Low-lying Leper
While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him. Then Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” (Luke 5:12-14)
My mind went completely blank as I began this chapter. I believe it must be what professionals call “writer’s block”. I am obviously not a professional for I had no idea what was going on. I kept reading through the verses time and again, unable to write even a few words. I was getting ready to just turn off the computer and go eat a snack when suddenly I was overwhelmed with one phrase. “…if You are willing.” Immediately, I was convicted. I realized I was taking for granted I could write. That is foolish. Only if the Lord is willing can I put words on the page. He alone can give me insight. I need to be asking for His help, but I also need to be ready to receive whatever answer He may give. In my desire to finish this book, would I be able to preface my prayer, my request for help with, “…if You are willing”? Would I have been alright if the answered had been, “No”? Would I still call him Lord? My petition was only about writing. The man in these verses was facing a matter of life and death. Yet, despite his hardship, this leper had an amazing understanding of the sovereignty of God. He was prepared to live by whatever choice the Lord made, even if his request was denied. He knew Jesus could heal him, but only if He was willing to answer his plea for help.
If anyone had a right to demand healing, surely this man did. He must have been in the latter stages of his disease since the text shares that leprosy covered his entire body. We can only assume what his physical appearance was like. Because this skin disease kills the nerve endings in the epidermis, you have no ability to feel pain. You could cut off your finger and not realize it. Often many people who suffered with leprosy lost skin and body parts due to the unknown injuries they were inflicting on themselves. This man may have had a grotesque appearance. Not only was this man suffering, he would have known that Jesus had cured others. That is why he knew he could ask for healing. If Jesus had granted the requests from others, then why would He not answer his? But this man of faith did not demand anything. He simply put his petition before God. He waited on the reply. He realized that no one, no matter the difficulty of his or her situation, could demand a miracle.
Please do not think that he was saying, “Oh, well, whatever happens, happens. Que sera sera. Whatever will be, will be.” (Which of, course, if he did say this means he somehow knew how to speak French.) He was not passive in making his petition; he was passionate about his request. He was not yawning when he made it, feeling half bored. He was throwing Himself at the feet of Jesus in complete humiliation as he spoke his supplication.
While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” (Luke 5:12)
The request was to be made clean. Does that seem strange to you? The man has leprosy. Why did he not ask to be healed from the disease? Why was his focus on being clean? Was he obsessed with being germ-free and smelling like roses? No, his focus was the Levitical law.
The person with…an infectious disease must wear torn clothes, let his hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of his face and cry out, “Unclean! Unclean!” As long as he has the infection he remains unclean. He must live alone; he must live outside the camp. (Leviticus 13:45-46)
The leprous man was asking for healing, a healing that would not only restore his physical body but also restore him to the social world. Beyond the social world, he longed to once again be a part of the religious order. For to be outside the camp, is to be outside the Temple. Little did he realize, the Temple was standing in front of him.
Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him. (Luke 5:13a)
Look with me at the method of healing. Jesus could have spoken healing over this man. He could have just waved His hand. But Jesus reached out and touched the leper. Can you imagine the touch of any person when you have been isolated so long due to leprosy? Remember from the passage we read in Leviticus, any time he came within yelling distance of people, he had to cry out “Unclean”. People would do anything to get out of his path. They were fearful of catching this cruel and devastating disease. Not only did they not want to come near you, but they surely would not want to touch you. Jesus reaches out, makes an effort, stretches forward and puts the hand of God on a man covered with leprosy.
Who today feels covered with sin, with shame that seems never to leave you? Who feels like people do not care about your existence? Has anyone been treated less than human? I have felt all of the above. Some of the pain I inflicted on myself but then others caused part. There are those of you who can relate. May I tell you the truth? The nail-scarred hand of the Son of God is reaching out to you. But you say, “He has not done anything. My life is the same.” Child, before He can speak healing into your life, you must allow Him to touch your heart. We do not know how long the hand of God rested on the leper before He heard the words, “I am willing. Be clean!” But he waited on the words. And while he waited, he knew he was not alone, for Someone had drawn near to him. Instead of running away like everyone else, God came close. The Lord wants to do the same in your life.
Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!” (Luke 5:13a)
For however long this man had suffered, he was forced to tell everyone he was “unclean”. No one approached him for that would make the person “unclean”. But not so with Jesus. When He touched the man, the cleanness of the Lord made the man clean. How powerful is our Savior! This amazing spiritual truth takes place everyday. Whenever a person confesses Jesus as Lord and believes that God raised Him from the dead they become saved. The leprous sinner is no longer unclean by sin. He has been cleaned in the blood of the Lamb. And our Redeemer is always willing for this to happen. He longs for everyone to be clean, to be saved, to be changed for eternity. And mysteriously it happens in an instant.
And immediately the leprosy left him. (Luke 5:13b)
Rejoice over the word, “immediately”! In a moment of time this man went from a diseased body to a healthy physical state. He went from being a social outcast to being a part of the community. He went from exclusion from the Temple to being able to walk in there at will. Every part of this man’s life was changed. From that moment on, he was a new man. His old ties to disease no longer held him. He could walk freely in his new state.
This same principle takes place in our hearts. We are no longer bound to the old way of life. God has given us a new way of living. We can choose to walk in His Spirit instead of walking in the ways of ourselves. This is freedom.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17)
In a moment, a new creation is made. In this instance, the new creation was a leper healed from his infirmity. But in order for his restoration to be complete, the man had to offer a sacrifice.
Then Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”
Jesus knew that in order for a person who had been cured of a disease to be fully accepted back into social and religious class, he must go to the priest.
On the eighth day he must bring two male lambs and one ewe lamb a year old, each without defect, along with three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, and one log of oil. The priest who pronounces him clean shall present both the one to be cleansed and his offerings before the Lord at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. (Leviticus 14:10-11)
Did you catch the first phrase, “On the eighth day”? What a minute, Jesus told him to go right away. How can that be? Not only that, when you study the fourteenth chapter of the book of Leviticus, a couple of steps in the cleansing process were missed:
These are the regulations for the diseased person at the time of his ceremonial cleansing, when he is brought to the priest: The priest is to go outside the camp and examine him. (Leviticus 14:2-3a)
But this step was not skipped. The High Priest, Jesus Christ Himself, came outside the camp. He determined the man was clean and proclaimed it. Step one complete. What about the next step?
If the person has been healed of his infectious skin disease, the priest shall order that two live clean birds and some cedar wood, scarlet yarn and hyssop be brought for the one to be cleansed. Then the priest shall order that one of the birds be killed over fresh water in a clay pot. He is then to take the live bird and dip it, together with the cedar wood, the scarlet yarn and the hyssop, into the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water. Seven times he shall sprinkle the one to be cleansed of the infectious disease and pronounce him clean. Then he is to release the live bird in the open fields. (Leviticus 14:3b-7)
I am getting ready to be too deep for my own brain. Try to follow. I say to you, that this had all taken place in eternity past and would take place in time in three years. “What?” you ask. Two live birds, both clean. Just as there were two men, Jesus and the now clean leper. One bird killed, the other released. Jesus, the Son of God, was killed on a cross (cedar wood). His blood is the scarlet yarn that weaves together the Word of God. And hyssop represents throughout scripture the application of the sacrificial blood for the cleansing of sin. I am trying to express, please Lord help me, that the initial sacrifice was not bypassed by Jesus but that he was the fulfillment of this step. Outside of time, this event had taken place. For we know that He is
…the Lamb that was slain before the creation of the world. (Revelation 13:8b)
Because of His sacrifice, which outside of time had already taken place, the other bird, and all of us birds, are free from the punishment of death because He Himself took it.
But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)
You must be wondering, like I did, “Then why did Jesus order this man to go to the priest? Could He have not completed this step as well?” His motive is shown in one phrase. See if you catch it.
Then Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” (Luke 5:14)
Did you see it? Jesus told him to go in order to give testimony to the priest of the healing power of God. He was sending the former unclean leper to be a missionary to the “clean of the clean”. Don’t you just love it! The outcast was being asked to witness to the religious elite of society.
May I ask you, as a former leper speaking to another, whom are you telling about Jesus? He has sent you out. Can you imagine this leper acting like nothing had happened, hiding his new skin, and pretending to still be an outcast? That would be crazy. No one could contain this man’s joy! The same should be for you and for me. Don’t worry about whom God sends you to. Do not be concerned about their “status” in this world. The priest and other religious leaders, who thought they were clean, did not realize that they were suffering from a worldwide disease epidemic called sin. Only One could heal them, if He was willing. But in order to be clean, you must go to Him, humble yourself, and believe He alone is able to make you new.
