Inside Man

A leper came to him and kneeling down begged him and said, “If you wish, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched the leper, and said to him, “I do will it. Be made clean.” The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean.

Then, warning him sternly, he dismissed him at once. Then he said to him, “See that you tell no one anything, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.” The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter. He spread the report abroad so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly. He remained outside in deserted places, and people kept coming to him from everywhere. (Mark 1:40-45)

Do we stretch out our hands to Christ to be made clean of our sins?  Christ reaches out to us, always.  Do we take his hand?

Through prayer we kneel down before him to be forgiven.  We need not beg for forgiveness.  We simply need to ask, and it will be provided.  That’s mercy freely given.   

Are we as generous to those who have sinned against us?  That’s a vital question, and our answer helps determine if we truly follow Christ.

Mark said that Jesus “remained outside in deserted places, and people kept coming to him from everywhere.”  That’s true, but it also is true that Jesus knocks at our door and when invited, he comes inside where it is crowded with sinners needing healing and forgiveness.  We are part of that crowd into which he enters openly and willingly, if we let him.

Deacon David Pierce