"TOUCHING THE UNTOUCHABLE"
TEXT: Mark 1:40-45
INTRO.:
A. The politicians try to convince us that they care for us...to get our votes & after elected forget us & feather their own nests!
ILLUS. Bill Clinton said when he goes to the White House he will wake up every morning & think of us & our needs. Ross Perot says if we send him up to Washington he will not go there to carry out his own agenda but will be our servant. Pres. Bush has had a hard job after 4 yrs. of ignoring the plight of the unemployed, etc. to convince the voters that he really cares for them & feels their hurt. The truth is none of the 3 have probably ever had to sweat out a light bill, a mortgage payment, or be short on grocery money so that they can "feel" for those who have.
B. But I know One who is "touched w/the feeling of our infirmities" & is "moved w/compassion" on us because He sees our needs & feels our hurts. If we are to be like Him & are going to be able to "make a difference" we too must show & demonstrate compassion.
Jude 22 And of some have compassion, making a difference: (KJV)
TRANS.: One of the most touching Bible stories & incidents in Jesus demonstrating compassion is found in our text. Let's go back to that along the shores of Galilee, in that small town as the people were flocking around Jesus when suddenly the cry "Unclean! Unclean!" rung out & a leper cast himself at Jesus' feet...
I. CONFESSION:
NOTE: Leprosy is a picture of sin & its effects & caused the person to be disfigured, demeaned & disassociated. There would be terrible joint pain, his skin would be thick, leathery, ugly lesions would grow on the face, a foul appearing & smelling discharge would flow from his sores, his body would be wasting away, fingers & toes would drop off & his condition was terminal.
Jewish rabbinical law demanded that a leper had to wear torn clothes, let his hair hang loose & cover his upper lip & cry out "Unclean! Unclean!" If he desired to attend a synagogue, he had to peek thru a squint hole. He was the lowest in society & despised of all. What a picture of our condition before the Lord as a sinner. Repulsive! Amazingly many still claim they are not sinners. No leper was unaware of his condition or status.
A. Without Presumption: "beseeching...kneeling.." v.40
1. He knew and admitted his condition.
2. He readily confessed his need of cleansing.
B. Without Doubting: "Thou canst..."
1. Not if you CAN, but if you are WILLING.
2. This man had undoubtedly heard that Jesus was the Great Physician. & believed it!
ILLUS.: As he approached Jesus' surely the crowd moved back so as not to be physically or ceremonially contaminated. To touch a leper or even his clothing or the place where he/she sat was to contract the horrible disease.
II. COMPASSION: v.41
NOTE: Several Greek words are translated "compassion" in the KJB. They yield various aspects of what real compassion is: "to yearn w/in ("bowels of compassion"), to show sympathy, mercy, pity, to treat indulgently, to put one-self in another's position.
Jack Hyles used to say that he would regularly turn off the lights in a motel room & try to find his way around so he could have compassion for the blind, or stop up his ears so he could live briefly in the silent world of the deaf.
A. Jesus Was Moved In His Heart: "I will..."
1. Compassion is an emotion which begins within.
2. But compassion must go beyond mere emotion.
NOTE: Jesus was doing something beyond demonstrating healing power or even the power of forgiving sins by this act of healing; He was teaching His disciples compassion, concern, caring.
B. Jesus Moved His Hand: "put forth his hand, and touched him..."
1. It takes more than an emotion to "reach out & touch someone" it takes action.
I Jn.3:17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? (KJV)
ILLUS.: Like the man who saw the girl, wet, freezing & shivering standing by the road side & passed her by, then had a twinge of conscience & backed up & threw a pair of gloves out his window. That's not compassion!
2. The difference between ministry & mere activity is concern; mere
activity wears us out, ministry builds us up!
ILLUS.: The diff. bet. those who stay & those who quit is concern & compassion. The contest may motivate you temporarily to reach the lost, but compassion will keep you going.
When enthusiasm dies, compassion compels.
When excitement dies, compassion carries on.
When energy dies, compassion continues.
Now abideth excitement, duty & compassion, but the greatest of these is compassion!