Moving Mat
Have you ever done anything crazy to get someone else’s attention? I mean the no holds barred, don’t care what anyone else thinks, will go to all extremes for the sole purpose of getting that one special person to not only notice you but remember you? Do you recall a moment in time when you let go of reason for the sole purpose of hoping to tug at the heartstrings of another?
I had a friend who desired to impress a girl that he was dating. He wanted to let her know how much she meant to him. He decided to create an unforgettable Valentine’s Day. He picked her up early in the evening, drove to the side of one of the main roads in the city, and pulled over. She was surprised when he got out of the car and came around to open her door. They were on the side of the road. What was he up to? He then proceeded to encourage her to climb the ladder on the side of a huge billboard. I still have no idea how he convinced her to do this. When she reached the top, she saw that he had prepared a picnic for her. Why was the billboard so important? It was an advertisement for a hospital promoting cardiac care. It had a huge 3-D heart in the middle of it. Sitting 30 feet in the air, which was amazing considering his extreme fear of heights, eating dinner in front of a big heart, he expressed his feelings for her.
Some of you are very irritated at your spouse right now, wishing he or she was that creative. Why do stories like that make us say, “Ah, how sweet!”? All of us deep down want to be the recipient of extravagant love. It does not even have to only be from a husband or wife or boyfriend or girlfriend. How wonderful it would be to have a friend who was devoted in good or bad times, dedicated even when everyone else is gone, and showed you care and concern even when you may not have the physical or emotional energy to reciprocate the affection.
We can see that kind of friendship in the Bible. A perfect example is one of a man who was not only blessed with one friend like but four of them.
One day as He was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there. And the power of the Lord was present for Him to heal the sick. Some men came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, He said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? Which is easier; to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins….” He said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you get up, take your mat and go home.” Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.” (Luke 5:17-26)
This account is so cool. I know you are impressed by my deep theological word, “cool.” This text is so rich; it just amazes me each time I read it. I know that you have heard many sermons on this story, but please do not skim it over. There is too much you could miss.
First of all, look at the crowd. You have a very elite group gathered in this house. The Pharisees and the teachers of law had come to hear Jesus. These guys were the religious examples of their time. If you had any questions about the Scripture, you would ask them. To learn how to practically apply the Mosaic Law to your life, you could have them explain the thousands of statutes they created on how to keep the Law. (The Mosaic Law is the commands God gave to Moses on Mt. Sinai that is detailed out in the Old Testament books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. It explained how the people could interact with God.) If you desired to see examples of how to carry out the Law, they would willingly allow you to watch their lives and love all the compliments you gave them. These guys, in their opinion, represented what the nation of Israel should be. This is the group of men you wanted to be “in” with. They were the cool crowd (I just wanted to use that theological word again).
As amazing as these men thought they were and as adored as they were by the people, Jesus was not impressed by them. Their ideas of the Law did not matter to Jesus because He had come to explain a new way. In fact, the scene is set up with Jesus teaching this group. He knew the ones who taught were the same ones who needed to receive His teaching. Jesus was never impressed with anyone’s perceived status nor was He ever revolted by anyone’s past. He knew that everyone needed to hear the Truth, religious or not, leaders or not, powerful or not. He knew that all people needed Him.
The same is true today. God has called us to proclaim the gospel to every person. The Hollywood star needs Jesus just as much as the crack addict downtown. Everyone is just as lost, just as separated from God until they accept Christ. Our job is to proclaim to them the good news. We do not need to be intimidated by earthly powers of money, status, or political connections. A greater Power is with us and His heart goes out to everyone. No man intimidated Jesus. This cost Him His life. Surely, we can sacrifice our reputations. When you are focused on Jesus, it does not matter what anyone else thinks about you. Was that not evident in the life of Paul, the greatest missionary of all time? He eventually was martyred for his faith in Christ. Read these powerful words.
Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. (Galatians 1:10)
Not concerned about others. Letting go of your reputation. Willing to risk everything to get to Jesus. Do you have that kind of faith, that kind of life? Not many people do. Sad to say, we are so concerned about the opinions of others that we miss the opportunity of reaching others for Christ. Just look at this group. The crowd was unwilling to move in order to allow the lame man and his friends to enter in. Surely some saw them. It was obvious the reason why they were there. It was not a shocker to think that they had brought their friend to be healed by Jesus. Yet, the group was left outside for the crowd was not willing to make a way for them. May I say that we do the same things today? We are so used to “church” our way, as if it is Burger King, we are unwilling to move to bring others in. When we do, we miss out on seeing the move of God.
Thankfully, these men were determined to get to Jesus despite the religious people who were unwilling to get out of the way. The four friends were not to be detoured. They refused to give up easily. And they were willing to go to the extreme, to sacrifice their reputation in order to help their lame friend. All they knew is that they needed to get to Jesus, even if it meant showing up in a dramatic way.
Some men came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. (Luke 5:18-19)
Picture this. You are sitting in church. The preacher is in the pulpit delivering a sermon. Everyone is very attentive, which is a kind way of saying they were staying awake. Some are even ambitious enough to take notes. All of a sudden, you hear a strange scratching sound coming from the ceiling. You look up and notice the roof seems to be moving. Weird visions of rats falling on your head come to mind. You look around and realize everyone else is staring at the ceiling, too. The sound continues. Dust starts flying in the air. Then, chunks of the roof start falling down. The flying missiles hit you in the head. The place is too crowded to get up and leave. Your only hope is to cover your head with your hands and arms, hoping to not get hurt. Suddenly, the sound stops. You peek out, afraid that roof particles could get stuck in your eyes (better than a plank). You are covered with dust and fragments. You look up as you brush the mess off your arms and legs, when you see them. There are four men looking down at you. You feel anger, irritation, and curiosity all at the same time. (The same feelings you have around a toddler throwing a tantrum.) The men disappear for a moment. Then, you see a large rectangular object coming down from the ceiling. The four men are struggling as they lower it down. What are they doing? Suddenly, you realize there is a person lying on a mat. As he comes closer, you recognize that his legs are twisted. The man cannot walk. The mat is lowered in front of the pastor, the teacher, the Rabbi, Jesus. Now, all eyes are on Him.
When Jesus saw their faith, He said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” (Luke 5:20)
That’s it? That’s all? I am covered with dust and roof shingles and all you do is talk to the guy? Did you not see the effort that those four guys went through? They even put our lives in jeopardy and all you do is speak a few words to the paralyzed man?
Ah, but Jesus knew, as we also know, that the spiritual need is more important to meet than any physical or emotional need. All the crowd could see was the physical brokenness of the lame man’s body. But Jesus could see deeper. He saw a soul that was twisted, abnormal, scarred with sin. That is what he wanted to heal. He knew that the man’s soul was eternal, while his lame body was only temporary. And Jesus wanted the soul with Him forever. Not only his soul, but He also wanted everyone’s soul who would listen to His offer of mercy: the Pharisees, the teachers of the law, and the four men on the roof. Jesus wanted all of them to know that He would forgive their sins.
Sadly, the religious leaders quickly questioned this notion.
The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Luke 5:21)
The music minister at my former church spoke on this passage one Sunday. He answered the Pharisees’ question with this, “You are right.” For it is true, God alone can forgive sins. But what these religious leaders failed to realize was that God was in their midst. And He was forgiving sins. And He was offering them this eternal guarantee as well. He also knew their hearts had rejected it.
Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? Which is easier; to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins….” He said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you get up, take your mat and go home.” Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God.” (Luke 5:22-25)
Which one is easier to say, “your sins are forgiven” or “get up and walk”? Their answer probably would have been to say, “your sins are forgiven”. For us, it would be easier to say something than to make a miracle happen. Sure, it would be easy for me to go around telling people that their sins are forgiven than to try to heal them. However, it was a different story for Jesus. By being on the other side of the cross, we are painfully aware to the real answer to this question is. For Jesus, it was easier to say, “Get up and walk”. Think of what he had to suffer in order to say “your sins are forgiven.” He knew He would have to endure scorn, beatings, nails driven into His hands and feet, separation from His Father, and then death. It was not easy. Yet, Jesus was willing to suffer through the torture, so He could say to us, “Friend, get up and walk away from sin. Your soul has been healed. There is no trace of how you have been scarred, wounded, or lamed by your past. I am freeing you to walk in grace, in joy, in peace. I have the authority to give you this. Why? Because I endured the cross of death for you so that I may give you life.”
