SCRIPTURE:
"A man with leprosy came
to him and begged him on his knees, 'If you are willing, you can make me
clean.' Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched
the man. 'I am willing,' he said. 'Be clean!' Immediately the leprosy
left him and he was cured" (Mark 1:40-42, NIV)
Background:
I asked myself what the stigma of leprosy would
have done to a person!
This man had leprosy. Leprosy made someone an
untouchable and an outcast from society. This man could have been
ridiculed and shunned all the days he had leprosy. He could have lost
hope because of his bad experiences he may have had. More than likely he
would have had such a terrible time because his disease was contagious
and also because people feared coming near anyone with leprosy as they feared
getting it so they created Leper's colonies. The movie 'Ben Hur' portrays an example and also shows the
redemptive side.
Observations/Interpretations:
I asked myself what the
man did?
The man could have easily been conditioned to accept
his defeat in life but he did not. One day he found out about someone
who loves others so much and who performs miracles. He took an active step hoping
to receive help even with all the fears he may have stored up inside.
1.
He came to Jesus with the disease that
made him feel like an outcast. (Skin falling off and blisters everywhere)
2. He fell on his knees and begged Jesus,
‘If you are willing, you can make me clean.’
Observations/Interpretations:
I asked myself why the
leper used the words,
‘If you are willing’!
This tells me that there were many people who
were not even willing to be near him. We can infer that he was not sure
if Jesus was going to have anything to do with him especially from the
bad experiences he may have had. Yet he takes the daring step and says,
"If you are willing, you can make me clean"
Observations:
I asked myself what were
Jesus’ reactions towards the leper?
1. Jesus was filled with
compassion.
2. Jesus reached out his
hand.
3. Jesus touched the man.
4. Jesus said, "I am
willing"
5. Jesus said, "Be clean"
Point 1:
Jesus was filled with compassion.
It is important to remember if
Jesus had not left Simon and Andrew's place with his disciples after
spending time in prayer, the man would not have had an encounter with
Jesus. Jesus already knew there was a leper who needed His help.
Jesus showed his compassion to the man who was
sick and who wanted to be clean. Jesus did not shun him but goes a step
further and exhibits His compassion by the next action He takes which is
evident by point 2.
Point 2:
Jesus reaches out his hand.
Picture the person with leprosy
whose skin was filled with spots and was falling off. No one would even
come close to him but now Jesus reached out His hand. This is so
significant to me because by reaching out His hand, Jesus started the
process of healing the man emotionally and psychologically. Now the man
knew even as an outcast to society that He was loved by One person who
really mattered. Jesus did not stop there but goes a step further which
is evident by
point 3.
Point 3:
Jesus touched the man.
I believe at that point the man was healed
emotionally, mentally, and psychologically by the loving Hands of Jesus.
By touching the man in his sickness, Jesus was letting him know that he
is loved as he was. He is valued as a person regardless of his disease.
Wow! That is awesome to know! Jesus does not stop there after touching
the man but gives him words he wanted to hear. This is evident by point
4.
Point 4:
Jesus said, "I am willing"
These are the words the man wanted to hear from
Jesus and must have been ecstatic to hear them. Lepers were usually
confined to a lepers colony and could not do a lot of things that
healthy people were able to do including making a financial living. Now he knew he could be part of society
as Jesus helps him with that. This is evident by point 5.
Point 5:
Jesus said, "Be clean!"
Immediately, the leprosy left him and he was
cured!!! Praise God! Amen! He was instantly healed physically but also
he was healed emotionally, psychologically, and mentally by the trauma
he faced after a personal encounter with Jesus.
Implications:
The man with leprosy did not let his past come
in the way of receiving healing in the present. It could have been easy
for the man to have dwelled in the past and allowed his negative
experiences and thinking to rule his life and given up. He did not but
decided to take a risk and it paid off.
It is exciting to know what
Jesus did for the leper He can do for us too when we have a personal
encounter with Him. He waits for us to come to Him to clean us! Yes, He
does! I don't know His timings but I know He loves us and wants the best
for us!
