The Leper

A leper came to him begging him, and kneeling he said to him, “If you choose, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, “I do choose. Be made clean!” Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. After sternly warning him he sent him away at once, saying to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” But he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the word, so that Jesus could no longer go into a town openly, but stayed out in the country; and people came to him from every quarter. (Mark 1:40-45, NRSV).

This is a great story – the first thing I notice is the faith of the leper. It wasn’t a question to him of whether or not Jesus could make him clean, it was only a matter of choice to Jesus.
Jesus, in turn is moved with pity, he is filled with compassion for this man, a societal outcast and He touches the leper cleansing him and renewing his life.
So, when Jesus instructs the former leper not to say anything, I’ve heard some people suggest that Jesus is just using reverse psychology, you know the: if I tell him to do one thing, he’ll do the opposite. However, I just don’t see that. I really think that Jesus didn’t want all these people he had healed to go talking about it because sooner or later word is bound to get to the Pharisees, and it isn’t time for Jesus to die yet, He has a lot to do. (Plus look what happens here, this former leper goes out spreading the word and Jesus couldn’t move freely and had to stay in the countryside and even there he is swarmed by people. It isn’t that I think Jesus didn’t like being around all these people, I just think that Jesus had a lot of things he needed to get accomplished (like training his disciples).