Mark 1:42 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.

NIV: Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed.

NASB: And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.

CSB: Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.

NLT: Instantly the leprosy disappeared, and the man was healed.

KJV: And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed.

NKJV: As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.

In Capernaum, Jesus' reputation as a teacher was quickly replaced by His fame as a healer. Instead of sitting in amazement at His words (Mark 1:22), the people inundated Him with requests for healing (Mark 1:32–34). Jesus' response was to leave so He could teach in other places. But even in His travels between cities a man with leprosy finds Him and requests healing.

The process in Leviticus 13—14 regarding diagnosing leprosy and then declaring the leprosy healed is a long ordeal. The priests had to be experts in different types of skin ailments and be able to recognize which indicated leprosy. When Jesus speaks, the man with leprosy is healed "immediately." There is no process, as with Naaman (2 Kings 5). There is no waiting period or need for medication. The man is instantly and completely healed. This miracle could only be attributed to the work and touch of Jesus.

This same instantaneous healing occurs when we accept Christ as our savior. We may still have physical ailments and struggle with sin as we grow in our Christian walk, but spiritually, we are healed immediately. Nothing else is required—not baptism, classes, donations, or even public proclamations. God sees our desire to be worthy to worship Him and be in His presence, and He responds. There was nothing the man with leprosy could have done to be made whole and clean except ask Jesus. It's the same with us.

Mark 1:21–45 opens a longer section describing the healing and preaching ministry of Jesus Christ. In this segment, Jesus impresses onlookers with His mastery of the Scriptures. He also amazes people with His authoritative style. During this teaching, Jesus heals a man afflicted with demonic possession. The resulting publicity brings a massive crowd to the home of Simon Peter, where Jesus is staying. Jesus heals Peters' mother-in-law of a fever, and cures a leper, before leaving the region to continue His ministry.

John the Baptist is introduced as a figure preparing the world for the arrival of the Messiah. John's baptism teaches people about their need for repentance. When Jesus arrives, and is baptized, it signals the coming of God's fulfillment and the need of people to recognize their Savior. Mark briefly notes Jesus' baptism, desert temptation, and the calling of the first four disciples. After this, Jesus begins teaching in the synagogue and performs miraculous healings which spread His fame around the region.

The first chapter of the Gospel of Mark sets the tone for the rest of the story. Mark's writing is concise, action-packed, and short on details. Within a few verses, Mark establishes the transition from the wilderness ministry of John the Baptist to the healing and preaching of Jesus Christ. This first chapter includes the calling of Jesus' earliest disciples, His early miracles, and His early teaching. This establishes the pattern shown throughout the Gospel of Mark, where Jesus mingles His teaching with miraculous signs.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.