This The Way: The Words, And Ways Of Jesus
Week 22 - If You Are Willing
1 “When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed him.
2 Right away a man with leprosy came up and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”
3 Reaching out his hand, Jesus touched him, saying, “I am willing; be made clean.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
4 Then Jesus told him, “See that you don’t tell anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”
Matthew 8:1-4
Leprosy was one of the most debilitating diseases and ultimately deadly diseases in biblical times. Leprosy is a disease that destroys you slowly from the outside in. The worst part of this disease was that there was no cure, and no one was able to help you. And even if they could, no one was willing to help you because if you had leprosy you were considered untouchable and you were cast out of the community and cut off from people.
Many have thought leprosy to be a disease of the skin. It is better classified, however, as a disease of the nervous system because the leprosy bacterium attacks the nerves. Leprosy’s agent M. leprae is a rod-shaped bacterium related to the tuberculosis bacterium. Leprosy is spread by multiple skin contacts, as well as by droplets from the upper respiratory tracts, such as nasal secretions that are transmitted from person to person.
Its symptoms start in the skin and peripheral nervous system (outside the brain and spinal cord), then spread to other parts, such as the hands, feet, face, and earlobes. People with leprosy experience disfigurement of the skin and bones, twisting of the limbs, and curling of the fingers to form the characteristic claw hand. Facial changes include thickening of the outer ear and collapsing of the nose. In addition to pain and disfiguration, biblical leprosy and Hansen’s disease are both dreaded, and people were shunned because of them.
It is a contagious, debilitating disease that corrupts its victim and makes him essentially dead while alive; and it followed that almost universally, society and religious people scorned lepers. Rabbis especially despised lepers, and saw them as people under the special judgment of God, deserving no pity or mercy.
So as we can all gather, leprosy was a disease that you did not want. Being shunned and humiliated by your community had to make the disease even worse, having no one to go to.
“Right away a man with leprosy came up and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”
1. Understand the
The Leper understood the urgency to be healed. He saw Jesus knowing that He could heal him. He came to Jesus with urgency knowing Jesus COULD.
We have to stop waiting to come to Jesus because you think it’s “bad timing” This man saw His need for healing, and He knew He could have it because of the testimony of Jesus’ ministry. The man with leprosy may have heard and seen God’s power be made manifest throughout Jesus’ life.
The Leper’s hunger and urgency to be healed may have seemed undignified, but when you have a need so great, being dignified is the least of your concerns. Are we that hungry for a touch from Jesus, that sometimes we may even seem undignified??! Church, be okay with that. Be okay with getting a little crazy for Jesus. Jesus IS THE HEALER. Let me remind you of something too…Romans 6:10-11. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.
Jesus is willing to heal you. Jesus went to the cross FOR your healing, the word says in Isaiah 53:5 “But He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.” So by HIS WOUNDS, we are healed. He died for you & me, He died for you–FOR your wounds, physically, emotionally, or mentally. He wants to heal you. You have access to the King of Kings, and He wants to touch the parts of your life that we sometimes try to keep from him.
“Reaching out his hand, Jesus touched him, saying, “I am willing; be made clean.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.”
What is so important about this next part of this text is that culturally during that time, touching someone with leprosy would immediately make you unclean. It was against the ceremonial law to touch a leper, which made the touch all the more meaningful to the afflicted man. Of course, as soon as Jesus touched him, he was no longer a leper!
Christ did not regard the traditions of ceremonial cleanliness as more important than this man’s brokenness. But by personally touching the leper, Jesus validated his humanity and restored him to the community of human fellowship once again. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. He was instantly cured.
Our healing invites us into fellowship with other believers. The enemy would like you to believe that Jesus is not healing you because you have done something wrong. NO. Jesus is KIND. Jesus does NOT dangle our healing in front of us. WALK IN THE HEALING BEFORE IT COMES TO PASS!!! How do we do that? If it’s emotional healing that you need, invite Jesus in. Invite trusted, Godly mentors in, speak it out, wash scripture over yourself. If it’s physical healing you need, speak out your healing before you see it! YOUR WORDS HAVE POWER! Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” What you say has power. The enemy certainly can’t read your mind or thoughts, but I will tell you how he likes to speak lies to you, he will use the words against you that you’ve spoken out yourself that were not true.
Jesus did not have to touch the leper in order to heal him. He could have healed him with a word or even a thought. Yet He healed the leper with a touch because that is what the leper needed. God KNOWS what you need.
Throughout Jesus’ ministry, Jesus often varied the manner of healing, and usually He chose a particular manner that would be meaningful to the afflicted individual. Jesus was THAT personal with his children.
Jesus’ assurance that “I am willing” simply answered the man’s question, and helps us in times we wonder if Jesus is willing to heal. We should assume Jesus is willing to heal unless He shows us differently.
Some of us need a touch from Jesus.
“Then Jesus told him, “See that you don’t tell anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”
Asking people not to publicize His power may have been aimed at keeping the mission on track. Part of that might have meant keeping the size of the crowds following Him from getting out of hand. This scripture also points us back to Leviticus.
Jesus gave the healed man one more command. He told him to go show himself to the priest and offer the gift of a sacrifice commanded by Moses. That sacrifice included “two live clean birds and cedarwood and scarlet yarn and hyssop” (Leviticus 14:4–8). Once the priest inspected the man and received the sacrifice, the man would be declared officially and ceremonially clean and allowed to return to the community.
Jesus used the leper as a testimony to the priest. Don’t discount the power of your TESTIMONY to show God’s work at work within you. Wear Christ’s healing power on you like a badge of honor! Your testimony could be the start to someone else’s healing! We overcome the enemy by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our TESTIMONY!
Small Group Questions:
What did you learn from this passage today in Matthew 8:1-4.
Leprosy was the kind of disease that segregated you from community and family. Have there been moments in your life that you have felt unclean and unworthy to be around others, maybe even believers?
God’s will for our lives is sometimes outside our understanding, how does this make you feel when it comes to healing specifically?
If you feel comfortable, share one thing you are believing God for when it comes to healing? (Please be sensitive to those who may share, as some may be walking through very difficult things.)