Matthew 8:1-4; Mark 1:40-45; Luke 5:12-16
We begin our study of Jesus healing a leper by reading:
Luke 5:12-16
[12] While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell facedown and begged Him, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”
[13] Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.
[14] “Do not tell anyone,” Jesus instructed him. “But go, show yourself to the priest and present the offering Moses prescribed for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”
[15] But the news about Jesus spread all the more, and great crowds came to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses. [16] Yet He frequently withdrew to the wilderness to pray.
From this story, I call your attention to the:
The Leper and the Lord
He came to Jesus broken, in need of healing. When the leper begged on bended knee to be made clean, Jesus replied gently, “I am willing.” How often do we fail to ask for help, assuming the Lord has better things to do? Yet he waits patiently for our call, ready to act in compassion.
Consider the leper’s condition – rotten flesh, foul odor, painfully alone. Yet the text says simply, “Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him.” No hesitation, no disgust, only tenderness. As Jesus ministered, His heart broke for the crushed and desperate. He saw not disease but a precious child crying for relief. And so He acted.
Christ’s compassion compels our obedience. After healing him, Jesus instructed the man to present himself to the priests as Moses prescribed – both to verify his cleansing and give thanks to God. Thus Jesus demonstrated submission to authorities. Likewise, we cannot accept his blessings while rejecting his commands. Grace is not an excuse for lawlessness.
Finally, as the leper’s grateful steps faded, Jesus retreated to the hushed solitude of the wilderness. For even He, who carried the weight of our woes, needed the quiet embrace of prayer. In this, He reminds us of our own need for renewal, for moments where we shed the world’s clamor and commune with the Source of our strength.
Lonnie Davis