Touching the Leper

Most of you will recall the story of Jesus healing the man with leprosy recorded in Matthew 8 and Mark 1. Reading this recently I saw it in a manner I had not seen before. It has so touched me that I want to share it with you now. First of all, we must take note that leprosy was a dreaded disease. Unlike today, when it is rare, in Bible days its spread was greatly feared. Getting leprosy was a certain death sentence. Those who had leprosy, by law, were to keep themselves separated from the public. If they had to leave their commune, they were to shout, “unclean, unclean,” as a warning to all to keep away for their own sakes. Levitical law of the day forbid lepers in public places. Having that background, let’s now look at the story.

In Matthew 8:1 we read that large crowds of people were following Jesus. In the midst of that crowd we read in verse 2, Suddenly, a man with leprosy approached Him and knelt before Him (NLT). That had to be astonishing to the onlookers, but what happens next was the greatest bewilderment of all. Verse 3 tells us that Jesus reached out and touched Him (NLT). What! Jesus actually touched this unclean man? Yes He did, and reading further we see that Jesus healed this man with the instruction to show himself to the priest. It was the law of the land that one who somehow believed themself to be healed of leprosy must let a priest examine him or her and then pronounce them clean. After that the person was free to enter the community.

While it was amazing that Jesus touched this unclean man, He is still doing the same thing today. You and I are born sinful people. If we live on in our sin it is a certain death sentence for eternity. However, like the leper, we can approach Jesus. After all, He paid the penalty for our sin on the cross. Like the leper we may kneel before Him and ask forgiveness of our sin. What happens then? Jesus reaches out and touches us with redemptive love, forgiving us and washing us clean by the blood He shed for us. Then, what happens? As Jesus instructed the healed leper to present himself to the priest, one day Jesus Himself will present His bride, all of us forgiven and made whole, to His Father. We will be declared clean, all our sins washed away, and we will be invited to live in the City of God for eternity where no sorrow or sin exists.

Perhaps like the lepers in Bible times, you may feel too unclean to approach Jesus, but there is nothing you have ever done or said that cannot be forgiven. Do you want a life with new purpose? Do you want to be made whole with promise of eternal life with Jesus? Do you want courage and peace and guidance for all the rest of your days on earth? Then like the leper, come to Jesus. Ask His forgiveness. Turn away from your old ways and walk as a new creation in Him (II Corinthians 5:17).

I love this song by Bill and Gloria Gaither:

What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see, When I look upon His face the One who saved me by His grace, When He takes my by the hand and leads me to the promised land, What a day, glorious day that will be.

I can hardly wait. I hope you will be there, too. Just go to Jesus. There is no other way. There is no greater joy. There is no peace like His peace.