A great compassion and a crowd avoidance, vv. 12–16
A great crowd and a great controversy, vv. 17–21
A convincing proof and a consuming awe, vv. 22–27
Reflection questions:
Would your instinct have been the same as Jesus in vv. 14–16? Would you have withdrawn from the crowds who wanted more of what you had to offer (in Jesus’s case it was the ability to heal) in order to restore yourself through prayer and meditation? Do our actions sometimes indicate that we think we don’t need regular prayer?
Compare the determination of the friends (and the paralytic) to see Jesus (see vv. 18–20) with the story of Matthew 13:44–46? What does the determination of these friends (as well as the men who sell all that they have) tell us about what we should seek in this life? (Also see Matthew 6:32–33)
What is this passage trying to show us when Jesus chose to touch the leper? Some other passages to consider: Ps 22:24; Isaiah 52:13–53:12 (especially 52:14; 53:2–3, 5, 7, 10); Leviticus 13:45–46; Hebrews 13:11–13.
