Matthew 8: Part I - The Man With Leprosy (NIV)

Summary:

The Man With Leprosy

Verses 1-4

When Jesus came down from the mountain, after He was done teaching, a large crowd followed Him.  A man with leprosy knelt before Him and said, " 'Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.' "  (Verse 2b)  Jesus reached out and touched the man.  He said that He was willing and told the man to be clean.  The man was immediately cleansed.  Jesus told the man not to tell anyone, but to present himself to the priest with the offering Moses had commanded, as a testimony to them.

Lori's Thoughts:

People naturally desire to experience God.  They may not know what it is and they may go to many substitutes.  But, people will never be satisfied until they connect with their Creator.

My brother has a gift for attracting people of all ages, ethnicities, and genders.  I believe this is so because he makes them feel valued.  They are worth listening to, laughing with, and having them as a friend.  Not too many human make us feel this way.

I believe what Dany makes others feel is similar to how Jesus made others feel.  For example, here was a diseased man.  An outcast.  I imagine most people preferred to avoid touching him for fear of contamination or because they were grossed out.  Imagine how unloved and unwanted this man must have felt.  Yet, he believed that Jesus could cure him if He wanted to.  The man knew he could do nothing to help his condition, so he sought out the Redeemer.

Jesus could have healed the man with a word.  I mean, He created the world with a word and could certainly fix it in the same manner.  But, here's a glimpse of the compassion He had.  Jesus touched the man with the repulsive skin.  I believe this restored the man's spirit.  He was worth touching.  Then, Jesus said He was willing to cure the man and, immediately, he was healed.

This is symbolic of salvation.  We cannot purify our sinful nature.  Not even by making a thousand animal sacrifices.  We must come with hope, that if God wills it, He can make us clean.  And He does.  He wants us to be saved from this weary land of disease and segregation and loneliness.  He knows what we desire and what we need.  He fulfills our desires and gives us what we need according to His will.  And it is instantaneous.  He doesn't tell us: do these things and you'll be saved.  He tells us: you asked, I will it, you're saved.

Notice, though, that He sent the man to offer a sacrifice afterwards as a testimony to them.  I believe they are the ones, like the Pharisees, who believed that they were saved by their relation to Abraham and by their offerings.  Jesus wanted to show them that this man was healed by His connection to the Lord, not by his offering to God.

Salvation must come before works.    However, faith without works is dead.  (See James 2:14-17)  Works without faith leads to death.  (See Ephesians 2:8-10)  We must have both to keep us from falling into sin, until God's work in us is complete, when He returns.  (See I Corinthians 1:8)