Gospel of Mark Chapter 1 Vs. 41

The Cleansing of a Leper

Mark 1:41 “And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth [his] hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean.”

moved with compassion... An additional detail to Mat. 8:3. Characteristic of God and Christ and should be of believers. Compassion is that drawing and agitation of the innermost parts at the sight of any distressed or miserable object. It causes revolting action in the innermost being to bring deliverance from such unlawful and inhuman misery and suffering. Used nine times of Christ (Mat. 9:36; 14:14; 15:32; 20:34; Mark 1:41; 5:19; 6:34; 8:2; Luke 7:13). See Mat. 9:36. Only Mark records Jesus’ emotional reaction to the leper’s desperate plight. The Greek word appears only in the synoptic gospels and (apart from parables) is used only in reference to Jesus.

and touched him... First of eight cases Jesus touched in healing people (Mat. 8:3, 8:15; 9:29; 17:7; 20:34; Mark 1:41; 7:33; Luke 5:13; 7:14; 22:51). Many others touched Him and were healed (Mat. 9:21; 14:36; Mark 3:10; 5:28; 6:56; 8:22; Luke 6:19). See, Mat. 8:3. Unlike rabbis, who avoided lepers lest they become ceremonially defiled, Jesus expressed His compassion with a physical gesture.

Jesus is moved with compassion to help. Mark’s picture of Jesus is not of an unmoved problem-solver sweeping serenely and unemotionally from incident to incident (see Heb. 4:15).

I will; be... God never did say No to any child of His who came to Him in faith and who asked according to the promises, and He never will. Every case of unanswered prayer in Scripture was one which could not be granted for reasons always given. It was something which did not concern anything God had promised or could have done and be just. The love that Jesus has for each of us is so far beyond what we can even comprehend that it is easy to understand the love He showed to this man of such great faith. Just one touch of the Master’s hand, and he was clean of leprosy, the most dreaded, incurable disease of that day.

Moved by compassion splanchnistheis, having deep pity, Jesus… touched the untouchable and cured the incurable. His touch showed that Jesus was not bound by Rabbinic regulations regarding ritual defilement. Both this symbolic touch (cf. Mark 7:33; 8:22) and Jesus’ authoritative pronouncement - I am willing pres. tense, be clean aorist pass., decisive act received - constituted the cure.