Power & Compassion

“And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, ‘If you will, you can make me clean.’ Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, ‘I will; be clean.’ And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean” (Mark 1:40–42).

There’s a story in Mark’s Gospel about a man with a very contagious disease. He was a leper, and that disease made him an outcast and an outsider.

But we’re told that he came to Jesus and said, “If you will, you can make me clean.” He didn’t ask, “If you are able, you can make me clean,” but, “If you will.” The question wasn’t whether Jesus had the ability to help, but whether he was willing to help. His concern wasn’t about power; it was about compassion.

And like the man in the story, we can easily imagine someone with power. But we may struggle to imagine someone whose power is tied to compassion. You may not wonder if God is able to help you. But you may wonder, “Knowing my sin, knowing my failings, knowing my weakness—would God want anything to do with me?”

Friends, the good news is that Jesus is not only the God of power, but the Lord of mercy. He is both able and willing.

Mark tells us that Jesus was moved with pity. He stretched out his hand, touched the man, and said, “I will; be clean.” The One who is able is also willing.

And that is the friend who welcomes you today.

In Jesus, we have mighty mercy that doesn’t hide from us but draws near to us. He knows our need. He is eager and able to receive us!