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.

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

  • John 20:21
  • Luke 17:11-19
  • 1 John 3:16-18

Have thoughts on this devotional? Leave a comment

27 Related Resources by Heartlight

Illustration

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

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Saturday, January 27, 2024

A daily devotional featuring a Bible verse, thought and prayer.
"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."
A daily dose of Christian quotes to inspire and encourage.
"When I cannot enjoy the faith of assurance, I live by the faith of adherence."
A daily devotional about the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
""As for me," God says, "this is my covenant with [the Israelites]: My Spirit that I've placed upon you and the words that I've given you to speak, they're not....."
A daily devotional about God's power for our battles.
"Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the....."

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.