A man with leprosy scared everybody but Jesus as he approached him and fell on his knees begging, “You can make me clean if you want to.”
Jesus became deeply stirred, reached out and touched the guy, saying, “I’m willing. Be clean!” And, he was! Just like that. Clean!
Jesus, still angry at how sin had manifested itself in this man, strongly warned him, “Do not tell anyone what I did. Go, show yourself to the priest, make the necessary sacrifices to be reincluded into society.”
The guy didn’t listen. Instead he blabbered on and on to anyone and everyone what Jesus had done for him. So much so, that Jesus became the one who had to live alone far outside of the town where the leper once was. Even so, the people came to him from all over the place.
Mark 1:40-45 – Greek Word Study
Word Studies on Key Greek Terms
σπλαγχνισθεὶς (splanchnistheis) – “moved with compassion” (v. 41)
- Word: σπλάγχνα (splanchnon), meaning “inward parts” or “bowels.” In ancient thought, the bowels were seen as the seat of deep emotions like mercy or compassion.
- Insight: This verb suggests a gut-level emotional response, indicating Jesus was deeply stirred in His heart. This wasn’t just a rational decision to heal—it was a compassionate, visceral reaction to the man’s suffering.
- In verse 41, some manuscripts use ὀργισθεὶς (orgistheis), meaning “being angry” or “indignant.” This textual variation has led to debates among scholars about Jesus’ emotional response. The compassion reading may align more with Jesus’ character throughout the Gospels, while the anger reading can demonstrate that Jesus could be angry and yet not sin. The suffering caused by the disease and the social stigma attached to it would be deeply disturbing to Jesus.
ἥψατο (hēpsato) – “touched” (v. 41)
- Word: ἅπτομαι (haptomai), meaning “to touch, take hold of.”
- Insight: Touching a leper was both socially and ceremonially taboo, yet Jesus intentionally touched him. This word conveys a deliberate and intimate connection, emphasizing the personal care Jesus offered, regardless of societal expectations.
ἐμβριμησάμενος (embrimēsamenos) – “sternly charged” (v. 43)
- Word: ἐμβριμάομαι (embrimaomai), meaning “to groan, snort with anger, sternly warn.”
- Insight: This term suggests that Jesus gave a forceful warning, possibly expressing frustration or urgency and giving credence to the angry alternative. His stern instruction to the healed man to remain silent hints at the tension between Jesus’ mission and the public’s misunderstanding of His role.
- In verse 43, Jesus sends the man away with ἐμβριμησάμενος (embrimēsamenos). This strong language emphasizes the importance Jesus placed on reintegrating the man into society by following the proper procedures for declaring the man clean according to Mosaic law.
καθαρίσθητι (katharisthēti) – “be cleansed” (v. 41)
- Word: καθαρίζω (katharizō), meaning “to cleanse or purify.”
- Insight: This verb indicates more than physical healing; it also carries a spiritual connotation, suggesting restoration to community life and religious purity.
κήρύσσειν (kēryssein) – “to proclaim” (v. 45)
- Word: κηρύσσω (kēryssō), meaning “to announce or proclaim.”
- Insight: After being healed, the leper disobeys Jesus’ command to stay silent and instead becomes a public herald. This word carries the sense of official announcement, as if the man cannot contain his joy over his restored state.
