Jesus Heals a Man with Leprosy
"I am willing"
Two things you can tap
- A verse number shows the Bible’s exact words.
- An underlined word shows what it means.
Story
What happened?
Tap a verse number, like , to read the Bible’s exact words.
The whole story, in shortWhat happens, start to finish. Open it if you want the ending first.
A man with leprosy, who had to live apart from everyone, knelt before Jesus and said, "If You are willing, You can make me clean." Jesus, moved with compassion, touched him and said, "I am willing. Be clean!" and the man was healed at once. Jesus told him to show himself to the priest, but the man told everyone, so Jesus had to stay out in lonely places.
Where it is in the Bible: Mark 1:40-45
Who’s who and what came beforePeople, places, and the story so far. Open it anytime.
Scene Card
Cast
- Jesus: The one the Gospels present as the promised Messiah and the Son of God. He is preaching in towns all over Galilee.
- A man with leprosy: A man with a serious skin disease. Because of it, he must live apart from other people.
Setting
- Somewhere in Galilee. Mark does not say exactly where.
When
- About 2,000 years ago, early in Jesus's work.
Before the Story
Jesus had been healing many people. In Capernaum, the whole town came to his door, and he healed many who were sick (1:32-34).
Then he moved on. Jesus said, "Let us go on to the neighboring towns so I can preach there as well" (1:38).
God's law had rules for skin diseases. A person with leprosy was called unclean. They had to live alone, away from other people. They had to call out, "Unclean, unclean!" so others would stay away (Leviticus 13:45-46).
Here's what you know that the man doesn't: Jesus has already shown he cares about people who are sick. And he is not afraid to touch them (1:31).
Map of the Story
| Scene | Verses | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1. On his knees | 1:40 | A man with leprosy begs Jesus for help |
| 2. A touch | 1:41-42 | Jesus touches him and heals him |
| 3. Go to the priest | 1:43-44 | Jesus gives him instructions |
| 4. He tells everyone | 1:45 | The man spreads the news, and crowds come |
Plain Retelling
Scene 1 of 4On His Knees
A man with leprosy came to Jesus. Leprosy is a serious skin disease.
The man was supposed to stay away from other people. But he came close to Jesus. He knelt down and begged him.
"If You are willing, You can make me clean" (1:40).
The man was sure Jesus could heal him. He was not sure Jesus wanted to.
Scene 2 of 4A Touch
Jesus was moved with compassion. Compassion means feeling someone's pain and wanting to help.
Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man.
Nobody touched people with leprosy. This man may not have been touched in a very long time.
"I am willing," Jesus said. "Be clean!" (1:41).
Right away, the leprosy left him. The man was clean.
Scene 3 of 4Go to the Priest
Jesus sent him away with a strong warning.
"See that you don't tell anyone," Jesus said (1:44).
Jesus told him to go to the priest. The man should bring the offering Moses commanded for someone who was healed. The priest would check him and say he was clean. Then he could live with other people again.
Scene 4 of 4He Tells Everyone
But the man did not keep quiet. He went out and told everyone what had happened.
So many people came that Jesus could not go into a town openly anymore. He stayed out in places where nobody lived.
People still came to him from everywhere.
The man who had lived outside the towns could now go in. Jesus, who had touched him, now stayed outside.
Meaning
What does it mean?
Read It
What Does This Mean?
| The text says | It means |
|---|---|
| "If You are willing, You can make me clean" (1:40) | The man trusted Jesus's power. He didn't know if Jesus would care about him. |
| "Moved with compassion" (1:41) | Jesus felt the man's pain. He wanted to help. |
| "Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man" (1:41) | Jesus touched someone nobody else would touch. |
| "I am willing" (1:41) | Jesus answered the man's real question. Yes, he wanted to help. |
| "Show yourself to the priest" (1:44) | Jesus wanted the man welcomed back into his community, the way God's law said. |
| "Jesus could no longer enter a town in plain view" (1:45) | The man took Jesus's place outside. This points ahead to the cross, where Jesus took our place. |
Back Then
"Leprosy" in the Bible means many skin diseases. The Hebrew and Greek words were used for several kinds of skin disease, not only the one called leprosy today (Easton's Bible Dictionary).
