Day 3 | 40 Days Through Mark
Day 3 | March 4 | Mark 1:40-2:12
By: Mike Gough
In today’s passage, we observe a significant trait of Jesus: he stops when he senses a person in need. Jesus knows those he encounters that need his special touch.
Throughout Mark, Jesus is followed by large crowds. He preaches in their synagogues, on hillsides, and even feeds thousands of people. Almost every minute of the day, Jesus is surrounded by crowds with great needs. In the midst of the busyness, Mark shows us a pattern. That Jesus intentionally stops for individuals in need.
Mark 1:40-45 tells the story of a person who calls out to Jesus. Not just any person, but a leper. There was no worse disease than leprosy.
Incurable. Humiliating. Excruciatingly painful.
When a person developed leprosy, the priest led that person into the local synagogue and pronounced the burial rites over them. The leper would never be inside a building again. They now had to live alone outside of town. The leper was considered unclean and had to shout “Unclean!” whenever they were near others. No one would touch the leper due to fear of contracting the disease. The leper was, for all intents and purposes, considered dead.
Jesus heard the leper call. The leper believed that Jesus could heal him. Moved with compassion, Jesus bent down and physically touched the leper, healing him. Think about this - no one had touched the leper in years!
Afterward, Jesus asked the former leper not to tell anyone. But the former leper couldn’t help himself. He told everyone he saw that he was now clean! He no longer had to shout, “Unclean!” Instead, he could now shout that he was clean.
Mark 2:1-12 tells the story of a group of people who brought their paralytic friend to Jesus. They broke through the roof of the house and laid the paralyzed man in front of Jesus. Jesus stopped preaching in order to heal this man.
Over and over again, we read that Jesus stopped what he was doing for the sake of others. Jesus made space for individuals to come to him with their needs.
Know this, Jesus will stop for you as well! You may feel unclean because of sin, or you may be burdened by life’s difficulties. The Good News is that Jesus is willing to stop, meet you at your point of need, touch you, and cleanse you.
Throughout Mark, Jesus is followed by large crowds. He preaches in their synagogues, on hillsides, and even feeds thousands of people. Almost every minute of the day, Jesus is surrounded by crowds with great needs. In the midst of the busyness, Mark shows us a pattern. That Jesus intentionally stops for individuals in need.
Mark 1:40-45 tells the story of a person who calls out to Jesus. Not just any person, but a leper. There was no worse disease than leprosy.
Incurable. Humiliating. Excruciatingly painful.
When a person developed leprosy, the priest led that person into the local synagogue and pronounced the burial rites over them. The leper would never be inside a building again. They now had to live alone outside of town. The leper was considered unclean and had to shout “Unclean!” whenever they were near others. No one would touch the leper due to fear of contracting the disease. The leper was, for all intents and purposes, considered dead.
Jesus heard the leper call. The leper believed that Jesus could heal him. Moved with compassion, Jesus bent down and physically touched the leper, healing him. Think about this - no one had touched the leper in years!
Afterward, Jesus asked the former leper not to tell anyone. But the former leper couldn’t help himself. He told everyone he saw that he was now clean! He no longer had to shout, “Unclean!” Instead, he could now shout that he was clean.
Mark 2:1-12 tells the story of a group of people who brought their paralytic friend to Jesus. They broke through the roof of the house and laid the paralyzed man in front of Jesus. Jesus stopped preaching in order to heal this man.
Over and over again, we read that Jesus stopped what he was doing for the sake of others. Jesus made space for individuals to come to him with their needs.
Know this, Jesus will stop for you as well! You may feel unclean because of sin, or you may be burdened by life’s difficulties. The Good News is that Jesus is willing to stop, meet you at your point of need, touch you, and cleanse you.
Recent
Archive
2023
February
March
Reveal | Day 8- March 2 | Psalm 115Reveal | Day 9- March 3 | Psalm 138Reveal | Day 10- March 4 | Psalm 145Reveal | Day 11- March 6 | Psalm 14Reveal | Day 12- March 7 | Psalm 24Reveal | Day 13- March 8 | Psalm 27:1-9Reveal | Day 14- March 9 | Psalm 43Reveal | Day 15- March 10 | Psalm 125Reveal | Day 16- March 11 | Psalm 127Reveal | Day 17- March 13 | Psalm 65Reveal | Day 18- March 14 | Psalm 103Reveal | Day 19- March 15 | Psalm 104Reveal | Day 20- March 16 | Psalm 107Reveal | Day 21- March 17 | Psalm 111Reveal | Day 22- March 18 | Psalm 136:1-9, 23-25Reveal | Day 24- March 21 | Psalm 32Reveal | Day 23- March 20 | Psalm 6Reveal | Day 25- March 22 | Psalm 51Reveal | Day 26- March 23 | Psalm 38Reveal | Day 27- March 24 | Psalm 130Reveal | Day 28- March 25 | Psalm 143Reveal | Day 29- March 27 | Psalm 7Reveal | Day 30- March 28 | Psalm 13Reveal | Day 31- March 29 | Psalm 26Reveal | Day 32- March 30 | Psalm 95Reveal | Day 33- March 31 | Psalm 139
2022
January
February
March
Kids Remodel - Update March 1The Garrett Chapel - March 1Day 1 | 40 Days through Mark Day 2 | 40 Days Through MarkDay 3 | 40 Days Through MarkDay 4 | 40 Days Through MarkSunday March 6 | 40 Days Through MarkDay 5 | 40 Days Through MarkDay 6 | 40 Days Through MarkDay 7 | 40 days Through MarkDay 8 | 40 Days Through MarkThe Garrett Chapel - March 10 UpdateKids Remodel - Update March 10Day 9 | 40 Days through MarkDay 10 | 40 Days Through MarkDay 11 | March 14 | Mark 5:35-6:6Day 12 | March 15 | Mark 6:7-29Day 13 | March 16 | Mark 6:30-44Day 14 | March 17 | Mark 6:45-56Day 15 | March 18 | Mark 7:1-23Day 16 | March 19 | Mark 7:24-37 By: Kasey JohnsonDay 17 | March 21 | Mark 8:1-21Day 18 | March 22 | Mark 8:22-33Day 19 |March 23 | March Mark 8:34 – 9:6Day 20 | March 24 | Mark 9:14-29Day 21 | March 25 | Mark 9:30-37. Day 22 | March 26 | Mark 9:38-50Day 23 | March 28Day 24 | March 29Garrett Chapel - finishing touchesKids Space - Main room, classesGymnasium FlooringDay 25 | March 30Day 26 | March 31
7 Comments
So good, Mike! Thanks!
Thank you Micheal! You have spoken truth! God blessings on you today!
Jesus made time to stop, regularly to be interrupted. Think I found my challenge for the forty days!
Thank you for the reminder that our daily agenda should always yield to God’s agenda.
A great truth about Jesus! And an encouragement to each of us to model that in our lives.
What a great reminder to be aware of God’s hand at work in the “interruptions” . God wastes nothing!
It's a good reminder, too, that the paralyzed man would never have made it to Jesus if it was not for his friends and their faith. I have always loved this story!