Crowds or no crowds, compassion carries on. Thanks or no thanks, compassion continues. Recognition or no recognition, compassion compels. Fleshly activity & running around in our own strength will cause us to become tired & quit, spiritual energy coupled w/compassion will keep us
going.
The Bus Capt. who considers his Sat. visit a chore will soon burn out. The one who sees it as a ministry will keep on keeping on. If all you see are "people as trees walking" like the blind man Jesus healed, you need another touch of compassion. If all you see is a bunch of noisy kids, you need to look again & see never dying souls w/real life needs.
As Ross Perot says about those in Wash. D.C. - they have Beltway Blindness. They have lived in the make-believe world of Wash. so long they have lost touch w/the people they are supposed to be serving.
III. CLEANSING: v.42 - 45
A. Compassion Made Him Free:
1. "Immed. the leprosy departed."
2. That's how effectively & effeciently Jesus deals w/sin too!
3. The greatest compassion is soul-winning compassion.
4. Jesus' touch made the difference.
ILLUS.: His words "I will; be thou clean" were the sweetest this man had heard in years, but the touch made it personal. Jesus is in the business of "TOUCHING THE UNTOUCHABLE"! Think how long it had been since ANYONE had touched this poor man.
B. Compassion Made Him Clean: "and he was cleansed..."
1. In touching the leper, Jesus was violating the traditional Jewish custom...but the man was clean!
2. Jesus directed the man to go & show himself to the priest, honoring the Levitical code in God's Word.
v.43,44
NOTE: Jesus was teaching His disciples again to obey God's word but to ignore the traditions of men. Touching lives is more important than keeping tradition. "To obey is better than sacrifice."
3. The ex-leper was so excited he couldn't keep quiet. v.45a
4. Jesus' compassion on this leper increased His fame so much He had to leave the city & retreat to the
desert...but the crowds followed.
CONCL.: "TOUCHING THE UNTOUCHABLE" may not make you famous, but the word will get out that you genuinely care! The foundation of any ministry is caring. Caring & compassion never goes out of style. 90% of our problems would vanish if we would find someone to minister to & show compassion on. And above all, the Savior will be pleased.
TEXT: Mark 1:40-45
INTRO.:
A. The politicians try to convince us that they care for us...to get our votes & after elected forget us & feather their own nests!
ILLUS. Bill Clinton said when he goes to the White House he will wake up every morning & think of us & our needs. Ross Perot says if we send him up to Washington he will not go there to carry out his own agenda but will be our servant. Pres. Bush has had a hard job after 4 yrs. of ignoring the plight of the unemployed, etc. to convince the voters that he really cares for them & feels their hurt. The truth is none of the 3 have probably ever had to sweat out a light bill, a mortgage payment, or be short on grocery money so that they can "feel" for those who have.
B. But I know One who is "touched w/the feeling of our infirmities" & is "moved w/compassion" on us because He sees our needs & feels our hurts. If we are to be like Him & are going to be able to "make a difference" we too must show & demonstrate compassion.
Jude 22 And of some have compassion, making a difference: (KJV)
TRANS.: One of the most touching Bible stories & incidents in Jesus demonstrating compassion is found in our text. Let's go back to that along the shores of Galilee, in that small town as the people were flocking around Jesus when suddenly the cry "Unclean! Unclean!" rung out & a leper cast himself at Jesus' feet...
I. CONFESSION:
NOTE: Leprosy is a picture of sin & its effects & caused the person to be disfigured, demeaned & disassociated. There would be terrible joint pain, his skin would be thick, leathery, ugly lesions would grow on the face, a foul appearing & smelling discharge would flow from his sores, his body would be wasting away, fingers & toes would drop off & his condition was terminal.
Jewish rabbinical law demanded that a leper had to wear torn clothes, let his hair hang loose & cover his upper lip & cry out "Unclean! Unclean!" If he desired to attend a synagogue, he had to peek thru a squint hole. He was the lowest in society & despised of all. What a picture of our condition before the Lord as a sinner. Repulsive! Amazingly many still claim they are not sinners. No leper was unaware of his condition or status.