People with leprosy lived apart. They had to live outside the camp or town, wear torn clothes, and warn others to stay away (Leviticus 13:45-46).
Being healed came with a ceremony. A priest checked the person. Then the person brought offerings and was declared clean (Leviticus 14). After that, they could go home.
Literal Reader Alert
Did touching the man make Jesus unclean? In the law, touching someone unclean made you unclean too. But this time, the opposite happened. Jesus's touch made the man clean.
Why did Jesus tell him not to tell anyone? Mark doesn't say exactly why. One likely reason: Jesus came mainly to preach, and crowds who only wanted miracles made that hard (1:38, 1:45).
Was the man wrong to tell everyone? He disobeyed Jesus's warning. But he was also full of joy. Mark simply tells what happened next.
Does leprosy still exist? Yes. The disease called leprosy today is also called Hansen's disease. Medicine can cure it now. People who have it do not need to live apart.
How People Feel
| Who | Feeling | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The man | Desperate | He begged on his knees (1:40) |
| The man | Unsure | "If You are willing" (1:40) |
| Jesus | Compassionate | He was moved by the man's pain (1:41) |
| The man | Overjoyed | He told everyone what had happened (1:45) |
For you
What does it mean for me?
Your Turn
Have you ever wondered if Jesus wants to help you? Tap one.
Yes, often
So did this man. Jesus's answer was "I am willing." That is still his answer.
I feel left out
The man had to live apart from everyone. Jesus touched him and brought him back. You matter to him.
I'm ashamed of something
Jesus did not back away from the man. He reached out. You can bring him what you're ashamed of.
I want to tell someone
The man couldn't stop telling people. Good news is meant to be shared.
You Might Have Heard
"God helps people who clean themselves up first."
What's true: God cares about how we live.
What the story is mainly about: The man couldn't make himself clean. He came to Jesus as he was. Jesus touched him first, and then he was clean. Jesus does not wait for people to fix themselves.
Where Jesus is: Reaching out his hand to a man nobody would touch. Then staying outside the towns, in the man's old place.
Good News
The man asked, "If you are willing." He wasn't sure Jesus wanted him.
"I am willing," Jesus said. "Be clean!" (1:41).
Jesus took the man's place outside the town. Later, he would die outside the city walls of Jerusalem, taking our place (Hebrews 13:12).
Jesus is willing. He reaches out, touches what is unclean, and makes it clean.
Big Idea
Jesus is willing. He touched a man nobody would touch and made him clean.
If this story brings up big feelings, talk with someone you trust, like a parent, pastor, or counselor.
For leaders and parentsLuther, church readings, and notes for teaching.
From Luther
In his teaching on Baptism in the Small Catechism, Luther calls Baptism "the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit" (Titus 3:5). We cannot wash ourselves clean of sin. Like the man in this story, we come to Jesus as we are, and he makes us clean.
In Church
Many churches follow the Revised Common Lectionary. It reads Mark 1:40-45 on the Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany in Year B. In years when Easter is early, that Sunday is skipped.
We quote Luther for what he got right about grace. He also wrote terrible things about Jewish people. Read our note on that.
Memorize
How do I keep it?
One line from this story to learn by heart. Practice a little now. It will come back later so it sticks.
If You are willing, You can make me clean.
How did that feel?
You finished Jesus Heals a Man with Leprosy.
Using this at church
Read in church on
- Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany Year BGospel, Mark 1:40–45
For a newsletter or sermon notes
Jesus Heals a Man with Leprosy, explained in plain words. Nobody would touch him. Jesus reached out his hand. About 8 minutes. https://freescripture.org/stories/jesus-heals-a-man-with-leprosy/
Lines for the next eight Sundays, on Digital Lutheran Church