Difficulty in finding Down Time

Mark 1:35-45

Can you imagine the difficulty our President has in having time by himself, and what about Jesus while in His earthsuit on planet earth, someone was always wanting a piece of him?  The answer is a simple yes, and when one stops to explore how He manages time with His Father, it makes our reasons for not doing so very lame.

“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.” (Mark 1:35-39)

Now you believe Jesus is having a hard time going from town to town because of the crowds of people wanting to see Him or get something from Him, but it is going to get much worse.

In verse 40 we find this account, “And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.”  Before coming to Jesus a crowd was always nearby, this leper was required by law to tell everyone he was unclean.  At that time, there was no cure for leprosy and Jesus was his only hope.  Today and then there was only one cure for sin, and it was then by the blood of a lamb that was pure and without blemish, but had to be repeated each year.  Today it is the same with one exception, Jesus is that lamb, and by the grace of God and through faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross, we're cured of the death penalty of sin.  I forgot something essential, it's not an every year thing, it covers you for now and eternity.

But I’ve always been taken by this man's faith, “If you will, you can make me clean.”  I believe many come to Jesus with a serious request, but without faith, it is impossible to please God.  In verse 41, “Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.”

This is one time Mark used the word immediately that it fit very well in the account; “And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.”  Jesus also gave the leper, the one He made clean this instruction. “And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once, and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.”  Can you imagine winning a 100 million and them telling you not to share that news with anyone but your pastor? 

The man just had to share what Jesus had done for him, what a contrast to so many who go by the name Christian.  “But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice