What Jesus Did! 'Compassionate Power' — Mark 1:40-42

Saturday, January 27, 2024

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.

Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. "I am willing," he said. "Be healed!" Instantly the leprosy disappeared, and the man was healed.

— Mark 1:40-42 NLT

Key Thought

Jesus was "moved with compassion." Not only did he feel compassionately toward the man with leprosy, but he also was moved to act on his compassion. In his heart, in his "gut," Jesus felt the anguish of this man afflicted with leprosy. So before he spoke healing into the man's life, he did the unthinkable: He touched the leprous man. By Jewish law, Jesus made himself unclean by touching the man. Yet Jesus wanted to show the compassion he felt in a way this man would understand. Jesus spoke the words of healing only after he connected to the man's deepest emotional need and bridged the barrier that enforced this man's isolation. Mark has three messages for us in this story. He wants us to know that
  1. Jesus came and bridged the distance between us and God,
  2. Jesus will let nothing separate us from his love, and
  3. since Jesus is our role model, we should do the same with others.

Today's Prayer

Dear Father in heaven, thank you for your mercy and grace. Thank you for bridging the distance between your holiness and my weakness by sending Jesus. Use me to help others find their way to Jesus, in whose name I pray. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

Have thoughts on this devotional? Leave a comment

27 Related Resources by Heartlight

Finding Jesus' Heart for Ministry: Look
Article by Phil Ware
Take a look at what Jesus did and feel the call to look and see people as Jesus did! Phil Ware leads us deep into the heart of Jesus for ministry as he looks at Jesus' actions and emotions in Mark 1:35-45, today focusing on how Jesus looked at the situation and into the heart of man with leprosy.
Look
Article by Phil Ware
Take a look at what Jesus did and feel the call to do it, too! Phil Ware begins an 8-part series on discipleship and following Jesus in caring for the hurt people of the world.
Life Among the Outcasts
Article by Rubel Shelly
Where does your church meet? Rubel Shelly talks about a book he read recently, "Sanctuary of Outcasts", and challenges us to make the church such a place.
The Task at Hand
Article by Rubel Shelly
How can we begin to help in a world so full of hurt? We can't help everybody, or even most bodies, but we can help the person nearest us.
See All 27 Related Resources about Mark 1:40-42

Illustration

Illustration of Mark 1:40-42 NLT — "Be healed!"

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Saturday, January 27, 2024

Quotemeal
A daily dose of Christian quotes to inspire and encourage.
Quote by St. Augustine of Hippo:
"God is always trying to give good things to us, but our hands are too full to receive them."
Spiritual Warfare
A daily devotional about God's power for our battles.
'Don’t Focus on Getting Revenge' (Ro. 12:19-21)
"My friends, do not try to punish others when they wrong you, but wait for God to punish them with his anger. It is written: ‘I will punish those who....."
A Year with Jesus
A devotional to help reclaim Jesus as the daily Lord of our lives.
'Be Inspired!'
"Dear Faithful Follower, You need to be inspired if you are going to face the challenges of living in these last days. As Paul warned Timothy, there....."
Praying with Paul
Features the apostle Paul's writings turned into daily, powerful prayers.
'Equipped for Battle' (Ep. 6:11-13)
"Dear Father, warrior against all evil, May I put on the full array of battle gear that you supply that I may be able to stand against the schemes of...."

About This Devotional

What Jesus Did! is a series of one-year devotional guides through each gospel, using one short scripture passage each day and following the Gospel in sequential order. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage and a reflection and a prayer which open up the day's scripture and show how it challenges you to live for Jesus.

What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

More What Jesus Did!