在耶稣刚刚开始传道的这段时期，马可要告诉我们，耶稣的优先次序和我们不同。人们到处找祂，希望能得着医治。但耶稣知道祂的首要任务是宣讲神的国。所以祂说：“我们可以往别处去... 我也好在那里传道。因为我是为这事出来的。”
这些话有时可能会使门徒们感到困惑，今天的基督徒也因之感到震惊——我们知道传道很重要，但我们肉身的需要如此逼切。我们想让耶稣先满足我们眼前的需要。
所以，我们就像那个痳疯病患者一样，请求耶稣的医治。我们甚至可以带着同样的想法说：“你若肯，必能叫我洁净了。”耶稣的确说：“我肯。”耶稣愿意医治。但这并不是祂的首要任务——祂的首要任务是让每个人都知道，祂的国度将要来临。 祂来要拯救世界！但这并不意味着祂不关心我们个人。
有时，耶稣会很快医治我们，而有时，耶稣会让我们等待。但是，耶稣从未停止宣讲祂的国度，在那里，“不再有死亡，也不再有悲哀，哭号，疼痛”（启 21:4）。
亲爱的耶稣，我们在一个充满疼痛的世界里，只有你能修复它。我们渴望你按着我们的需要现在就医治我们。请帮助我们更加渴望这世界得着医治。阿们。
马可福音 1:35-45
35次日早晨，天未亮的时候，耶稣起来到旷野地方去，在那里祷告。
36西门和同伴追了他去，
37遇见了就对他说：“众人都找你。”
38耶稣对他们说：“我们可以往别处去，到邻近的乡村，我也好在那里传道，因为我是为这事出来的。”
39于是在加利利全地，进了会堂，传道、赶鬼。
40有一个长大痲疯的来求耶稣，向他跪下，说：“你若肯，必能叫我洁净了。”
41耶稣动了慈心，就伸手摸他，说：“我肯，你洁净了吧！”
42大痲疯即时离开他，他就洁净了。
43耶稣严严地嘱咐他，就打发他走，
44对他说：“你要谨慎，什么话都不可告诉人，只要去把身体给祭司察看，又因为你洁净了，献上摩西所吩咐的礼物，对众人做证据。”
45那人出去，倒说许多的话，把这件事传扬开了，叫耶稣以后不得再明明地进城，只好在外边旷野地方。人从各处都就了他来。
"A man with leprosy . . . begged him . . . , 'if you are willing, you can make me clean.' . . . 'I am willing,' [Jesus] said." - Mark 1:40-41
In this episode near the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, Mark is showing that Jesus’ priorities are not the same as ours. People are looking all over for him, hoping to be healed. But Jesus knows that his main mission is to preach the kingdom of God. So he says, “Let us go somewhere else . . . so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.”
This may have confused Jesus’ disciples at times, and Christians today continue to be shocked by it—we understand that preaching is important, but our physical needs are so urgent. We want Jesus to meet our immediate needs first.
So, like the man with leprosy, we ask Jesus for healing. We may even come to Jesus with the same sentiment: “If you want to, you can make me clean.” And Jesus does say, “I am willing.”
Jesus wants to heal. But it isn’t his top priority—his top priority is letting everyone know his kingdom is coming. He has come to save the whole world! But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t care for us individually.
Sometimes Jesus heals us right away, and sometimes Jesus asks us to wait. But Jesus is always working to bring about his kingdom, where “there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain” (Revelation 21:4).
Dear Jesus, we are in a world of pain. Only you can fix it. We long for you to heal our needs right now. Help us to long even more for the healing of the world. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
