Sunday: Touching the Untouchable
After preaching the Sermon on the Mount, where He’d described the principles of the kingdom of God, Jesus re-encountered the kingdom of Satan, a cold dark place filled with decaying people groaning for redemption, a place whose principles are often contrary to everything for which He stands.
Image © Erik Stenbakken from GoodSalt.com
And at that time one of the greatest examples of just how wretched and fallen Satan’s realm had become could be seen in the disease of leprosy. Though occasionally used as a form of divine punishment, such as in the case of Miriam (see Num. 12:9-12), in the larger context of the Bible it’s a powerful and horrific example of just what it means to live in a fallen and broken world.
Read Matthew 8:1-4. What importance can be seen in the fact that, in healing this leper, Jesus touched him? See, for example, Lev. 13:44-50
The leper kneels before Jesus and says, “‘If You are willing, You can make me clean’” (NKJV). The Greek word for “can” is dunamai,like “dynamite” in English. It means full of power. “If you are willing, you are full of power and can change my life.” Jesus says He is willing to heal the leper and immediately does just that.
The fact that Jesus touched him must have sent shivers through the multitudes who saw what had happened. Surely, as He did on other occasions (such as the next recorded healing), Jesus could have just spoken the word, and the man would be healed. Why did He touch him though?
“The work of Christ in cleansing the leper from his terrible disease is an illustration of His work in cleansing the soul from sin. The man who came to Jesus was ‘full of leprosy.’ Its deadly poison permeated his whole body. The disciples sought to prevent their Master from touching him; for he who touched a leper became himself unclean. But in laying His hand upon the leper, Jesus received no defilement. His touch imparted life-giving power. The leprosy was cleansed. Thus it is with the leprosy of sin,—deep-rooted, deadly, and impossible to be cleansed by human power.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 266.
Perhaps, by touching the leper, Jesus showed that no matter how bad our sin is, He will draw close to those who are willing to be forgiven, healed, and cleansed from it.
| Whom do you know, right now, who is suffering from the kind of thing we view today as “leprosy”—that is, anything that makes people recoil in horror and judgment? How can the example of Jesus help you to understand how to relate to that person? |
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The emphases of healing this week, is what I see as the major focus of the Great Healer, Jesus. We can see illustrations and examples such as episodes of leprosy that might be self inflicted because of very poor choices. By embellishment We might consider other consequences that are even more serious. But the Master of all healing makes us whole.
"He touched me and o the joy that flood my soul...He touched me and made me whole"
Something magnificent happens when we allow Jesus to touch us .A super power infiltrates our beings and surely we are no longer the same ... O how I need the touch of Jesus.
Kedeisha Charles, That is a great old song that I have sung and played often. It holds so much meaning. Praise His name.
We who have been afflicted with the disease of sin, who wallow in it's mire, suffer under a curse. The health laws declared that no one should touch those people but the priest (for our protection). He is to examine and pronounce "life with loved ones" or "separation from all society". Jesus who was not recognized as a Levite priest, disobeyed his own command to abstain from physical contact and put his hand upon the disease. The disease was incapable of remaining in his presence.
Oh how soon might we might be touched like Isaiah 6:6, by this divine hand, not only for our selfish limited healing, but in a twinkling of an eye to change our vile bodies into a new creation. Come Lord Jesus! Today our hands of Mercy may stem the tide of woeful indulgence, and counsel those who have, by their habits, ruined their frame. This is a powerful witness.
As I read this it seemed to me that Jesus does for us what we ourselves cannot do due to sin. Jesus had to be our sacrifice because we aren't able to cleans ourselves from sin. We were told not to touch someone with leprosy because it will just spread. Leprosy is an analogy of sin.
As the story or account unfolds by Matthew beginning in chapter 4:24 we find most of the people that were afflicted, were what we have described. Those with all kinds of diseases, epileptics, demon possession, paralytics, and more, and He healed them all, and Jesus seeing the multitude climbed the mountain to make room for everyone to see. After Jesus had given the messages of most importance so much that they were astonished Matt7:28,29. Jesus came back down the mountain. After discussing the encounter by the leper questions seem to be plentiful. What about being part of a large crowd that would obviously be contaminated. This wasn\'t addressed from any sources that I am aware of at least. No problem that Jesus had healing powers. To think that the leper would be so bold or that there was something that encouraged trust in the Savior, from all that Jesus had instilled in the leper. The story is inspiring whatever details we might glean.
No matter how bad our sins are.Jesus is always willing to clean us as white as snow just as he is perfect.It is then for us to choose perfection.
There is no sickness or disease that is above Christ, and praise the Lord because he has given us authority to cast out demons and heal all diseases in his name.
Leprosy was the cancer or HIV in those days and Christ who now lives in us imparted life giving power by his touch
No disease be it cancer or even HIV/AIDS is untouchable in Jesus Name.
