Broken bread and small fish: I Am Willing

I imagine that most people in ancient times weren't "filled with compassion" in the presence of someone with leprosy (unless maybe it was a relative or close friend). They were more likely to be filled with disgust and with fear.

But You were filled with compassion AND reached out and touched him (Mark 1:40-41).

Even though he was unclean.

You cannot touch an unclean one without consequence to Yourself. You knew that. You knew what it would cost You to touch him, to say to him, "Be clean"....to make it so.

You knew what it would cost You to touch me.

But You looked at him and saw past the ruin, the sin, the deformity, the cost to Yourself.

(Did You see what he HAD been, what he could have been, what he could be?)

You reached out Your hand and touched him. "I am willing - be clean."

And You looked at me. You reached out Your hand and touched ME:
"I am willing - be clean."

And in that moment, with that contact, everything changed. Your touch meant restoration for me, for You it meant the cross - an intimate acquaintance with my sin. An acquaintance You didn't deserve.

I don't think the man with leprosy understood the implications of his words: "If You are willing."

I'm not sure I can fully understand.

When You reached out to touch him, You weren't just saying, "I'm willing to bother with you," but You were saying:

I am willing to be near you in your disease.
I am willing to touch you.
I am willing for you to be clean.
I am willing to take your sin and shame on me.
I am willing to suffer and die
as the wages of your sin fall hard on me
I am willing to do what it takes to pay the price
to make you clean
I am willing to bear the cost to me
I am willing
Be clean.

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