When the "If" prevents the ask

 

“A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. “If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean,” he said.

“Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!”  Instantly the leprosy disappeared, and the man was healed.-Mark 1:40-42

 

Sometimes the “if” gets in our way. There is a great deal behind that word “if” in this verse. The man doesn’t simply ask Jesus to heal him. There is an air of doubt in the word “If”.  What it tells us is that the man wasn’t sure that Jesus would.

It wasn’t that he wasn’t sure if Jesus “could”. In that case he would have said “If you are able…”. This man is not sure if Jesus is willing.

How many times have we held back from our prayers simply because we weren’t sure if God was “willing” to help us; our presumed reasons for His assumed unwillingness usually being a long laundry list of our inadequacies’ and/or shortcomings. It’s an internal dialogue we sometimes don’t even realize we are having.

Did you ever ask someone for something but immediately give them an “out” because you were already fairly sure that they would decline. “If you have time could you….”   “If you are available…”  

This man is overcome by all the reasons he believes Jesus has, to not be willing.

If we based our relationship with God on our worthiness instead of His willingness all of us would truly fall short.

 ^"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”-Romans 3:23

I love how Jesus is so intentional to not only heal this man, but to state His intentions. “I am willing.”

So many times the things that hold us back from prayer are not a lack of time or space, as we often proclaim. It’s a lack of understanding in our Lord and Savior. It’s a feeling of doubt that brings the “If” into our faith.

It says that Jesus was moved by compassion. Jesus feels the emotion of the man who wants nothing more than to be healed and whole.

“Jesus reaches out and touches him." This is an important detail, because to touch a person with leprosy meant you could very well contract this horrible and debilitation disease. It would deem a person unclean. Besides the intentionality of Jesus stating that He is willing…. there is also the intentionality in the fact that Mark points out that Jesus “touched” this man….this unclean man. It doesn’t simply say that Jesus healed him; it specifically says Jesus touched him.

We know that Jesus doesn’t need to touch in order to heal, but Jesus does not just teach with words, He teaches with actions.

Touching this man clearly shows that no one is too “unclean” for Jesus’ touch; that in our moments of shame, guilt and unworthiness, Jesus is always willing.

Take a deep look at your prayer life today. Are you trapped behind the “If”? Are you avoiding sitting at the feet of God because you doubt His willingness to “touch” the deep dark places in your life?

When you find yourself in this place remember Jesus’ words spoken in authority and love, “I AM WILLING”. Then pour out your heart to our Savior who paid it all for each one of us.

When we come to Jesus sick in our sin, unclean and incurable, wounded by our human condition….wondering "If" we can be healed, Jesus reaches out His grace filled hands to us and changes our lives. 

Don't let the "if's" of your faith prevent the asks of your prayers.

We may not be worthy....but He is ALWAYS willing!

-Pastor Patti