The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl

Today’s Reading: Leviticus 8-10, John 1-2, Proverbs 5

Memory Verse: John 3:16

Today’s Passage: Mark 1:40-44: God’s Love And Leprosy

Good morning. The picture shown here is that of a 24 year-old man with leprosy. What do you know about Leprosy? You may know about it from what the Bible says. Many passages compare sin to Leprosy. It is a disease of the nervous system. It is not an STD. Many doctors agree that it is transmitted by sweat. The Leprosy itself does not cause you to lose toes, fingers, legs, or arms. The bacteria attacks the nervous system. As you lose the feelings in your extremities, it only takes a small cut and infection to set in. That’s all it takes, and as the infections grow you start losing your fingers and toes.

At the Saturday morning prayer, Phil Jr. gave the devotional an hit on Proverbs 5:21: “For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.”

Even though God knows our goings from the beginning to the end, we are still on His mind. In our passage, a leper comes to Jesus and begs Jesus to heal him asking, “If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.”

Jesus was moved with compassion. He put forth his hand, touched the leper, and healed him. Leprosy is spread through sweat and Jesus touched him. Here’s the lesson. The Bible compares sin to leprosy. Even though God hates sin, He still reaches down to us, touches us, heals us, or comforts us. As Christians, our sins are forgiven, but we carry the results of sin with us. The forgiven ex-drug addict still has the track marks running up his arm and may have hepatitis reeking havoc on his body. The forgiven ex-homosexual may still have the AIDS virus attacking his body’s defenses. The point is that we all carry the affects of sin in us. We carry the results in us. And even though God hates sin, He still has compassion on us, reaches out His hands, and touches us. Does sin disgust you? Good. Just remember that there are others who are still feeling the hurt that sin brought on them. They could use some godly compassion from you and me. Don’t be afraid to reach out and touch someone: showing them God’s love. Isn’t that what God did to you?

Peace. (Mark 1:41)