Imagine how awful it would be to be a leper. It’s not like having a big mosquito bite that itches but doesn’t bother you for too long. It is like having a bad case of poison ivy, because if people touch the plant’s oil on your skin, they can get the poison ivy too. But it’s not like that, because poison ivy doesn’t usually kill people. With leprosy you lose feeling throughout your body, so you can’t feel if you cut yourself or something bit you. You also scratch off parts of your body because you can’t feel. This made lepers look ugly. They had sores on their skin, and they had parts of their limbs and faces missing. And people wouldn’t get close to them. They had no friends, other than other lepers. And they couldn’t go to worship in the temple or at synagogue.

One day, a very courageous leper believed that Jesus could turn his sad and scary life around. He was desperate. He came to Jesus, bowed before him, and begged him, “If you will, you can make me clean” (Mark 1:40). Notice he didn’t say, “If you can, will you make me clean?” He believed that Jesus had the power to do the impossible—to clean the incurable unclean! Mark’s Gospel tells us about what Jesus felt: he was “moved with pity.” Then it tells us what Jesus did: he “stretched out his hand and touched him.” Then it tells us what Jesus said: “I will; be clean” (1:41). And do you know what happened? A miracle! “Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean” (1:42). A leopard may not be able to change its spots, but this leper was spot clean!

Next, Jesus commanded him to do what Leviticus said to do: “Go to the priest and show him you are now clean” (see 1:44). This way he could return to society—get a job, be with family and old friends, and worship. He also commanded him not to tell anyone else what had happened. But do you know what he did? He disobeyed! It was good news he was sharing, but it is not what Jesus asked him to do. In fact, it created a big problem for Jesus. Now he couldn’t go anywhere without people mobbing him. Jesus now had to act like an outcast and secretly enter towns! To heal this leper cost Jesus something, but that’s why he came—to give his life for others.