A Most Startling Miracle

At Prayer Meeting last night we looked at Mark 1:40-42.

And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him,  "If you will, you can make me clean."  Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, "I will; be clean." And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. (Mar 1:40-42 ESV)

Three amazing things take place in this miracle.

•  The faith of the leper is theologically remarkable.  So many today talk about the need for faith in order to receive a miracle.  However, this leper turns that lie on its head.  He had remarkable faith.  He had complete confidence that Jesus was able to make him clean.  The leper recognizes that the issue is not the amount of his faith, but the willingness of Jesus to perform the miracle.  "If you are willing, you can make me clean."  This is the issue of every miracle - is it God's will. 
• Jesus, in his pity for the man, reaches out and touches him.  We are not told how long this man had suffered from leprosy, but as a consequences of this disease ever leper was driven from his home and was cut off from all human contact.  Lepers were required to cry out, "Unclean, unclean" in order to warn healthy people of their presence.  Perhaps it had been years since this man had been touched in compassion by another human being.
• Cleanness is transferred.  This is truly amazing.  In the Old Testament Law, only uncleanness can be transferred from one object or person to another.  If an clean person came in contact with and unclean person or object, the clean person became unclean for a period of time.  According to the Law, Jesus compassionate touch of the leper would have rendered Jesus unclean until such a time as it was proved that the leprosy had not been transferred to Jesus.  However, Jesus, the one and only Son of God, is the only person so clean and powerful that He can transmit His cleanness to the leper and make him clean.