(Pericopes of Peter) Mark 1:35-45

After healing Simon's mother-in-law and many in the community of Caesarea, Jesus begins a more general ministry throughout Galilee (northern Israel.)

Mark 1: 35-39, The ministry begins

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.  Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: "Everyone is looking for you!"

Jesus replied, "Let us go somewhere else--to the nearby villages--so I can preach there also. That is why I have come."

So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

The ministry begins with Jesus isolated and praying.  (Why does God need to pray?)
Where does Jesus preach?  What are the results?  (Why?)

Mark 1: 40-45, A leper approaches
A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, "If you are willing, you can make me clean."

Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!"

Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured.   Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning:

"See that you don't tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them."

Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.

What is Jesus's reaction to the leper's request?  (In verse 1:40 The Greek word translated leprosy here was used for various diseases affecting the skin--not necessarily leprosy.  But clearly this is a serious, incurable disease.)

Why did Jesus give him the strong warning?  What is wrong with the leper telling everyone of Jesus's work?