Calendar

MOVED WITH COMPASSION
LORD’S DAY, JANUARY 9
Mark 1:39-45

Psalm 34

 

“And Jesus,

moved with compassion…”

 

MOVED WITH COMPASSION
 
“And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean” (Mark 1:41).
 
We have a good and compassionate God (Ps 78:38; 86:15; 111:4; 145:8). The words here, “moved with compassion,” is an excellent translation of the Greek splagchnizomai which speaks of the deep stirrings of our innermost parts—the bowels/intestines, our gut. It is not just a strong emotive word, it is a very active word—it speaks of being moved to action.
 
Jesus was moved to help this man who besought Him with meekness and humility. Look at his humble faith—(1) He did not speak arrogantly or demandingly to the Lord, but pleadingly—he begged the Lord. (2) He was quick to take a worshipful and prayerful posture by kneeling before the Lord for he knew he was sinful and Jesus was holy. (3) He was not presumptuous but surrendered himself totally to the mercy of God—“If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.” The Lord Jesus graciously said to him, “I will; be thou clean.” “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit” (Ps 34:18).
 
Now, know that not all Bibles have the same Jesus. The New International Version (NIV) for instance has a different Jesus here—a Jesus who is indignant, not compassionate. Instead of “compassionate,” the NIV in Mark 1:41 reads, “Jesus was indignant”—Jesus was angry when He healed this man. Is the NIV Jesus your Jesus? It is certainly not mine. For I know my Jesus and He is not like this. Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice… and they follow me” (John 10:27). The voice in the NIV is not my Saviour’s voice, I will not follow. Beware the modern versions. Stick to the good old version.
 
THOUGHT: Read Jeffrey Khoo’s Kept Pure in All Ages: Recapturing the Authorised Version and the Doctrine of Providential Preservation (https:// www.febc.edu.sg/v15/assets/pdfs/febc_press/Kept%20Pure%20In%20 All%20Ages.pdf).

PRAYER: Lord, “If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.”

Search