The Leper

"When Jesus came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. ² And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” ³ And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. ⁴ And Jesus said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” - Matthew 8:1-4 ESV (also in Mark 1:40-45)

Short accounts like this one are often overlooked, and little attention is paid to their significance. This account is a beautiful example of the nature and heart of our Saviour. It is not merely the account of Jesus healing a man of leprosy but of a holy God accepting and embracing the outcasts, the untouchables. At the time, which was under the law, lepers were considered "unclean" and were rejected by society. Whatever an unclean person touched became unclean or contaminated (Numbers 19:22). Lepers were, therefore, forced to leave families and society to live outside of the city. Not only were they pushed to the periphery of society to prevent contamination, but lepers had to cry "unclean, unclean" to warn people of possible physical contact.

" ⁴⁵ Now the leper on whom the sore is, his clothes shall be torn and his head bare; and he shall cover his mustache, and cry, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ ⁴⁶ He shall be unclean. All the days he has the sore, he shall be unclean. He is unclean, and he shall dwell alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp." Leviticus 13:45-46 NKJV

Jesus' Reaction

The leper was convinced of Jesus' ability to heal and restore him, but not necessarily His willingness.

“Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” (verse 2)

 

Jesus far surpassed his expectations. Jesus, God in the flesh, willfully touches the leper. Someone who hasn't experienced human contact in years experiences the loving touch and acceptance of his Creator and Saviour. Not only does Jesus clean the leper of his leprosy, but he also restores his worth. Hear how Jesus tells the leper, "I am willing."

"And being moved with compassion, Jesus stretched forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou made clean." (Mark 1:41)

Jesus is willing. He wants to heal and restore people. When faced with humanity's mess or ugliness, He is not disgusted but willing. Under the law, people's impurity and sin separated them from God. His holiness could not come into contact with their unholiness. Under the new covenant, Jesus became the sacrifice for the sins of the whole world and cleansed the world from sin (1 John 2:2; Hebrews 10:1-18). There is no longer a sin problem. The only possible offence after the cross is not accepting Jesus' sacrifice and receiving His righteous nature.

^"17 Now, if anyone is enfolded into Christ, he has become an entirely new creation. All that is related to the old order has vanished. Behold, everything is fresh and new. ¹⁸ And God has made all things new, and reconciled us to himself, and given us the ministry of reconciling others to God. ¹⁹ In other words, it was through the Anointed One that God was shepherding the world, not even keeping records of their transgressions, and he has entrusted to us the ministry of opening the door of reconciliation to God. ²⁰ We are ambassadors of the Anointed One who carry the message of Christ to the world, as though God were tenderly pleading with them directly through our lips. So we tenderly plead with you on Christ’s behalf, “Turn back to God and be reconciled to him.” ²¹ For God made the only one who did not know sin to become sin for us, so that we who did not know righteousness might become the righteousness of God through our union with him." 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 TPT

As a believer, all of your sins are forgiven and forgotten (Hebrews 8:12-13). Jesus represented God perfectly on earth (John 5:19; Colossians 1:15), knowing he'd die to take away the offence between God and man (Romans 5:12-21). Where under the law, an unclean object or person could contaminate a clean subject, Jesus' sacrifice far exceeds any impurity or uncleanness.

From this extract, it is evident that Jesus wants people well. He is willing to heal and restore every part of your life. Even though you might have been rejected or cast aside by people, God wants to hold you and assure you that you are accepted by Him. Whatever you might feel ashamed of, Jesus wants to touch that area or situation in your life and restore it with His grace. He accepts you, and no 'mess' is too messy for Him. His love and grace far outweigh any shame. There is nothing you need to be ashamed of. Out of His great love for you, He willfully died for all of your sins and gave you His righteousness in exchange. Beauty for ashes.

Copyright of clip: New Creation Church (2018)

Imagine you were the Leper in Matthew 8. Rejected by society and cast out by your family. People fear your touch. You are dirty, unclean. From where you hide, you see Jesus coming. Scared and unsure,  you fall at His feet. You address Him as "Lord" in respect of his title, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." Feeling ashamed and nervous, you await His response. Unexpectedly, you feel something you've yearned for years: human touch. Acceptance. Warm, fuzzy love floods your being, and you experience it to your core. Your heart stands still as you hear your Saviour say, "I am willing, be clean." A peace that surpasses understanding fills your heart. Your leprosy disappears at the command of your Saviour, the one who will lay down His life as a testimony of His all-consuming, passionate love for you.

Like the leper, receive your wholeness and acceptance because Jesus is freely offering it to you.