Sick of Religion? Week 1: Devotional Day 3

Sick of Religion? Week 1: Devotional Day 3

DAY 3

Daily devotional

Read

Mark 1:40-41

Ask

Jesus still touches the ugly, sick, broken and untouchable. How does this small interaction help us to see the bigger story of the gospel – Jesus as the one who takes upon himself the brokenness of others, in order to bring cleansing and healing to all?

Reflect

Jesus reached out and touched him because he was moved with pity or compassion. He was willing and he touched him. In the same way, Jesus touches those who are considered ugly, sick. broken and untouchable according to this world. That includes us. Our sin is ugly, sick and broken and we feel untouchable. Jesus took that brokenness. “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray we gave turned- every one- to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53: 4-6).

God prioritizes love and healing in our lives. Consider how the leper is a metaphor for sin. There can be no sin in the presence of a holy God. Instead of ignoring our condition as God, in His holiness, could have done, he took on our sin and Scripture teaches he who knew no sin actually became sin that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Cor 5:21). Jesus touched the leper to heal him and he touched us by humbling himself to die for us. “Though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing taking on the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Phil. 2:6-8).