Mark 1:40-45
And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. (1:40)
And He cleansed lepers. As far as we know, only three lepers were cleansed throughout the entire Old Testament period — Moses, Miriam, and Naaman (and possibly David). But Jesus cleansed them as a matter of course.
Leprosy! The very word filled people with horror. The Jews regarded it as "the stroke of God." The leper carried about in his body corruption, contamination, and death. Society ostracized and rigidly segregated him lest he contaminate others of the community. If anyone wandered into his vicinity, he had to cover his mouth and cry, "Unclean! Unclean!" to warn the other person away. He was excommunicated from the religious life, functions, and feasts of the nation. His only companions were other lepers in the same pitiable condition as himself. He could not work because who would want the goods and services of a leper? He could not come and go as he pleased. He endured a living death, because his disease spread and was incurable. Often, it began in a small way. He lost the feeling in his fingers, in his feet, and in his limbs. Before long, he presented a dreadful spectacle with rotted stumps where once had been healthy limbs. He had no hope. He was cut off from his family, from his former friends, and from the fellowship of the people of God. All he could look forward to was death. No wonder leprosy is often viewed as a type and picture of sin.
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This man was a leper, but he was one who had made a wise decision; he would come to Christ. He would defy the interdict under which he lived. He would dare the thunderous edicts and penalties of the law; he would come to Christ.
Acting on that decision took a great deal of courage. For one thing, crowds always surrounded Jesus, and who could predict the actions of a crowd? The man might well have been stoned long before he reached the Christ. So what? He was dying anyway. He had nothing to lose and everything to gain. Possibly his fellow lepers tried to dissuade him because none of them accompanied him. No matter! He would come. And so it was that he commenced his lonely journey to Jesus. And behold! A path opened up before him. The disciples, "bold" enough to chase away the mothers and children who sought to come to Christ, were not so forward in chasing away this leper. On the contrary, we can be sure that when they saw him coming, heard his leper's cry, and saw the crowds parting before him, they kept their distance. They would want to keep well enough away from a leper!
This man did not approach Christ with the modern proud "Name it! Claim it!" attitude. He had too great an appreciation of his terrible condition to come, like Naaman, demanding salvation. On the contrary, he came beseeching, "If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean." That was flawless faith.