Now I know that as you read this blog you may say, “Pastor Rob you have totally lost your mind. We don’t have skin diseases. Why in the world are you writing a blog on a skin disease?” Well, I’m glad you asked
First of all let’s take a look at the Scripture that this blog is all about and then I’ll explain where I’m coming from. Mark 1:40-41 (GW) “Then a man with a serious skin disease came to him. The man fell to his knees and begged Jesus, “If you’re willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus felt sorry for him, reached out, touched him, and said, “I’m willing. So be clean!”
Now I realize that you may not have a skin disease, but in some ways we all have skin diseases they just may not be physical. Our diseases may be emotional. Have you ever been hurt by someone and to not totally sever a relationship you just buried that hurt or that anger and went on? The problem then comes that when you are around that person you find yourself getting angry. They call and you see their name on the caller ID and you ignore the call. You see their post on FB and you just want to un-friend them, but you can’t because you are trying hoping that someway somehow it will heal. The problem is that you find yourself with this problem that you can’t seem to get rid of. I’ll admit that I’ve been there, actually I’m there now and having to face some of this “viruses” right now. So what do you do? How do you handle that? The Bible says to love and yet you find your blood boiling when you are around them. They call you and want from you. They want you to give and give and you just empty. So what do you do?
I would submit to you that those emotions are your “skin disease.” As I was doing some study I came across this passage and I thought I might share some things that I gleaned from this passage.
First, the man came to Jesus. He realized that he had a problem and came to Jesus. With the emotional skin disease that we are talking about we have to bring them to Jesus. This isn’t something that we can just stay where we are. We have to pick ourselves up and do something. We can’t just wallow in our self-pity. We can’t just stay in the pigpen. Even the prodigal son had to get up and walk home. He came to his senses and decided to go home. So the first thing that we have to do is come to Jesus.
Second, look at what the man said, “If you’re willing,…” I love this statement. This man wasn’t demanding of Jesus. He was coming humbly. He wasn’t coming as most of us come to each other today when we want something. Most of the time when people come to me and want something they say, “Hey, I need you to do this for me,” “Do that for me.” That isn’t what this man said, “If you’re willing, you can make me clean.” He knew who he was talking to. He knew that Jesus could make him clean. He knew that with one word Jesus would make him clean. However, he was humbly coming and saying, “I you’re willing, you can make me clean.” Here’s my need, I know that you can make me clean, would you?
Now probably the best part of this passage, “Jesus felt sorry for him…” Jesus empathized with him. He knew what he was going through. Guess what that skin disease in your mind. That anger that you have buried. That hurt that you’re covering over. All those things that are swimming around in your mind, Jesus feels sorry for you. When we come to Him and ask, He feels sorry. He knows how we feel and He feels sorry. That’s some good news. That’s some shouting stuff right there. That means that He knows me better than I know myself. He knows all about it. I don’t have to explain it. I don’t have to go through it with Him. He knows about it, and He feels sorry for me. He has pity on me.
But the verse doesn’t stop there. It’s one thing to have pity. He then moves into action and reaches out and “Touches” the man and says, “I’m willing. Be Clean!” PRAISE THE LORD!!!!!!! He reaches out. He knows that spot that needs that touch. He knows where to touch. He know that anger spot. He knows the wound that needs that salve. He knows the bitterness that needs turned to joy. He knows where the “skin disease” is and “touches” it and tells you to be clean.
That’s our part again. We are healed. We are made whole. We are made well by His touch. We are made clean. It is up to us to remain that way. How do we minister to those who hurt us? We forgive as Christ forgave. That’s remaining clean. We “touch” them with the love of Christ, the same way that He “touched” us.
What a great verse to help us with our “skin disease.” Love to all of you. Let me encourage you to come to Him and allow Him to touch you today. See you Sunday.
Pastor Rob
