Our Prayers, not our Performance, Moves God's Compassion - Mark 1-2

Man is obsessed with stirring the heart of God. Now, those who are "atheist" or "agnostic" would obviously say they are not interested in God either because he doesn't exist or they can't know that He exists. But, I would maintain the truth of my original statement. Mankind has been obsessed throughout the ages to "please the Gods" and to search for His blessing. Are their individuals so contrary to the history of mankind who personally don't believe in God or that we can know God? Of course, but that is not the norm. Man has a history of a "quest for God." The journey to find God's favor is so intense religions are born out of it and wars are fought over it. All religions, except Christianity, teach that it is our "best performance" that moves God's hand of blessing toward us. Yet, in the gospel of Mark we read that the way we get God's "compassion" and blessing is entirely from within the heart of God not the behavior of man. In Mark 1:40-45 we read the story of the leeper who falls on his face and cries out to a passing Jesus, "If you are willing you can make me clean." His prostrate action simply demonstrates the condition of his heart. He realized that Jesus and Jesus alone was his salvation from this horrible health issue. He recognized the power and person of Christ. He recognized the character of Christ. That recognition of his own condition and the power of Christ in the prayer was seen by Christ, yes. But, the next line doesn't read, "And seeing the man's 'behavior' Christ was moved with compassion." The phrase "moved with compassion" demonstrates that Christ was moved by His internal emotions. He wasn't "moved by prayer" (although the prayer showed the man's heart), Christ was moved by His compassion for the lost. God is not willing that any should perish because He is a God of compassion. He so loved the world is not because the world deserves it but because His internal being is composed of Love in Action. We can not "perform" our way to God's mercy and grace. We can simply find His benefits in the overwhelming compassion of His being. Our prayers alert Him that we know that. His compassion in action alerts us to who He is; not what we have done to deserve it.