Mark 1:35-45
35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. 36 Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37 and when they found him, they exclaimed: "Everyone is looking for you!" 38 Jesus replied, "Let us go somewhere else - to the nearby villages - so I can preach there also. That is why I have come." 39 So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving our demons. 40 A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, "If you are willing, you can make me clean." 41 Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" 42 Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured. 43 Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: 44 "See that you don't tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them." 45 Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere. NIV 84
Lesson Notes
Prayer as Appointment - in verse 35, there is an emphasis on both the "priority" of his prayer and the "prior to" of his prayer. Corrie Ten Boom said, "Don’t just pray when you feel like it. Have an appointment with the Lord and keep it.”
A Painless Hell - a researcher and physician named Paul Brand called leprosy this due to its anesthetic qualities. It brings total numbness to all your extremities including your ears, eyes, and nose.
Come. Compassion. Complete.
1 The leper comes to Christ
2 Christ has compassion for the leper
3 Christ completely cleans the leper
Three Different Kinds of Allegiance:
1 Authentic allegiance - the leper in Mark 1:40
2 Affordable allegiance - the rich young man in Mark 10:17
3 Apathetic allegiance - the soldiers in Mark 15:19
Compassion - the Greek word translated as compassion is the word "splagchnizomai." It comes from a word meaning "guts." The word means to feel deeply as in the depths of one's bowels. The word is used only 12 times in all of the NT and each time it’s used it is related to Jesus.
Discussion Questions
1. Ice Breaker: What would you say are the top three things that disgust you and why?
2. Verse 35 emphasizes the priority and prior to of Jesus’ prayer life. How could you rearrange your schedule or habits so that prayer becomes a non-negotiable, intentional appointment rather than an afterthought?
3. The man with leprosy approached Jesus with authentic allegiance—kneeling in humility and trusting His power. In your own life, what might it look like to approach Jesus with that same kind of genuine surrender?
4. Jesus responded to the leper with compassion rather than disgust. Who are the “hard-to-love” people in your life right now, and what steps could you take to respond to them more like Jesus?
5. The story shows that Jesus’ holiness “contaminates” us in a positive way—making the unclean clean. Where in your life do you need to invite Jesus’ cleansing power?
