Jesus the Great Healer of the unclean Mk
- Slides: 10
Jesus, the Great Healer of the unclean. Mk. 1: 40 -45 THE UNTOUCHABLES
INTRODUCTION � We typically get “grossed out” and do not want to be around the sick, diseased for obvious reasons: � We do not want to get what they have! � How the compassionate would want that person healed from such a horrific ordeal. � We may even have similar disdain for the spiritually defiled: they are like the untouchables.
INTRODUCTION � What if, however, we are blind to just how unclean and defiled we are because of our sins? � No matter how “little” we think our own sins: imagine how awful we look before our holy God. � Also imagine the unimaginable compassion from our Savior to “touch” and heal us from our gross defilement called “sin”.
CEREMONIALLY DEFILED � Those with leprosy were designated unclean. Lev. 13 -14 � When found to be “unclean” (by the priests) they needed to go through the process of cleansing. Lev. 13: 1 -2 ff � They would go to the priests who would check (and recheck) to see if the person is clean or unclean. � While unclean they needed to declare themselves as such before others. Lev. 13: 45 -46
THE UNTOUCHABLES � All throughout the gospels we learn of Jesus “touching” the unclean. � According to the law of Moses, the person who touched another was to also become unclean. Lev. 5: 1 -3 � Jesus did the unimaginable: He touched the unclean. Mk. 1: 40 -45 � No, much greater, He healed them!
THE SPIRITUALLY UNTOUCHABLE Consider the physically unclean which show us what we look like before God when we’re spiritually unclean.
SPIRITUALLY UNCLEAN � There are many who will not “touch” the spiritually unclean. � Do not have the same view of sinners as the Pharisees. Lk. 7: 39 � Our righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees. Cp. Matt. 5: 20 � We need to remember the very healing touch our Savior extended to us while we were yet “unclean”.
SPIRITUALLY UNCLEAN � Following � We in the footsteps of Jesus… will go forth with Christ’s commission to reach the untouchables (the spiritually unclean). Cp. Matt. 10: 1 � We will have the same compassion for these poor defiled souls in the same way our Compassionate God touched our defiled lives of sin.
CONCLUSION � Can we honestly look at ourselves and see what God sees when looking at us? � Like the unclean leper who needed to be healed by Jesus… so do we. � Further, we need the compassion to go forth – like the disciples of Jesus – and heal the spiritually unclean with the Good News of Jesus Christ.
