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Mark loses no time in getting to the core of Jesus' life and work. So in Mark 1:21-45 we read how he ejected an evil spirit from an oppressed person, healed many, went away early and alone to pray, and healed a man from leprosy.
The last of these acts is particularly remarkable as the only leper healed in the Old Testament was Naaman, a Syrian. Healing a Jew of leprosy was something that the religious authorities believed only the Messiah would be able to do. When the man said, 'If you're willing you can make me clean' he was either ignorant or he thought Jesus was the Messiah. And if he had done what Jesus told him, the priest would have understood that the Messiah had already arrived on the scene.
These verses remind us of Jesus' power and authority over demons and illnesses. They show that he is the Promised One, the Messiah. And they also show us the value of prayer and the importance that Jesus attached to communicating with the Father.
If we don't get these basic things right, how are we going to be part of what Jesus is doing? [Tweet it!] If we don't know who he is, how will we understand him, honour him, or obey him? And if we don't understand that prayer was essential for Jesus, how will we ever see that we also need to communicate with the Father through the Son?
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