Let us release the authority Christ has given us in these last days and touch all the untouchables and overcome them by his power
Oh how that final question breaks my heart in two! My son has been jailed for an offense in which he knew better. He did not hurt anyone else, only himself. It is not a felony charge, by God's grace. I pray that his 30-day sentence will truly cause him to genuinely repent. This, of course, may cause trouble with employment and perhaps he will lose friends.
Brothers and sisters, I plead for your prayers on behalf of my son. That this is exactly what I have asked from Jesus - that He would confront and convict my son, and give him the peace he needs (and also his elder brother). That NOW he (they) will be broken on our Rock. As you can imagine, my soul sometimes is distressed and worried, even though I remember many promises of salvation for our beloved children.
If you truly feel impressed by the Spirit of God to pray, then I would be more thankful than you could know. I do pray for your loved ones, as well, when I read your requests.
Our Father God and our Blessed Hope, Jesus,
I know You know how much we parents love our children. Please do as Thou hast said and cause our children to repent, be cleansed and changed, and be saved. Please honor our prayers of love for them. We do realize that You allowed them to be born, You willingly wish to redeem them, and You love and wait for them with Love that is extremely beyond our human love. We lay our prayers for our loved ones at Your feet. We love and thank You.
Mary God hears your prayers
He said that your prayers are in a bottle I remember when my son was wayward too God answered my prayer He'll do the same for you
I'll surely pray for your sons
He cares for the sparrows the lilies and He knows every stand of hair and He's with us always
A preacher said the presence of the storm does not mean the absence of the saviour He's there for you
Thank you, sister, for comfort.
We will pray for you and your sons. There is power in prayer.
To Anne Bell, Sheila A Sharpe, and Sharon Foster
Thanks so very much for your prayers!
This is so, the Levitical law,by means of the All Knowing God, made provisions for the most positive outcome by the Moses led Israelites. God had a passion for ceremony as illustrated in the sanctuary and connected duties. A number of diseases were healed and we are still afflicted in great numbers around the world.
We will be sending our prayers Heaven.ward, for each of you and I would like to mention a couple of texts that seem to fit. One is in Luke15:11-32. The parable of the prodigal,(lost) son. The other was Job 1:1-6. Job made a burnt offering to God for each of his children. Job 1:1 He cared deeply for his children. May your strength hold fast by the power of the Holy Spirit. Sheila and all
Thank you, Mirindo A., Sheila and Paul!
To Paul: I greatly encouraged him to remember the story of the joy of the father upon the son's repentance. I pray for the Holy Spirit to give him conviction, repentance and then RELIEF from the spiritual burden.
I will be praying, my friend.
What helped me the most when my child was in similar troubles was to remember that God loves our children more -yes, much more- than we do! Praying for you, as well as your children!
Marie Thomas.
I feel you and the pain you are going through as parent. Like you I am a parent, and I pray to God to listen to the prayers of everyone in this regard. May He visit and touch and your son, may this experience bring a lasting change on the young man that he may receive Christ. We are all sinners and have gove away from the Lord who is daily seeking us. How I pray that the young man may have a receptive heart, to be comforted, to know that at the end of jail term there is life and only through Jesus can he have it aboundantly.
May God grant you peace as you go through this experience, but above all that He visits, touches and changes the heart of your son, that he may win again the trust of other family members, friends and the society at large.
Remember joy comes in the morning and it's at darkest hour that the brighest stars are visible. May Jesus be your star at this dark hour.
Amen
The leper had to go to Christ seeking to be healed. That is one element of faith that we ought to have. Many times, we have faith but we are seated somewhere in the corner (even when we are able to move to Christ) and expecting Christ to feel sorry and come over to help us. We need to exercise our faith and seek out for Christ's power to heal and make whole.
In the healing of the leper with a touch, I hear the Saviour's words "Neither do I condemn you" again
Just showing us that no matter how sinful we are,our saviour is ever ready to touch, cleanse and wash away our sins only if we believe, accept and come to him.
Jesus is ready to redeem us from the grips of the evil one. No matter the gravity of our sins, He is ready to break us from this trap. Ours is to whole heartedly give our will to Him to mold us according to His own will. It's a joy to be His child and a great experience to walk with Him daily.
According to WHO statistics taken from reports of 103 countries and territories, there were over 180,000 cases of leprosy up to 2014, with over 200,000 diagnosed in 2013 alone. Thankfully, the treatment for the disease has become easy and accessible, even to poor, under-served and endemic countries - the WHO has offered free treatment since 1995. Unfortunately, there are still leper colonies in a few countries such as Indie, China and parts of Africa, despite efforts by the world governing bodies and health professionals to educate people that leprosy is not nearly as infectious as thought to be in primitive times. So today there are human beings deemed as outcasts, living in dumps and on the fringes of society because of this disease.
