Touched
Prairie Baptist Church – 11/1/09
A.M. Service
Text: Mark 1:40-44
Key verse: Mark 1:41 - Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.”
Premise: There is something special about the heart of Jesus that touches each person that comes to Him.
The Introduction
A lady answered the knock on her door to find a man with a sad expression. "I’m sorry to disturb you, " he said, "but I’m collecting money for an unfortunate family in the neighborhood. The husband is out of work, the kids are hungry, the utilities will soon be cut off, and worse, they’re going to be kicked out of their apartment if they don’t pay the rent by this afternoon."
"I’ll be happy to help," said the woman with great concern. "But who are you?"
"I’m the landlord," he replied. Leadership p. 44 1984 5/2
The word was used of any chronic or infectious skin disease.
This disease “begins with specks on the eyelids and on the palms, gradually spreading over the body, bleaching the hair white wherever they appear, crusting the affected parts with white scales, and causing terrible sores and swellings. From the skin the disease eats inward to the bones, rotting the whole body piecemeal.” “In Christ’s day no leper could live in a walled town, though he might in an open village. But wherever he was he was required to have his outer garment rent as a sign of deep grief, to go bareheaded, and to cover his beard with his mantle, as if in lamentation at his own virtual death. He had further to warn passers-by to keep away from him, by calling out, ‘Unclean! unclean!’ nor could he speak to any one, or receive or return a salutation, since in the East this involves an embrace.” Easton, M.G.: Easton’s Bible Dictionary. Oak Harbor, WA : Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1996, c1897
When you read the “tests” for leprosy described in Leviticus 13, you can see how the disease is a picture of sin.
• Like sin, leprosy is deeper than the skin (Lev. 13:3);
• it spreads (Lev. 13:5–8);
• it defiles and isolates (Lev. 13:44–46);
• and it renders things fit only for the fire (Lev. 13:47–59).
• Anyone who has never trusted the Savior is spiritually in worse shape than this man was physically.
Here, this diseased, leprous man is touched by the compassion of Jesus.
• No one else would talk to him, but Jesus did
• No one else cared for him, but Jesus did
• No one else would touch him, but Jesus did
Jesus had such compassion (to have one’s heart go out to someone) that He healed him. Jesus touch meant more to this man than anything else on earth, both body and soul.
Body
1. Compassion for the Humble – “kneeling down to Him”
A. Winston Churchill was once asked, “Doesn’t it thrill you to know that every time you make a speech, the hall is packed to overflowing?”
“It’s quite flattering,” replied Sir Winston. “But whenever I feel that way, I always remember that if instead of making a political speech I was being hanged, the crowd would be twice as big.”
Norman McGowan, My Years With Winston Churchill, Souvenir Press, London.
B. Humility attracts God’s loving attention - 1st Peter 5:5 – . . . God resists the proud, but give grace to the humble.”
i. God opposes the proud, the arrogant
ii. God is drawn toward those who are humble and provides much needed grace
C. God fellowships with the humble - Is. 57:15 – For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
i. To “dwell” is to reside among or in a place
ii. He makes His residence not just in heaven but with us
iii. He lives in us through the Holy Spirit (Jn. 14:17; 2nd Tim. 1:14)
D. God sustains the humble - Ps. 147:6 - The LORD lifts up the humble; . . .
i. He comes to our aid
ii. When we are down, He will lift us up, encouraging us.
2. Compassion for the Helpless – “stretched out His hand”
A. It seems that one day a kindergarten teacher was helping one of her students put on his cowboy boots? He asked for help and she could see why. Even with her pulling and him pushing, the little boots still didn’t want to go on. Finally, when the second boot was on, she had worked up a sweat. She almost cried when the little boy said, "Teacher, they’re on the wrong feet." She looked down and sure enough, they were. It wasn’t any easier pulling the boots off than it was putting them on. But she managed to keep her cool as together they worked to get the boots back on - this time on the right feet. And it was only then that he announced, "These aren’t my boots." She bit her tongue rather than scream, "Why didn’t you say so?" like she wanted to. And, once again she struggled to help him pull the ill-fitting boots off his little feet. No sooner had they got the boots off then he said, "They’re my brother’s boots. My Mom made me wear ’em today." Stifling a scream, she mustered up the grace and courage she had left to wrestle the ill-fitting boots on his feet again. Helping him into his coat, she asked, "Now, where are your mittens?" To which he replied, "I stuffed ’em in the toes of my boots." The article ends by saying - Her trial starts next month.
B. Helplessness is characterized by three traits:
i. It is having no place else to turn
ii. It is facing something that is too big for us to handle
iii. It is powerlessness
C. It is our state in coming to Christ for salvation
D. Christ identifies with our weaknesses and struggles and even our helpless moments - Heb. 4:15 – For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
E. This is, in fact, the basis for God being able to use us. Less of us and all of Him:
i. His strength to serve - Isaiah 40:29 – He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength.
ii. His Strength to pray - Romans 8:26 – Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
iii. His strength to witness - 1 Cor. 1:27 – But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;
iv. His strength to minister - 2 Cor. 12:9-10 – 9And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
3. Compassion for the Hopeless – “touched him”
A. I like that story about the boy and his father who were planning a fishing trip for the next day. That evening as the father was putting his son to bed, the boy hugged his father’s neck and said, "Daddy, thank you for tomorrow." by Vernon O. Elmore p.9,10
B. Hopelessness is characteristic of the world in general
i. Lost in sin
ii. No future life, only eternal death and torment
C. Hope, for the Christian, is certainty based totally on the promises of God:
i. A hope that does not let us down - Rom. 5:5 - Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
ii. A hope that looks for the certain return of Christ - Titus 2:13 – looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
iii. A hope that is Spirit-empowered - Rom. 15:13 – Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
iv. A hope that produces joy - Prov. 10:28 - The hope of the righteous will be gladness, but the expectation of the wicked will perish.
“A little lame boy was once hurrying to catch a train. In the press of the crowd he experienced real difficulty in manipulating his crutches, especially as he was carrying a basket full of fruit and candy. As the passengers rushed along, one hit the basket by mistake, knocking oranges, apples, and candy bars in all directions. The man who caused the accident paused only long enough to scold the cripple for getting in his way. Another gentleman, seeing the boy’’ distress, went to his aid. Quickly he picked up the fruit and added a silver dollar to the collection, saying, ‘I’m sorry, Sonny! I hope this makes up a little!’” With a smile he was on his way. The young boy who had seldom been the recipient of such kindness called after the ‘good Samaritan’ in gratitude and awe, ‘Mister—please sir, are you Jesus?’ “No,’ replied his new-found friend, ‘I’m only one of His followers.’ So too the people whose lives we touch need to see the Lord in our acts of compassion and Christian kindness.” (Our Daily Bread)
Conclusion:
If you do not know Christ, your life is polluted by a spiritual leprosy called sin. There is no cure except the touch of Jesus. And the only way to receive His touch is to come to Him like this man, and place your faith in Him and Him alone.
As a Christian, we have already been touched by the compassion of Christ for salvation. We are impacted everyday by His compassion to us in our lives.
We need to put on compassion for others as well, see their real need and show them what Christ means to us.
