Mark 1:35–45

Jesus Prays in a Solitary Place

1:35–38pp—Lk 4:42,43

³⁵Very 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.^{m 36}Simon and his companions went to look for him, ³⁷and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”

³⁸Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.”^{n 39}So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues^o and driving out demons.^p

Jesus Heals a Man With Leprosy

1:40–44pp—Mt 8:2–4; Lk 5:12–14

⁴⁰A man with leprosy^h came to him and begged him on his knees,^q “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”

⁴¹Jesus was indignant.ⁱ He reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” ⁴²Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed.

⁴³Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: ⁴⁴“See that you don’t tell this to anyone.^r But go, show yourself to the priest^s and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing,^t as a testimony to them.” ⁴⁵Instead 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.^u Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.^v