Willing To Make Us Whole .

In Episode 8 of The Word Is Given, Rick explores Mark 1:35–45. Jesus withdraws to a solitary place to pray before continuing his mission throughout Galilee. He then encounters a man with leprosy—a person who may have experienced years of isolation, rejection, and life without human touch.

This powerful story reminds us that healing is about more than the physical body. It can also mean restoring dignity, hope, connection, and a place within the community.

How do you view Jesus and his message? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

If you enjoy this content, please like and subscribe to the channel.

Transcript

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Hello again and welcome to another episode of The Word is Given. Hi, I'm Rick the Divine Scribe. Today we will finish chapter one of the Gospel of Mark. We begin with Jesus going off to pray in a solitary place, and then we will explore his encounter with a man who had leprosy. A man who probably experienced not only physical suffering, but also isolation, rejection, and loneliness. Mark one verses 35 through 45 tells us that it was very early in the morning, while it was still dark. When Jesus got up, left the house, and went to a solitary place to pray. When I read that, I couldn't help but think about everything Jesus had experienced the night before. What seemed like the whole town of Capernaum had gathered at the door. People came to him in need of healing. They came in their pain, their sickness, and perhaps their fear. Working with even a small group of people can be exhausting. Imagine facing the needs of an entire town. The energy Jesus must have expended would have been extraordinary. And so before the sun came up, Jesus went away by himself. He found a quiet place and he prayed. Maybe that solitary place wasn't an escape from his mission. Maybe it was where he reconnected with the source of his mission. Jesus stepped away from the noise so he could return to the world with clarity and purpose. I think there is a lesson for us in that. We all need moments when we can step away from the noise around us. We need time to breathe, time to listen, time to pray, and time to reconnect with the peace within us. Simon and his companions eventually went looking for Jesus. When they found him, they told him everyone is looking for you. But Jesus didn't simply return to the same house and remain in Capernaum. He said let us go somewhere else to the villages nearby, so I can preach there also. That's why I have come. I can relate to that in my own small way. The purpose of this podcast is to reach as many people as I can. I want people to understand that Jesus came with love and compassion, not judgment and fear. He came to give people hope. My purpose is to help us see that Jesus truly is the Prince of Peace. Real peace. Not peace created through fear, not peace forced upon us through control, but the kind of peace that reaches into the heart and changes us from within. How do you view Jesus? Do you believe his message? Do you believe his message has been something misrepresented? If so, please leave a comment. I would truly love to hear your perspective. Returning to Mark, verse thirty nine tells us that Jesus traveled through Galilee, preaching in the synagogues and driving out demons. Have you ever wondered what it means to face our demons today? We still use that expression. We talk about facing our inner demons. The fears, wounds, addictions, anger, or destructive thoughts that will keep us from living fully. I don't bring this up to spread fear. My intention is awareness. We can recognize the darkness without surrendering to it. We can face the difficult things within us and around us. We still, while still holding on to hope, hope is always available to us, and we can always choose to embrace it. Then in verse forty, a man with leprosy came to Jesus. He fell to his knees and begged him, If you are willing, you can make me clean. Think about this man's life. Because of his condition, he may have been separated from his family and community. People may have aboded him. He may have lived without the comfort of human touch. He may have been made to feel that he was unclean, or even unworthy. But he approached Jesus and said, If you are willing, you can make me clean. Some translations say Jesus was moved with compassion. Others use the word indignant. If Jesus was indignant, I don't believe he was angry with the man. Perhaps he was angry at the suffering. Perhaps he was angry at the rejection and the isolation this man had endured. Perhaps he was indignant at the world that left this man questioning whether anyone would be willing to help him. Jesus reached out his hand and touched him, and Jesus said, I am willing. Be clean. Those words are powerful. I am willing. Jesus did not step backward. He did not avoid the man. He didn't treat him as if he were less than human. He reached out and touched him. For a man who may have gone a very long time without the touch of another person, that touch itself must have meant everything. And immediately the leprosy left him. He was made clean. Jesus helped me in my own personal healing, and not for one second did I believe he was unwilling. Healing may not always arrive in the way we expect. It may not always happen according to our timetable, but I believe the love and compassion of Jesus are always present. Jesus then gave the man a strong warning. See that you don't tell this to anyone. That is a statement I still marvel at. If there is one thing that can plague humanity, it is ego. But Jesus was a master of humility. He understood his purpose. He didn't allow ego to take control of his mission. Ego can be a double-edged sword. A healthy sense of self-worth can help move us forward. But ego can also make the mission more about ourselves than the people we are called to serve. Maybe the lesson for us is to remain aware of our ego and not to get in the way of our purpose. Jesus instructed the man to show himself to the priest and offer the sacrifices Moses commanded for his cleansing. This was about more than physical healing. Being declared clean could allow the man to return to his community. He could return to his family. He could be living again among other people. His healing offered him the possibility of restoration. But could you have kept something like that to yourself? I'm not sure I could have. Mark tells us that the man did not honor Jesus' request. Instead he went out and spoke freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could not no longer enter a town openly. He remained outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere. There's an interesting reversal to this story. The man had been forced to remain outside, but now he could return to the community. But Jesus was the one who had remained outside in lonely places, and still the people came. No building could contain the message of Jesus. No single town could contain the hope of the people who needed hope. But Jesus could not enter the towns openly. He found a way to continue his mission. And I believe he always finds a way. In our next episode, we will begin chapter two of the Gospel of Mark. If you like this content, please like and subscribe to the channel. And please leave a comment. I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences. I am Rick, the Divine Scribe, and the word is given. See you next time.