Jesus heals a sick man
A story from the Gospel of Mark, chapter 1, verses 40-45
Jesus and his disciples were traveling from town to town in the area around the Sea of Galilee. Everywhere they went, Jesus told people good news: "The Kingdom of God has come near!" In every town he taught about God and healed people who were sick.
One day a man who was sick with leprosy came to Jesus. The illness had made the man's skin all bumpy. His face was swollen and scaly and dry. His fingers and toes were curled in and useless. He looked so awful that no one wanted to be with him. He lived by himself on the outskirts of his town. He felt dirty and unlovable. He was all alone.
The sick man knelt down before Jesus and said to him, "If you choose, I know you can make me clean."
Jesus looked at him and realized how awful the man's life was. Jesus saw how lonely and desperate the sick man was. So he stretched out his hand and touched the man's face. "I do choose," Jesus told him. And looking up to heaven, he prayed, "Be made clean!"
Immediately the leprosy left the man. His skin became smooth and healthy. His fingers and toes became straight. He wiggled his fingers and toes and rubbed his face. He danced around. He shouted and laughed, "Hooray! Thanks be to God! I'm well – finally!"
Jesus said to him, "Say nothing about what has happened to you. Go to your priest and ask for his blessing so that you can become part of your community again." Then Jesus went on his way.
But the man who had been cured began to spread the word about what Jesus had done for him. People everywhere began to search for Jesus, hoping that he would help them, too.
Questions to think and pray about:
Have you ever been left out of a place or a group that you really wanted to belong to? How did that feel?
Do you know someone who is on the outside of your group of friends that you could invite in? What keeps you from doing that? What does this story about Jesus tell you to do?
Who can you tell about Jesus?