Due to weather conditions, all in-person daytime and evening programs have been canceled across the church’s locations for Wednesday, except for the Recovery programs and Food Pantry at Overland Park. Decisions for Thursday daytime programs will correspond with local school district decisions and will be posted on the church’s website.
Scheduled programming has resumed for Thursday, February 13 at all Resurrection locations.
The person who has the leprous disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head be disheveled; and he shall cover his upper lip and cry out, “Unclean, unclean.” He shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease; he is unclean. He shall live alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp.
A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”
In Jesus’ time, people with leprosy were considered unclean according to the laws in Leviticus. They were forced to live outside the community, wear torn clothes, and shout “unclean” to warn others. Leprosy wasn’t just a physical disease; it was a symbol of isolation, rejection, and exclusion from both the community and the worship of God. Yet, when a man with leprosy approached Jesus, something radical happened. Instead of rejecting him, Jesus did the unthinkable: he touched the man, offering both physical healing and a restoration to the community.
Jesus’ touch redefines what it means to be holy. In the traditional view, holiness was about separation—staying away from anything unclean to maintain purity. But when Jesus touches the leper, he flips that idea upside down. Instead of being contaminated, Jesus imparts healing and restoration. He shows us that true holiness isn’t about avoiding the unclean but about engaging with compassion and bringing transformation.
This is a profound theological shift: holiness is not about preserving ourselves but about pouring out love, mercy, and grace to those who feel outcast or broken. It’s an invitation to live as Jesus lived, reaching beyond fear and stigma to offer healing and hope. This kind of holiness changes everything—it draws us closer to God and closer to those in need.
Prayer Tip: A Prayer for Healing and Compassion
Take a moment to pause and bring before God the areas of your life where you feel broken or unclean. Just as the man with leprosy trusted Jesus to heal him, trust that Jesus is willing to heal and restore you, no matter what you’re facing. Ask God to give you the courage to offer that same love and compassion to others—especially to those who feel outcast or forgotten.
Jesus,
Like the man with leprosy, I come to you, trusting that you are willing to heal and restore the brokenness in my life. (Pause and name your brokenness.) I believe that you can touch what feels unclean and make it whole. Give me the courage to extend that same love and compassion to others—especially those who feel outcast, forgotten, or unseen. Help me be a reflection of your healing love in the world.
In Jesus name, Amen.
This week's prayer tip is by Max Franks, who serves as a Connection & Care Pastor at Resurrection's Leawood location.