It would have started with a spot. A small blemish on his arm, leg, torso, or face. We wouldn’t think much about it today, just a dry patch of skin. Perhaps the man, fearing the worse, tried to hide it in hopes that it would go away. Sooner or later though the man had to face his fears and see the priest as commanded in the Law of Moses.
Everything was at stake, his ability to work, to worship, and to live under the same roof as his wife and children. The priest would have examined the spot, seeing the markers for leprosy specified in the Law the man would be quarantined for a specified time and reexamined. I can’t imagine the despair of the man. Examining the spot several times a day hoping and perhaps even believing that it was going away. The hopelessness that washed over him when the priest uttered the words, “Leper! Unclean! You must leave the city immediately!” With no hope for recovery, having lost all that he held dear, he wandered alone in the world. Every day his shame was magnified as he warned those who chanced to be near that he was unclean and untouchable.
When we read the stories about Jesus healing lepers, we don’t think much about it. The disease is treatable and virtually unheard of in the Industrialized world. Yet in Jesus’ day, Leprosy was untreatable. Lepers were outcasts and untouchable. Being seen as unclean and defiling everything they touched.
Being unclean doesn’t mean much to us today. We think in terms of infectious diseases and the fear that comes with getting whatever they have. Think about the recent Ebola scare or the early days of the AIDS epidemic and the fear that accompanied being around those afflicted. But in Jesus day being unclean had a spiritual meaning. An unclean person was cut off from God; they could not offer any sacrifices or worship in the Temple. Not only were they unclean and untouchable, but they were also cut off from everything that mattered. Outcasts. Unwanted. Perhaps still loved by a family, probably still lifted up in prayer, but they would never again know or experience those feelings, those connections, or the embrace of a loved one.
There are several recorded instances of Jesus healing those afflicted with Leprosy. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all contain this particular event. Matthew records it this way, “When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed Him. And a leper came to Him and bowed down before Him, and said, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one; but go, show yourself to the priest and present the offering that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”” (Matthew 8:1–4, NASB95) Notice that there were two things that were never to be together, lepers and crowds.
The leper violated protocol. I can just imagine the horror and revulsion as he made his way through the crowd. He risked his life to come to Jesus. On any other day, the leper would have been pelted with stones to drive him away. We don’t know how or what he had heard about Jesus, but he heard enough to risk the only thing he had left.
Also notice that the leper bowed down, an act of submission and worship. He acknowledged Jesus’ ability to heal and yielded to His will. Jesus then did the unthinkable, He reached out and touched the man. The leper could only come so close, but Jesus closed the gap and touched him. Something no one had done since the declaration of the priest.
By the Law, Jesus defiled himself, became unclean, except He didn’t. In the mentality of the Law uncleanness transfers. Sin begets sin. Why do you think some were so upset that Jesus ate with prostitutes, sinners, and outcasts? But in the mentality of Christ’s kingdom the reverse is true, cleanness transfers. In fact, the expectation is that those in the kingdom will go and touch those who are unclean.
When Jesus touched the leper he was immediately healed and cleansed. Imagine the man’s joy. All that was lost was now being returned. He could again enjoy the hugs of his children and the embrace of his wife. He could again worship God. He could again put his hands to work and be a part of the community.
There are two encouragements from what we’ve observed. The first is for those that feel like they are the untouchable ones; rejected, wounded, scared, alone, and outcast. Jesus is willing to touch your life like he did the leper. He will meet you where you are. All you have to do is to humbly recognize Jesus for who He is and ask. The second encouragement is for those of us that have been touched and cleansed by Jesus. The leper was told to go to the priest to fulfill the Law as a testimony to others. We too need to go and tell others what Jesus has done for us and how he can touch them too. The leper had quite a story to tell – what’s yours?
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