution.  The Absolution where each of you are forgiven ‘all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.’  Where Jesus cleansing comes to each of us – for this forgiveness is ‘in His stead and by His command.’

This tells us that are sins are truly forgiven. That we have been cleansed; we have been made clean in the blood of the Lamb – we no longer need to be ashamed; we no longer need to feel guilt; we no longer need fear.  No shame over what we have done, and what we have left undone.  No guilt over those sins that we have committed.  No fear that God only exists to punish us, that the demands of God are greater than His mercy.  We know that the exact opposite is true.  God is just, but He is infinitely merciful to those who ask – ask Jesus for the cleansing.

Sin is a terrible disease.  It gives us all of our troubles – the worst being that it truly separates us from God.  Through sin, death entered into the world, and each of us knows that we will die and earthly death.  Through the sin of Adam and Eve, all of the earthly troubles began – the pain of bearing children, the thorns and thistles that infest the fields. 

But Jesus came to be sin for the whole world.  To bear ALL sin as He willingly suffered and died on the cross of Calvary in our place.  That was the right time and the right place for Him to be – for us.  And He showed the world that He is able; and yes, He is willing.  Willing for us to be saved, and able to cleanse us of our disease of sin.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.  Amen.

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