Jesus Cleanses a Leper
This story of Jesus Cleanses a Leper helps children to better understand the important lesson on how to pray. Mark 1:40 that the leper came to Jesus and called or summoned Jesus and kneeled down to Him and asked that Jesus make him clean. This healing of Jesus helps us to understand that we need to go to Jesus, call Him, kneel down to Him and ask Jesus what we want of Him.
Matthew 8:1-4; Mark 1:40-45
This lesson is about a leper. We cannot appreciate this healing of leprosy until we can understand what leprosy is. Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by a bacterium. Leprosy mainly affects the skin, the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord, the lungs, nose and the eyes. It can affect all ages and both sexes. Leprosy is transmitted from one untreated person to another via the respiratory tract or skin. Today, leprosy is curable and if detected early will not cause any permanent disability.
There was no treatment in the time of Jesus so leprosy was a painful ugly disease. People could even lose the use of their hands or feet including fingers and toes. Other people had to walk bent over because their spine was damaged by the leprosy. Many had big ugly open skin lesions or sores all over their body. Many were even lest blind because of leprosy.
Leprosy was contagious meaning if you got around a leper you could get leprosy. It was disfiguring and incurable. People were banished away from other people and had to live away from friends and family. Many went to live in surrounding caves. How terrible to be rejected from a whole community.
There were strict rules which a leper had to observe. The person had to live outside the community and far away from other people so the disease would not spread. It was rare that the sores on the leper would go away; if this happened they could go to the local the priest to be examined and declared healed. If the priest said that the leper was no longer contagious, only then could they go back and live with the family and in the community again.
Let’s get to our story: When Jesus came down from the mountain there were great multitudes that followed Him. There came a leper and worshipped Jesus, saying, Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.
And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus said unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, show thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
Mark 1:40-45 adds that the leper came to Jesus and called or summoned Jesus and kneeled down to Him and asked that Jesus make him clean. Jesus had compassion on the leper and touched him and told him that He would be cleansed.
As soon as Jesus had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from the man and he was cleansed. Jesus sternly charged the man to say nothing to any man; but go his way, show himself to the priest, and offer for his cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
But he went out, and began to proclaim openly what had been done and to spread about the fame of Jesus. This man spread the new of the healing so much that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places: and they came to him from every quarter.
What Can Be Learned From This Lesson?
Mark 1:40 adds that the leper came to Jesus and called or summoned Jesus and kneeled down to Him and asked that Jesus make him clean. This healing of Jesus helps us to understand that we need to go to Jesus, call Him, kneel down to Him and ask Jesus what we want of Him. This is an important lesson to understand how to pray.
Why did Jesus tell the leper to tell no one? Is it not more important to learn how to pray than it is to know that Jesus heals? Many people think it is more important to know the miracles about Jesus. Jesus was worried that people might think the miracles are the only reason Jesus came to earth. Jesus did not want the people to just focus on the miracles He performed. Jesus wanted them to focus on the message He proclaimed and the death He was going to face for the forgiveness of sin.
People followed Jesus to be healed of many ailments and because of His compassion Jesus healed them. He also had to tell the people about the Kingdom of God and to give them the good news. It must have been exhausting for Jesus to heal all those people then He had to teach the people the lessons that His Heavenly Father needed Him to teach the people.
Because the leper went about proclaim to everyone that he had been healed the fame of Jesus spread. Jesus could no more going into the villages or cities without a mob of people. Jesus now was forced to stay in the outlying areas. Places where food was not available and places open without trees for shade. People came from all sides and from all directions.
The way we learn how to be good followers of Jesus is by reading our Bible, being obedient to our parents, by going to Jesus, calling or summoning Jesus, kneeling down to Jesus and asking Jesus for whatever we need. This healing of Jesus helps us to understand that we need to go to Jesus, call Him, kneel down to Him and ask Jesus what we want of Him. This is an important lesson to understand how to pray.
Cite Article Source
MLA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne “Jesus Cleanses a Leper:.” Becker Bible Studies Library Jan 2015.< https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2035,>.
APA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2015, January) “Jesus Cleanses a Leper:.” Becker Bible Studies Library. Retrieved from https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2035,.
Chicago Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2015) “Jesus Cleanses a Leper:.” Becker Bible Studies Library (January), https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2035, (accessed).
