Matthew Chapter 8: verses 1-3 (NIV UK Version)
When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, ‘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!’ Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy.
In Jesus time lepers were meant to stay away from crowds. They were banished to live in colonies away from everyone else and were regarded as unclean. In feature films we sometimes see them carrying little bells and shouting, “unclean” to make sure people stayed away from them. This man was desperate so he took a risk. There were large crowds following Jesus but the leper didn’t care. He went right up to Jesus and knelt down in front of him. He believed that Jesus could heal him if he was willing to do so. Jesus was, and said so. He could have healed the man just by saying the word, but as well as healing the man physically, he restored him emotionally; before He uttered the words, Jesus reached out and touched the man. How long had it been, I wonder, since the man had known a physical touch from someone else?
Sometimes people shy away from making a decision to follow Jesus because they feel its too much of a risk. Are we prepared to stand out from the crowd, or would we rather just blend in? What happens we wonder if things don’t work out? Jesus is always willing to reach out to us, if we are willing to take the chance and come and kneel at His feet. He will never turn us away, and He will meet our need at every level, because He knows exactly what we need.
Dear Lord,
Thank You that You are willing to minister to anyone who is prepared to humble themselves and kneel before You. Thank You that You know what our needs are, be they physical, spiritual or emotional and You meet us at the very point of that need, no matter what condition we are in. Help me to treat other people with the grace and compassion that You showed to that leper. Amen.