Welcome to the Paul Tripp podcast, where pastor and best-selling author Dr. Paul David Tripp

connects the transforming power of Jesus Christ to everyday life.

In today's episode, we'll continue through Paul's sermon series through the Gospel of Mark.

To conclude his action-packed first chapter, Mark records Jesus'

famous act of healing the leper. In this sermon, Paul draws parallels between us and the leper,

not only with his condition, but also his response to his healing. If you've been enjoying the

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transforming power of Jesus Christ. Now here's Paul with this message from the Gospel of Mark.

It is perhaps one of my favorite lines from a hymn. He comes to make his blessing known far as the curse is found.

It's almost like the writer had in mind this account that we're going to look at this evening.

You see Jesus on the fringe of Galilean culture, facing one example of the horrible effects of the fallen world on a human being.

Sociologists say that a culture is defined by what's at the center and defined by what's at the fringe.

Galilean culture was defined by what was at the center, at the center was the synagogue.

And you see in Mark I, Jesus in the synagogue. And he's there declaring his authority by his preaching

and declaring his power as he casts out that unclean spirit. And at the end of Mark 1, you see Jesus

on the fringe of Galilean culture now encountering the leper there. And those two

brackets really do picture for us the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. By his grace, he will

transform the sinner. By his grace, he will transform the fringe.

That is his mercy.

That is his power.

Let me read again for you from Mark I, beginning with verse 40.

And a leper came to him and pluring him, and kneeling said to him, if you will, you can make me clean.

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