Jesus and the leper

Mark 1:40-45 A leper came to him [and kneeling down] begged him and said, “If you wish, you can make me clean.”  Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched him, and said to him, “I do will it. Be made clean.” The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean. Then, warning him sternly, he dismissed him at once. Then he said to him, “See that you tell no one anything, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.” The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter. He spread the report abroad so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly. He remained outside in deserted places, and people kept coming to him from everywhere.


When I read this again it donned on me that Jesus, in a sense, took on this man's leprosy, this man was banished, he could not go to temple, he was unclean. Based on the reading from Leviticus 13 1-2, 44-46 he would have had to live on the outskirts of town.  He would have to declare "unclean" loudly if anybody came near him and live apart from others.  If you continue to read on in Leviticus 13:3 and following a person had to go through an extensive round of testing and sacrifices to be declared clean again but once declared clean by the high priest they could now live a normal life.


Jesus, in healing this man allowed it so he could now go into town, go to temple and live a normal life again.  Once others found out about this it became impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly.  Jesus could not go to temple.  Jesus now remained outside in deserted places much like the leper had to do.  The only difference, of course, is that people still sought out Jesus instead of avoiding him.


I wonder what it must have been like for Jesus to take on my sin, to suffer for me.  This leper's healing forced Jesus to avoid the towns and temples where he would go to worship.  What does my healing cause to happen to Jesus?  What suffering did he endure because of my wrongs?


I hope with this thought in mind I'll be less likely to sin and when I do sin I will be quicker with remorse.  Jesus, who never sinned, took on all our wrongdoing and sin so the less of these we commit the lesser the burden is on Him.