A. Without Presumption: "beseeching...kneeling.." v.40
1. He knew and admitted his condition.
2. He readily confessed his need of cleansing.
B. Without Doubting: "Thou canst..."
1. Not if you CAN, but if you are WILLING.
2. This man had undoubtedly heard that Jesus was the Great Physician. & believed it!
ILLUS.: As he approached Jesus' surely the crowd moved back so as not to be physically or ceremonially contaminated. To touch a leper or even his clothing or the place where he/she sat was to contract the horrible disease.
II. COMPASSION: v.41
NOTE: Several Greek words are translated "compassion" in the KJB. They yield various aspects of what real compassion is: "to yearn w/in ("bowels of compassion"), to show sympathy, mercy, pity, to treat indulgently, to put one-self in another's position.
Jack Hyles used to say that he would regularly turn off the lights in a motel room & try to find his way around so he could have compassion for the blind, or stop up his ears so he could live briefly in the silent world of the deaf.
A. Jesus Was Moved In His Heart: "I will..."
1. Compassion is an emotion which begins within.
2. But compassion must go beyond mere emotion.
NOTE: Jesus was doing something beyond demonstrating healing power or even the power of forgiving sins by this act of healing; He was teaching His disciples compassion, concern, caring.
B. Jesus Moved His Hand: "put forth his hand, and touched him..."
1. It takes more than an emotion to "reach out & touch someone" it takes action.
I Jn.3:17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? (KJV)
ILLUS.: Like the man who saw the girl, wet, freezing & shivering standing by the road side & passed her by, then had a twinge of conscience & backed up & threw a pair of gloves out his window. That's not compassion!
2. The difference between ministry & mere activity is concern; mere
activity wears us out, ministry builds us up!
ILLUS.: The diff. bet. those who stay & those who quit is concern & compassion. The contest may motivate you temporarily to reach the lost, but compassion will keep you going.
When enthusiasm dies, compassion compels.
When excitement dies, compassion carries on.
When energy dies, compassion continues.
Now abideth excitement, duty & compassion, but the greatest of these is compassion!
Crowds or no crowds, compassion carries on. Thanks or no thanks, compassion continues. Recognition or no recognition, compassion compels. Fleshly activity & running around in our own strength will cause us to become tired & quit, spiritual energy coupled w/compassion will keep us
going.
The Bus Capt. who considers his Sat. visit a chore will soon burn out. The one who sees it as a ministry will keep on keeping on. If all you see are "people as trees walking" like the blind man Jesus healed, you need another touch of compassion. If all you see is a bunch of noisy kids, you need to look again & see never dying souls w/real life needs.
As Ross Perot says about those in Wash. D.C. - they have Beltway Blindness. They have lived in the make-believe world of Wash. so long they have lost touch w/the people they are supposed to be serving.
III. CLEANSING: v.42 - 45
A. Compassion Made Him Free:
1. "Immed. the leprosy departed."
2. That's how effectively & effeciently Jesus deals w/sin too!
3. The greatest compassion is soul-winning compassion.
4. Jesus' touch made the difference.
ILLUS.: His words "I will; be thou clean" were the sweetest this man had heard in years, but the touch made it personal. Jesus is in the business of "TOUCHING THE UNTOUCHABLE"! Think how long it had been since ANYONE had touched this poor man.
B. Compassion Made Him Clean: "and he was cleansed..."
1. In touching the leper, Jesus was violating the traditional Jewish custom...but the man was clean!
2. Jesus directed the man to go & show himself to the priest, honoring the Levitical code in God's Word.
v.43,44
NOTE: Jesus was teaching His disciples again to obey God's word but to ignore the traditions of men. Touching lives is more important than keeping tradition. "To obey is better than sacrifice."
3. The ex-leper was so excited he couldn't keep quiet. v.45a
4. Jesus' compassion on this leper increased His fame so much He had to leave the city & retreat to the
desert...but the crowds followed.
CONCL.: "TOUCHING THE UNTOUCHABLE" may not make you famous, but the word will get out that you genuinely care! The foundation of any ministry is caring. Caring & compassion never goes out of style. 90% of our problems would vanish if we would find someone to minister to & show compassion on. And above all, the Savior will be pleased.
