⁴⁰ A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. “If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean,” he said.

⁴¹ Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” ⁴² Instantly the leprosy disappeared, and the man was healed. ⁴³ Then Jesus sent him on his way with a stern warning: ⁴⁴ “Don’t tell anyone about this. Instead, go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.”

⁴⁵ But the man went and spread the word, proclaiming to everyone what had happened. As a result, large crowds soon surrounded Jesus, and he couldn’t publicly enter a town anywhere. He had to stay out in the secluded places, but people from everywhere kept coming to him.

Mark 1:40-45

Dear God, how bad was it that the man disobeyed Jesus? I mean, the word was going to spread one way or another. On the one hand, I want to be frustrated with this guy for disobeying Jesus, but on the other hand I don’t think I’ve ever felt that kind of desperation coupled with the elation of it being resolved. This man was desperate, Jesus met his need, and then he had to keep it quiet? No way.

And the way Mark (or Peter through Mark) tells this story, it’s almost as if Jesus went against his better judgment in healing the man because he could see this outcome, but his compassion wouldn’t allow him to not heal. That’s who you are. Compassionate. If there’s any doubt that the God of the universe is loving and compassionate, here is a tangible example of your love and compassion. You loved this man. You had compassion on this man. You didn’t tell him to go away because he was inconvenient for you or he would make your plan more difficult. You met his need regardless of what it would cost you.

Then there’s the idea that I’m supposed to be like you. My love and compassion for others are supposed to override everything. I’m in a church group right now that has been meeting for over twelve years. However, it feels like it’s starting to come to the end of its life, and I think that might be okay. But as I sit here now and soak in this scripture, I think I’m starting to wonder if we shouldn’t be asking what each couple needs right now at this stage of our lives. When we first met in the summer of 2013, we were all at a different phase in our lives and marriages. We felt like this was something we needed and we committed to each other. But now things have changed. Each of our needs have changed. Maybe the question we should be asking each other is not whether the group should continue, but what are each of us needing and how can we help each other meet those needs, if at all.

Father, I feel like I got off of the subject a little, but what I’m really trying to think about is the compassion you want me to have for others and to see everyone around me, including these friends from this group, in a fresh way. I want to be more like you. I want to love with your love and care with your compassion. I want to be a part of meeting needs you’ve called me to meet as I love my neighbor as myself. So please give me eyes to see and ears to hear today.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen