“And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him.” Luke 5:12-13
An outcast, separated from family and friends, the leper was quickly losing hope. The disease had taken over his entire body, there was nothing that anyone could do for him. Death seemed imminent. BUT then he heard people talking about a man called Jesus who was performing miracles. Could it be true? Was there hope for him to be made whole if He could find this man?
And then it happened. He saw a group approaching and realized that the One leading was Jesus. In fear and trembling he ran and fell on his face before Jesus. He had faith that Jesus had the power to heal him but was not sure if Jesus would want to do so.
Breaking through all social boundaries, Jesus reached out and touched the man, saying: “I will: be thou clean.” Immediately, the leprosy was gone, and his flesh became like a child’s. Imagine how he must have felt. Can’t you see him jumping up and down and showering words of thanks for his healing?
Jesus told him to do what the law required and go and show himself to a priest. There he would offer a sacrifice to the Lord of a pair of birds. One would be killed over running water, the other dipped in its blood and set free to fly. Once he completed this, he could return to his family and a normal life.
Leprosy is a type of sin. Without God in our lives, we are like the church of Laodicea, as described in Revelation 3:17 “knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.:”
When we repent and turn to Jesus, His blood cleanses us from all our sins and we are set free. We know that Jesus can not only forgive us but that He is willing to forgive all who call upon His Name.
Matthew 11:28-29 “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Maybe you are reading this today, and even though you know Jesus has the power to meet a need in your life, you are not sure whether He wants to or not. You can be sure that He wants the very best for you. Reach out in faith. Mark 9:23 “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.”
Prayer: Lord we were all like that person with leprosy, wretched and blind, until your precious blood washed us white as snow. Help us to trust you with all our needs, knowing that you are not only able, but you are willing to meet them.
Devotion by Anne Johnston