Jesus has the authority to do that. He alone has the power to change your life. That is what He was showing the crowd that day. Look again at what He was doing.
“But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins….” He said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you get up, take your mat and go home. (Luke 5:24)
He wanted them to know He had the authority to forgive sins. The physical healing was only a testimony to what God had already done in the man’s heart. Two miracles had taken place. The man was healed spiritually as well as physically. The latter would only last until the day he died. The former will last throughout eternity.
Can I share something with those of you who were saved at a young age, obeyed God faithfully, and have served Him in quiet ways in the church? Please do not ever feel like your testimony is not shocking enough to share. I had a friend who never wanted to share her salvation story because it was not the “God saved me from crime, drugs, and tearing pages out of hymnals.” What God did in her life as well as yours is extraordinary. It may not have seemed as dramatic as the healing of a lame man. In the pages of eternity, however, it was an indescribable display of the mighty power of God. Speak your testimony, for you are a witness to the glory of God!
In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might BE FOR THE PRAISE OF HIS GLORY. (Ephesians 1:11-12, emphasis mine.)
To be the chosen for the praise of His glory is an awesome thought. Jesus that day chose a man that society looked over. He could not work, take care of himself, provide for others, or benefit the community. In the world’s eyes, he would be summed up as a failure. But that was before He met Jesus.
He said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you get up, take your mat and go home.” Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. (Luke 5:24b-25)
We, like that paralyzed man, can take up our mats, which represent our pains, our disappointments, our broken dream, and even our failures-and see God use them for His glory. What a mighty testimony of the power of Jesus Christ. It makes me wonder if he kept the mat until the day he died. Did he show people when they came to visit him the place where he used to have to lay all the time? Did he share his struggles of life from the mat? Did he detail out what kept him from living life? But then did a huge smile cross his face as he shared about the day Jesus released him from the mat?
God is still releasing people from their mats today. Yesterday, on the radio, I heard about an ex-convict who became a Christian. He has now opened a halfway house for released prisoners, to help them readjust to society. While they live in this home, he has the opportunity to share the gospel, to explain what Jesus did in his life. Now they, too, can experience the eternal healing power of forgiven sins. He is pointing others to his empty mat. I knew a former drug addict and dealer, who later worked at a Christian drug rehab to help others to release their addictions and turn their lives to Christ. He, too, is pointing others to his empty mat. We all have our empty mats, the dramatic story of how God came and radically changed our lives. We can choose to hide them. But how would God’s glory be displayed? We need to tell others how God showed His strength in our weakness.
Imagine the opportunities that this former lame man had to glorify God that day. Here he was walking down the street with a mat under his arm. No doubt he and his four friends were jumping, running, praising God as he headed home. People wondered what was causing all the excitement. Neighbors came out of their homes to find out what was going on. They look at this foolish crowd, laughing and dancing. Then, they recognize him. “Could it be? Surely it’s not. How could a lame man walk? It must be the sunlight playing on my ways. No, it is him.” The former lame, now the dancing fool, practically sings as he tells the people what had happened, what Jesus had done. Brothers and sisters, as we travel homeward toward heaven, take every opportunity to praise God and to tell others what Jesus has done in your life. People will know there is something different about you. They will recognize your joy! Then, others can share in the blessing of salvation.
Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.” (Luke 5:26)
Glory to God! When Jesus does a work in our lives He alone deserves to receive the praise. The man did nothing, all he could offer was his faith. But that was enough. His friends, also, had faith and they had the ability to bring their friend to Jesus. That was enough. All five of them had done their part for they had placed their faith and their abilities not in themselves, but in the One greater than the problem. It was Jesus alone who could do the miracle! Are you weak from your circumstances? Do you feel as if you cannot walk through any more trials? Have sins crippled your ability to move forward in your life? Maybe all you have is your faith? Guess what: A miracle can happen. Do you know someone who needs Jesus? Do you have faith plus the ability to bring your friend to meet Him? Then, keep watching. I guarantee those four friends never stopped looking through that hole in the roof as they all waited to see what God would do. A miracle can happen. Not only could your life be affected, but also countless others who witness the change that only God can bring. Glory to God!