“Do What The Lord Tells You To Do!”

“Do What The Lord Tells You To Do!”(Mk.1:40-45).
When you dig a new road you cut across the old one – some times at many points. In the time of Jesus lepers were like outcasts. Lepers stayed away from the community. In case a leper was healed, he had to go show himself to the priest who would declare him healed and also to offer sacrifices of thanksgiving before being received back into the community.
In today’s text a man with leprosy came and begged Jesus on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”
Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man and said, “I am willing. Be clean!”
” He sent the man away with a strong warning: See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them. Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news.”
How often do we like this man do the right thing wrongly and in contravention to the command of the Lord!
Wrong is wrong, no matter the intention. We do not know whether this man went and showed himself to the priest and whether he offered the required sacrifices as commanded by Moses; and as ordered by Jesus.
Whether he spread the news out of excitement and joy or for whatever reason, the point is that he disobeyed the strong warning not to tell anyone.
We are not also told that he praised God or even came back to thank Jesus.
The man’s noise brought some disturbance to Jesus’ movements because “Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.”
These people came to him in search of healing, but healing was not his primary mission.
Earlier on before the leper came to him, Jesus had told his disciples, “Let us go somewhere else – to the nearby villages – so I can preach there also. That is why I have come….”(Mk.1:38-39).
The compassion of the Lord Jesus Christ makes him to reach out and touch us; rejected and despised as we may be. He heals all diseases, but that is not central to the gospel. The good news of salvation is central. Focus on miracles can become a distraction to the mission.
However, whenever Jesus answers us and does what we ask of him, we too should do just what he asks us to do. While we rejoice in his mercy and grace, we should be obedient to do what he asks us to do.
Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for your grace and mercy upon me. Help me further to obey your warning and do what you want. Amen!
Have a blessed day! Peace be with you!
Rev Babila Fochang.