The transcription discusses the story of Jesus healing a leper in Mark chapter 1. The leper approached Jesus, kneeling down and begging to be cleansed. Jesus touched him and said he was willing to heal him. The leper was immediately cleansed, but Jesus warned him not to tell anyone. However, the leper spread the news and Jesus could no longer enter the city openly. The importance of Jesus stretching out his hand, touching, and speaking to the leper is emphasized. The outstretched hand of God is powerful and can deliver from afflictions. It is important to obey God's instructions and be an entrance to the gospel for others.
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Hello and welcome to StartRight with Jesus. My name is Victor Ayooa and today, it is my prayer that as you call upon God, God will answer you, in Jesus's name. We will be talking about Mark chapter 1 verses 40 to 45.
In this reading, we saw Jesus Christ meeting a leper and this leper did some interesting things.
Verse 40:
"Now a leper came to him, imploring him, kneeling down to him, and saying to him, If you are willing, you can make me clean.
Then Jesus moved with compassion, stretched out his hand, and touched him, and said to him, I am willing to be cleansed. As soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed. And he strictly warned him, and sent him away at once, and said to him, See that you say nothing to anyone, but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded as a testimony to them.
However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places, and he came to him from every direction.
We saw here that the leper definitely knew how to get God's hand. He knew he was a leper. He knew he was not worthy to get God's attention. So what did he do? He came to him first. He then implored him. You see, the word implored, the Strong's Bible used the word beseeched, which is what you will find in the King James Version.
This can be interpreted as meaning draw near to him, make a plea, beg him earnestly. He knelt down. The first thing he did was he knelt down to him, which is a sign of worship, physical worship. He spoke to him. He did not just have it in his mind that Jesus would know what was wrong with him. He spoke to him and said, he was very specific. "if you are willing, you can make me clean."
And of course, after all this, all that Jesus Christ said was, "I am willing. Be cleansed", and he became clean.
But before Jesus Christ spoke, three things happened. (1)The first thing was HE HAD COMPASSION ON HIM. (2) Then, he stretched out his hand. The Bible says he stretched out his hand. (3)Then he touched him. (4)Finally, he spoke to him.
You see, if you look at all three synoptic Gospels, the importance of this is that all of them captured the last three in the same sequence.
And you find it in Matthew Chapter 8, verses 2 to 3, Mark 1, verses 40 to 42, and Luke 5, verses 12 to 13. What is the significance of this? It means the hands of the Lord are not short that he cannot help. God's outstretched hand can reach you wherever you are, whenever you call. So when God was stretching out his hand, he was saying to him, I am willing to get you. The Bible talks about the outstretched hand of the Lord.
This outstretched hand of the Lord is powerful. This is the outstretched hand of the Lord that saved the children of Israel, even from bondage in Egypt. It was the same outstretched hand that God said he was going to use to destroy the people who were not submissive to him in Jeremiah Chapter 21, verse 5. This same outstretched hand in Deuteronomy Chapter 4, verse 34 was the one that brought the people out by a mighty hand. The outstretched hand of God is powerful enough to help you and deliver you from whatever affliction that is afflicting you today.
Not only did he stretch out the hand, which was enough for a miracle, but he went further and touched him. I pray that for somebody today, God will touch you. God will touch you. He touched him and finally, he spoke to him. He spoke a word into his life, as God is speaking a word into your life today. And the word that God spoke to him was this "I am willing. Be cleansed".
As soon as he had spoken, the leprosy left him and he was cleansed. And he straightly warned him and sent him away at once.
You see, the word of God was "be cleansed". The word of God was " receive your miracle." The word of God was, I am willing to help you receive the solution to your situation" But this man missed something that was beyond the cure, the principle of obedience beyond an instant solution.
Jesus straightly warned him and sent him away. And what did Jesus Christ tell him to do? He said, don't speak to anybody or to anyone. He said, say that you say nothing to anyone, but go your way. Show yourself to the priest and offer for cleansing those things which Moses commanded as a testimony to them. You see, this was a shocker for me as a person in a way.
Jesus Christ did a miracle that could have attracted people to him. But what did he do? He said, no, don't tell anybody. Why? Because God was looking at a bigger goal, at a bigger vision. His bigger vision was to be able to speak to many other people so that they could receive the gospel that he had. But what happened? This man, by not obeying the last set of instructions conclusively, prevented other people from benefiting from the salvation, from the intervention that he got.
The Bible tells us in verse 45 that Jesus Christ could no longer openly enter the city, but he was outside in deserted places and they came to him from every direction. Jesus Christ could not perform his work again because a man blew it.
Maybe God has given you a testimony that he was reserving for a particular occasion and he said to you, just keep quiet. This is not the time to share it. And you say, oh, the world must hear.
Every act of disobedience is disobedience no matter the good intention. And there are times when Jesus Christ was actually not saying you should not share a testimony. Jesus Christ was restricting the testimony to those who were able to receive it. Jesus Christ said to him, he should give his offering as a testimony to the priests.
Are you listening to God for specific instruction? Jesus is willing to hear you, but are you going to obey the next step? Are you going to be an entrance to the gospel to others? Are you going to be someone who is going to use to draw many more to him?
I pray that as you go about your work today, as you go about your relationship with God, you will obey him in detail so that his name will be glorified and many shall be brought to him in Jesus' name.
God bless you. Till we meet again, it's me O. V. O. Ayoola saying, StartRight with Jesus and you always win. Bye.
PERSONAL ACTION POINT:
Do a search and see where God has asked you to keep quiet and you have talked...you never know what the consequence had been in affecting your and God's plans.
