Matthew 8:1–4
1When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed Him. 2And a leper came to Him and bowed down before Him, and said, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” 3Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4And 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.”
Focused Thinking:
What happened after the Sermon on the Mount?
“When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed Him.”
What would normal people do if a leper approached him?
A normal person would be fearful.
A normal person would be worried about getting leprosy.
What would the large crowd do if a leper approached Jesus?
They would have been afraid of being touched by the leper.
They would have been afraid of getting leprosy.
They would have been extremely curious and interested in Jesus interaction with the leper.
If Jesus had authority over leprosy that would truly distinguish him.
That would be like having authority over cancer today.
What did the leper do?
“And a leper came to Him and bowed down before Him, and said, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”
The leper bowed down before Him.
The leper expressed incredible faith in Jesus.
No one was able to heal people from leprosy, but this leper believed Jesus could heal him from leprosy.
However, the leper also knew that his healing was dependent upon the Lord’s will.
What did Jesus do?
“Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.”
Jesus didn’t have to touch him to heal him, but Jesus chooses to touch him.
This was the first time a person touched an unclean person and didn’t become unclean.
This was the first time that a clean person touched an unclean person and the unclean person become clean.
Jesus’ touch also communicated love.
No one touched lepers.
How long had it been since someone touched this leper?
There is also great significance in the words, “I am willing.”
Jesus always has a purpose for healing or not healing.
Whether Jesus chooses to heal or not it is for the purpose of His will.
Sometimes when He doesn’t heal, He teaches us different truths about Himself.
Sometimes when He doesn’t heal, He reveals His will to us in different ways.
What did Jesus say after He healed the leper?
And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4And 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.”
- Go show yourself to the priest so that you will be officially pronounced clean.
- Go show yourself to the priest so that you will be released from your quarantine and allowed to live among the people.
- Go validate what God has done and give the glory to God.
- Go and allow your healing to increase the faith and hope of others.
Personal Application:
I need to believe Jesus can help or heal the worst of the worst.
I need to believe all things are possible through Jesus.
No one believed healing leprosy was possible in Jesus day.
Most of us don’t believe that healings are possible today, but healings occur all over the world every day.
Jesus hasn’t changed.
Jesus’ will hasn’t changed.
What has changed? Our faith
It isn’t God’s will to heal every time, but it is God’s will to heal some of the time.
Interactive Prayer:
Father, increase my faith. Help me unbelief. Give me the focus to look on You and not circumstances. Give me the faith to put my confidence in Your ability and in Your will, not in the strength of the disease. Give me the faith to trust You at all times. I think we think are afraid of asking because we are afraid of being disappointed instead of trusting Your sovereignty. We must realize that You aren’t greater or less depending upon Your will to heal or not; You are great regardless of Your will to heal or not. Father, forgive us for over-thinking and focused on the outcome too much. Give us the ability to focus on You and to trust You regardless of the result.
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