38. Jesus heals a man with leprosy
– Matthew 8:1-4; Mark 1:40-45; Luke 5:12-16
Matthew 8:2-3 “A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, ‘Lord, if you are willing, you make me clean.’ Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. ‘I am willing,’ he said. ‘Be clean!’ Immediately he was cured of his leprosy.”
Leprosy referred to an array of different skin diseases. The skin diseases were highly contagious and incurable. Anyone who touched a leper would be considered unclean. If someone was diagnosed with leprosy, then they would be completely separated from society. Many times, lepers would have to warn people of their disease by loudly proclaim their disease to anyone who passed. More so, lepers were not allowed within city gates. They had to live with other lepers until they either miraculously got better or inevitably died.
Like leprosy, sin is also incurable. However, we all are tainted with sin. Luckily, we don’t have to walk around screaming our sins to anyone passing. Likewise, our sins haven’t caused us to be exiled from our homes. On the outside, sin doesn’t look very dangerous. But, in reality, it is deadly; any microscopic piece of sin results in death. Just like the leper, we too must realize that we cannot heal ourselves. We must ask for Jesus to clean us so that we may receive salvation. Jesus is willing. All you have to do is ask.
Matthew 8:4 “Then Jesus said to him, ‘See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”
By Jewish law, a leper must be examined by a priest in order to be diagnosed as clean. It was the priest’s responsibility to ensure that the leper does not infect the people. If the priest did not state that the leper was clean, then the leper would have to remain exiled from society. To follow the law, Jesus told the leper to go to the priest in order to verify that the man was clean. It was also a testimony to the priest that Jesus had been the one to heal the leper by placing his hand on the man.
Mark 1:45 “Instead 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. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.”
The man did not obey Jesus. He was eager to spread the news about his healing. This disobedience hurt Jesus’ ministry. In the city, Jesus would attract a crowd that was too large for him to perform his ministry. He had to withdraw to lonely places in order to avoid the crowds. Still, people sought Jesus out. He would really have to isolate himself in order to find somewhere to pray. Think of times when you have disobeyed God. It could be that you have also hindered Jesus’ ministry with your disobedience. The next time God asks you to do something or don’t do something, be eager to follow it. With your obedience you are able to expand his kingdom.
