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Jesus is what God had to say

                “If you are willing, you can make me clean” (Mark 1:40).
                Leprosy was a terrible disease.  Not only did it disfigure and tear up one’s body, it also tore up everything the person held dear.  Lepers had to leave their homes, families, jobs and even their towns.  They had to shout “unclean” so that they did not come into contact with healthy people.  It was such a lonely existence that some referred to lepers as “the living dead” because they had lost everything that brought meaning to their lives.
                It is notable, then, that this man approaches Jesus.  Maybe he thought that he had nothing left to lose, or maybe his faith was so strong that he could not stay away.  Either way, he took a huge risk just talking to Jesus.  However, his words reveal the next big risk. 
                Seemingly, he had no doubt that Jesus could heal him.  What he was not so certain about was whether Jesus would do it.  “If you are willing…”.   Is that not where a lot of us stumble?  We read about how powerful God is and we think, “He can do anything” and yet we wonder, “Will he help me?”
                Maybe we know ourselves too well.  We can list all kinds of reasons that we must be beyond God’s grace and mercy.   Maybe we assume that those nice Biblical stories make good teaching material, but we are just not sure whether those promises really apply to us. 
                If you have ever wondered whether you have gone too far away from God for him to hear or help you, then please pay attention to Jesus’ response:  “I am willing… Be clean!” (Mark 1:41)
                God is willing to listen.  He is willing to help.  He is willing to let you start over.  He is willing to clean up the mess.  In fact, not only is he willing, he loves us so much that he has already taken care of our biggest issues through Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection (John 3:16-17).  Even before we knew that we needed help, he provided the answer (Romans 5:8).
                If you ever wonder how God thinks, what he is like, or how he would react, look at Jesus and remember these words, “I am willing”.
                Jesus is what God had to say!

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