I ask you now dear
friend, where do you want to be clean in life?
Dear friend, each of you has a past otherwise
you won’t be in the present. You know the skeletons from your past. You
know the deep hurts and scars that are hidden deep inside. You know the
times of rejection, ridicule, etc you may have faced. Many of you may
still be carrying them with you as heavy baggage. It will not go away on
its own but you can definitely find healing from your past and be set
free once you start dealing with what happened and not hesitate to
receive the help needed. Jesus wants you to come to Him and He will not
turn you away. He wants to clean out your past for you just as He made
the leper clean. Yes, He does
friend! Come as you are!
The man with leprosy was determined to receive
help and did not let his past stop him nor 'what other people might think
of him' and received healing! You do not have to let your past stop you
from receiving the help the Lord wants to give you right now!
It won't be easy and there could be a lot of
inner turmoil and pain but when you pour out your heart to the Lord
showing him everything that has caused the wounds and scars you are
dealing with and ask Jesus to make you clean as the leper showed himself
to Jesus and asked Jesus to make him clean and was healed, so will you
be in God's perfect timing.
When you pray to the Lord, listen to what He has
to tell you. Jesus reached out to the man, touched him and spoke to him
being willing to make him clean. Jesus wants to reach out to you and
touch you in every area of your life.
Whether you have experienced any
kind of abuse, a relational break-up, a family-dysfunction, guilt over
sins of the past, death in the family, etc, Jesus is willing to reach out to you with His
Loving Hands, touch you with his healing love. Take the help He is
offering you. He loves you so much.
Each of you knows what the Lord may
want you to do to deal with what you are facing. Don't let your past or
what other people will think about you stop you from receiving healing. Just because you may have had bad experiences in
the past and they hurt you so badly, don't let that govern your present
and future.
One example is relationships. If you have ever
experienced a bad-break up, it would be so easy to just give up and not
be in a relationship with anyone else fearing you may get hurt all over
again. But don't let the other person who broke up with you have a hold
on your life preventing you from enjoying life again. Depend on the Lord
to send that right person your way. I know He would because He created
you, you are special in His sight and He knows that special one out
there for you who you can spend the rest of your life with. Even if you
have done things in a relationship you were not supposed to do, Jesus is
there to forgive you and give you a new start. Yes, He is! Come as you
are and receive cleansing for all your sins. Give your past to the Lord
Jesus and be healed! Be healed and cleaned by the Lord as you turn to
Him!
Take the step whatever you are facing with and
bring it to the Lord as the man with leprosy did and you will find
healing in Jesus' Name! His love can enter everyone now and make them
clean. Yes, it can friend! Amen!
No matter who we are whether rich or poor, educated or uneducated,
male or female, whatever our ethnicity, etc we are all in the same boat
when it comes to the deadly virus that is more than a pandemic. It has
invaded all of humanity making us so unclean. This virus has
trapped us and is driven by Satan himself. He wants to take us where he
wants to go and where he wants to be which will eventually end up in
Hell.
Yes, friend the leper became an outcast to the people around him
because of his condition but Jesus intervened to give Him new life. Now,
friend all humanity is an outcast before the Lord because of this deadly
virus. You see friend because of sin, we have been an outcast to God
because God in His Holiness cannot allow sin to enter into His presence
of Heaven.
So, God took became the Initiator to save us since we cannot save
ourselves from this sin. As Jesus went to save the leper from his
condition, God also sent Jesus to save humanity from its condition of
sin.
Jesus Christ went to the cross, shed His precious cleansing blood by
dying on the cross for our sin, was buried, and came back to life on the
third day to save. Now friend, we have an antidote to clean us of this
deadly virus known as sin. The antidote is the precious cleansing blood
of Jesus that can wash away all our sin.
However friend, Jesus won't force His antidote for us to take just as
Jesus did not force the leper to come to Him. The leper chose to come to
Jesus in His un-cleanliness and Jesus took care of the rest. Jesus wants
to do the same for us. When Jesus died on the cross, I believe Jesus
chose humanity to come to Him. Now, it is up to you and me friend to
turn our lives over to Jesus knowing Salvation is by grace through faith
and not of any good works that we can boast.
We can come to Jesus because when Jesus died on the cross, He was
making a way for you and I to be clean when we turn to Him. Jesus wants
to heal us of all our shortcomings, scars, shame, etc. Yes, He does
friend. We can be set free and now is the time of Salvation.
Come to Jesus as you are knowing He loves you so much and has a plan
for your life. You can be clean no matter what you have done! You are never out of
His love and never out of His reach. That is amazing to know! May you
receive healing in the Arms of our loving Lord and Savior now and
forever more! Amen!
"Christ's Love Enters Always
Nurturing! (C.L.E.A.N)/"Where do you want to be
clean in life?"
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, you remember
everything. You remember the time the man with leprosy came to you and
begged you to make him clean. You were filled with so much compassion
and you reached out your hand and touched the man who was seen as
diseased and you were willing to make him clean and healed him. Thank
you so much Jesus. Thank you so much for your love. Lord, you know the
wounds and scars each of us face from our past or even the present. You
know Lord what it has done to us on the inside and many times on the
outside. Lord when the pain is
too much it is so easy to try to forget it by focusing our minds on
other things so we do not have to deal with it. That won't help us in
the long run. But, I know Lord you can heal each person who is faced
with hurts when they come to you. You can clean us of our sins and
make us pure again no matter what we have done or faced with. Oh Lord,
we need that cleansing in our lives. There are those right now Lord who
need to feel clean but their guilt has a hold on them. Break that guilt
Oh Lord and help them to hold on to you. Let them know they are loved
and can start over again as you gave the leper new life. Thank you
Jesus. Please Jesus reach out to the one who
is hurting and touch them with your love and power. Provide them the
means to get the healing you want for their lives. Thank you Jesus so
much. Please Lord help them not to let their past influence them from
getting the help they need. You know how they can receive that help.
Please make it clear to them. Thank you so much Jesus. Help us Oh God
of our Salvation for the glory of your name. Please deliver us and
provide us healing for your name's sake. Thank you so much Jesus. Thank
you that you not only hear us but answer us! Amen! In Your Name I Pray
Jesus! Amen!
"May my spoken words and
unspoken thoughts be pleasing even to you, O Lord my Rock and my
Redeemer." (Psalm 19:14)
If you would like to invite Jesus Christ into your heart and make Him a
daily part of your life, you can this very moment. You will never be
alone. You can claim God's promises for you in the Bible and see them
come true, before your eyes, in His wonderful timing. You don't have to
wait for a special time to come to the Lord. You can come right now as
you pray the prayer below, meaning it in your heart.
Prayer:
God I am a sinner. I am invaded by this deadliest virus. Many times I
feel so guilty and yucky inside. I need forgiveness. I am so sorry for
my sins. I have not obeyed you with my whole heart! I have gone my own
way and done my own things. I still struggle with sin. I need you Jesus
in my life so I can receive forgiveness and a new beginning. In the
process, I can forgive others as you help me to. Thank you so much
Jesus. I accept the antidote you have sent me. I believe Jesus you died
for me and your cleansing blood will cleanse me from all my sins. You
came back to life to save me. Thank you God I am set free, free from the
bondage of sin. Hear my cry Oh Lord. I accept you Jesus into my heart. I
make you my Lord and Personal Savior of my life. Thank you Father God
for giving me Salvation. Thank you Jesus for coming into my heart and
making my heart your home. Thank you for living in me Jesus and I will
live for you and serve you the rest of the days of my life. Thank you
for being my Lord and personal Savior! I can live a life of peace with
you on my side. Thank you that you have heard my prayer and answered me!
In your Name I Pray Jesus! AMEN!
