Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Mark 1:42

"And straightway the leprosy departed from him, and he was made clean." — Mark 1:42 (ASV)

“Filled with compassion” is probably better read as “being angered,” a reading found in older, more reliable manuscripts. Why would Jesus be angry? The best answer is that Jesus recognized this foul disease as the work of the devil. His anger was focused neither on the man nor on the disease but on Satan whose work he came to destroy. This incident then becomes another example of the fierce conflict between Christ and Satan that plays such an important part in this gospel.

Jesus also expressed compassion. He reached out and touched the unclean leper, an act that, according to the Mosaic Law, incurred defilement. In doing so, Jesus demonstrated his decision to take our flesh upon himself so that he might cleanse us from sin. His touching of the leper not only resulted in his being cured but also revealed Jesus’ attitude toward the ceremonial law. He boldly placed love and compassion over ritual and regulation.