Two things that strike me about leprosy are: (1) the subtle way it invades the body, almost imperceptibly and (2) the debilitating ravaging marks it leaves on its victims. The incubation period for leprosy ranges anywhere from 5-20 years without symptoms. The damage done to the sufferer of leprosy is beyond description due to the lumps and bumps and sores on the body, plus weakness and loss of feeling in the limbs. This is astounding but this is how sin operates in the life of the sinner. It does untold damage that sometimes we are not even aware of, until the Holy Spirit speaks to us and the word of God convicts us of our true condition.
Though the soul may be stained with sin and deemed hopeless, as outcasts, there is hope and healing in Jesus' name. He invites all, "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be a white as snow; though they be red as crimson, they shall be a wool" (Isa. 1:18). Jesus is the Great Physician but He won't operate without our permission. Like the leper, we must ask Him for forgiveness and allow Him to heal us. What Jesus did for the untouchables around Him, we must do for those within our reach.
The great Physician now is near,
The sympathizing Jesus;
He speaks the drooping heart to cheer,
Oh! hear the voice of Jesus.
Refrain
Sweetest note in seraph song,
Sweetest Name on mortal tongue;
Sweetest carol ever sung,
Jesus, blessèd Jesus.
Jesus is coming from the mountain then He meets a leper. We need to go up high spiritually for us to be able to conquer whatever that is termed impossible. There is something that He did, He touched the leper. Leprosy is a highly contagious disease. Jesus is not worried about what would happen to Him. He is the Lord who is compassionate who is able to reach out to those people who have been regarded by the society as outcasts. Lepers were isolated from the community. Nobody never dared to stay with them or even to touch them, people feared for their well-being so they were regarded as ‘untouchable ‘and here we see Jesus touching the untouchable.
It interests me that ceremonial laws EXISTED relating to the cleansing of a Leper.
From a purely human perspective Leprosy was incurable.
When Jesus performed His first cleansing/healing of a Leper, laws that had not been applied for hundreds of years were suddenly applicable. What a stir this must have caused!
And the ceremonial cleansing/consecration of Lepers contained an element that was highly significant. Blood and oil was placed on the right ear, right thumb, and right big toe. And this same thing was done to the priests when they were consecrated at the beginning of their ministry.
Only the priests and cleansed Lepers had this done to them! (Lev 14)
After a man was healed of Leprosy and was in the process of being re-integrated into society (and into the congregation), he "SHAVED all his hair off his head, and his beard, and his eyebrows, even ALL his hair he shall shave off" (Lev 14:9).
This would have been a very humbling experience (especially for a woman such as Miriam), but it was far better than being ostracized, and completely outcast. And the shaving drew attention to the person... they could not be missed. (It was God's intent, I believe, to draw the public attention to such a person... They would be a "spectacle", testifying to the power of God.) Then on the day after the shaving, the healed Leper received the anointing of blood and oil, which effectively placed upon them an honor almost equal to that of an esteemed priest. (Lev 14:9-17.)
[However, the priest was anointed with the blood of an ADULT male sheep, whereas the healed Leper was anointed with the blood of a male LAMB. An interesting difference I think. (Lev 8:2,22-24 cf Lev 14:12-14). It is interesting too, I think, that the oil was placed "upon the blood" (14:17).]
All That I have learnt from this lesson Is the fact That Jesus loves us with the infinité love,his love Is unconditional ( He put his reputation at risk in favor of poor perishing sinners)It has also brought me into a new perspective as a Church leader on how to deal with people who have been casted/separated by the Church because of whatever reason(s)
Jesus' touch makes a very big difference if we come to Him in all reverence and all faith.
Whom do you know, right now, who is suffering from the kind of thing we view today as “leprosy”—that is, anything that makes people recoil in horror and judgment"?
I live in a Town which have been devastated by gangsterims and drug abuse. These gangsters are untouchables even by the high crime Police. Such crime is a leprosy to be avoided by people. Jesus is saying, he can spiritually heal such Gangsters and they turn away from sins.
Jesus can heal even those people beheading Christians in the Middle East. No sin is untouchable to Jesus.
Thanks Claudette for the details on World Health Organization (WHO) perspectives on Leprosy. Something else worthy of note is that contracting leprosy requires a relatively lengthy period of sustained contact with someone with leprosy. The contagious power of sin follows similar principles. Dwelling in close association with sin is likely to make us imbibe some of the sinful tendencies to which we have been exposed. This must have been the reason for God treating leprosy and leprous persons with isolation. Evil association corrupts good character!
May the Lord help us to remain safely under the banner of His love as we follow Christ's example of loving the sinner while hating the sin!
Thanks so much Olakunle, beautiful analogy and insightful comments. God's blessings on you too.