Summary and Discussion Questions
Based on a sermon by Pastor Trent Thomas
Sunday, November 1, 2026 | Christ Hills Church in Monroe, NC
Mark 1:40–45
Have you ever known someone who was too proud to ask for help? Perhaps you have been that person yourself. Sometimes pride convinces us that we can handle our problems alone. We hide our struggles, make excuses, and even tell lies to protect our reputation.
I once heard about a Christian songwriter who wrote a song called “My Healer.” He claimed to have cancer and used his story to inspire others. But he wasn’t actually sick. He had fabricated the diagnosis to cover up an addiction. Rather than admit his need and seek help, he chose deception.
Christian hypocrisy can take many forms. We may pretend to be spiritually healthy when we are desperately sick inside. We may sing about Jesus as our Healer while refusing to admit that we need healing.
In Mark 1:40–45, we meet a man who had no such luxury. He was a leper.
A Desperate Man and a Merciful Savior
In biblical times, the term leprosy could refer to approximately seventy-two different skin conditions. A priest had to examine the afflicted person and determine whether he was ceremonially unclean. Some conditions were temporary, but others meant a lifetime of suffering and isolation.
Leprosy was devastating. The disease could damage nerve endings, robbing a person of the ability to feel pain. As Dr. Paul Brand explains in The Gift of Pain, pain is a gift because it warns us when something is wrong. Without that warning system, injuries go unnoticed and worsen.
Imagine living with a disease that could destroy your body while also separating you from everyone you loved. Lepers were required to live outside the community and cry, “Unclean!” whenever someone approached. It was a physical and social death sentence.
Then one day, this leper approached Jesus. “If you will, you can make me clean,” he pleaded. Notice his humility. He didn’t demand healing. He didn’t claim that Jesus owed him anything. He simply begged for mercy, acknowledging both Jesus’ power and his own desperate need.
This is the right posture before our Savior. We come not because we deserve His help but because He is merciful.
Jesus Reaches Across the Divide
Jesus could have healed the man with a word. Instead, He did something remarkable: He reached out and touched him. Think about that moment. Everyone else had kept their distance, but Jesus moved toward him.
The Son of God didn’t skip over the man’s suffering or treat him as an inconvenience. He touched the untouchable. And immediately—one of Mark’s favorite words—the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.
Jesus then gave the man a strong command: “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them” (Mark 1:44).
Why the secrecy? Jesus wanted people to hear His teaching, not merely pursue Him for physical miracles. The crowds could easily overwhelm His ministry and prevent Him from reaching other towns. The priest also needed to examine the healed man. His testimony would require the priest to wrestle with an extraordinary question: Could this Jesus actually be the promised Messiah?
Furthermore, the man needed to complete the sacrifices prescribed in Leviticus 13–14. These requirements were not meaningless rituals. They pointed beyond themselves to the cleansing and restoration that only God could provide. They pointed to The King — Jesus.
But the healed man disobeyed. He spread the news everywhere, making it difficult for Jesus to enter towns openly. His excitement may have been understandable, but his disobedience had consequences. He missed an opportunity to obey Jesus, to fulfill the requirements of the Law, and to bring the priest face-to-face with the evidence of Christ’s authority.
Three Lessons for Us
Sin is anti-social. It separates us from God and damages our relationships with others. Yet Jesus came to restore what sin has broken. As 2 Corinthians 5:21 teaches, Christ became sin for us so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
So what should we do when we recognize our need?
1. Cry out to the Healer. Stop pretending you are healthy when you are spiritually sick. Confess your sin and ask Jesus for mercy. He doesn’t turn away from those who come to Him in faith.
2. Follow the Healer. Jesus is not merely someone who solves our problems. He is our King. Follow Him in the ordinary decisions as well as the difficult seasons of life.
3. Heed the Healer’s commands. Gratitude for what Jesus has done should lead to obedience. Don’t let excitement, pride, personal preferences, or good intentions distract you from doing what He has told you to do.
The leper came to Jesus desperate for cleansing. He received it. May we come with the same humility, follow with the same urgency, and obey with the faithfulness that honors our Savior.
Questions for Reflection & Discussion:
Are there areas of your life where pride keeps you from admitting your need for Jesus or asking others for help?
What does Jesus’ willingness to touch the leper teach you about His compassion toward people who feel isolated or unworthy?
Is there a command of Christ you have been tempted to ignore, even while being grateful for His blessings? What would faithful obedience look like today?