Week 2 - He Heals the Outcast
Sunday Passage:
Mark 1:40–45
Theme:
Jesus reaches the unreachable (Shame)
Weekly Reading: Mark 3–4
Relatable Story:
Shame doesn’t just make you feel bad—it makes you feel unsafe to be known. It tells you to hide, to stay quiet, to keep your distance, because if people saw the real you, they’d back away. But Jesus does the opposite. He moves toward the person everyone else avoids. And the most shocking part isn’t even the healing—it’s the touch. Jesus isn’t repulsed by what we carry. His presence heals what shame has tried to name forever. This week, don’t run from Him. Let Him come close.
Study Focus
• Leprosy as social, spiritual, and emotional isolation
• Jesus touching what society avoids
• The cost of compassion
Discussion Questions
Why is Jesus’ touch as important as the healing?
What modern forms of “leprosy” isolate people today?
Why does Jesus tell the man to be silent—and why doesn’t he listen?
Where might Jesus be calling you toward uncomfortable compassion?
Kingdom Practice
Move Toward the Margins:
Intentionally engage someone you’d normally avoid or overlook.Who is that for you?
