Question
I am willing
Luke 5:12-16
Key verse 13
“Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.
1. Read verses 12 Who approaches Jesus? (12a) What metaphor could leprosy possibly represent in your life? According to the law, what were the restrictions for those with leprosy? (Lev. 13) What does the man with leprosy do when he sees Jesus? (12b) How can this man’s request relate to your life?
2. Read verse 13. What do you think is significant about Jesus touching the man with leprosy? (13a) What do you think can be learned about Jesus from what he says to him? What happens when Jesus speaks? (13b)
3. Read verses 14-16. After the man is healed, what does Jesus tell him to do? (14) What happens after this event? (15) Despite crowds coming to Jesus, what does he often do? (16)
Manuscript
Message
Be clean!
Luke 5:12-16
Key Verse 5:13
“Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.”
Good morning! I did not expect our power point will work today. So I didn’t make strong power point today. It is very nice to be here in the clean center. The title of today’s passage is “Be clean!” too. The key verse comes from verse 13. May we read this verse together? “Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.” Let’s pray.
In today’s message Jesus healed a man with leprosy. Leprosy at that time was an incurable disease. And we really wanted to know how Jesus healed this man of leprosy. Physically speaking we don’t have leprosy in our bodies. But somehow we also have something incurable in our body or in our hearts. Mainly our hearts are very negative and dark. One man told me around 2 pm in our Sunday afternoon that everybody is trying to throw a spear at him. At first I did not understand what does it mean by ‘spear’ because I asked, ‘spear’, what does it mean? But he really meant ‘spear’ that everybody who are enjoying eating and fellowship with God and with brothers and sisters are trying to throw a spear at him. That’s how he really felt it. Later it turned out that it all came from his inner darkness and negative thoughts. We may not have problem as serious as he has. But we all have some kind of incurable aspects weather it is inherited or something, for example, something like very negative and dark thought. So here we also want to know how Jesus can help us as well as we see how Jesus helped the man with leprosy.
First, Jesus was willing to help, heal, or cleans the man with leprosy. ”While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” (verse 12) The expression ‘covered with leprosy’ shows this man was fully developed in terms of leprosy. Usually leprosy starts and people die in 10 or 20 years. So this is not something that you can live with it, but it is the cause of one’s death maximum maybe 20 or 30 years.
This man came along while Jesus was one of the towns. When he When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” He knew that Jesus had power to cleanse him, but he did not know whether Jesus was willing or not. Why was he not so sure whether Jesus was willing to cleanse him? It is because there is no guarantee to be healed even if he asks. God does not automatically guarantee that he will heal us whenever we pray. So he came to Jesus and say, “Lord, if you are willing you can make me clean.” Now in order to come to Jesus this man should have overcome maybe 2 or 3 inner obstacles.
The first obstacle is the idea that leprosy was incurable. It was incurable in those days. There is no way for any man to be cured of the disease in those times. We saw that general Naaman was healed of his leprosy by prophet Elisha. And this man was healed of leprosy. And we don’t know who was healed of leprosy other than these two people. Bible mentioned about Simon the Leper. If we think about it only 3 people were mentioned in the bible who were healed of leprosy. Leprosy was incurable disease. I don’t want to show the picture of leprosy. It shows very deforming bodies. It is so disturbing. This disease starts with skin problem. The skin becomes white. And it attacks nerves and nerves loses sensitivity, and fingers, toes, ears are torn away and then they die. In addition to death, lepers should be separated from parents, brothers, sisters, and people in their towns and camps because it is contagious. So by the law of Moses they were carried away and they should live by themselves. This is another suffering of lepers. Loneliness and rejection and becoming unwanted people. So the first obstacle this man should overcome to come to Jesus is the idea that it is incurable disease. It was not healed. No one was healed as long as this man knew.
Somehow this man overcame the idea that this is incurable disease but believed Jesus was able to heal him. And he is able to heal him. This is the first step he could overcome.
There are many problems of life as we live to serve God. As we also find many obstacles too. There are some problems that are so fundamentally rooted that we are not so sure whether we could overcome through Jesus or not.
The second obstacles this man should have overcome is ‘condemnation from God.’ Leprosy in the Bible was used as God’s punishment as least 3 times in my understanding. The first one was ‘Miriam’. When Miriam and Aaron challenged Moses’ authority as the leader God struck her with leprosy. So her skin became white. Obviously God judged her and punished her with leprosy. Another case was king Uzziah in Israel. King Uzziah disobeyed the command of God and wanted to offer incense in the temple against the command of God. God commanded the priests to have privilege to offer incense in the temple. But the king Uzziah became so proud because God gave him a great success, and he wanted to offer incense. And leprosy broke out from his forehead. It was clear that God delivered the judgment against king Uzziah through leprosy.
There is another man named “Gehazi”. He was a servant of prophet Elisha. Against the command of his master prophet Elisha he went to Naaman, and took the gift from him, and lied to prophet Elisha, and he was struck with leprosy. Elisha said, “Naaman’s leprosy will cling to you” and he became leprous for the rest of his life.
All of these kinds of cases show that God is punishing people and leprosy was God’s instrument to judge his people. When this man was struck with the leprosy he could have thought ‘God punished me because of my sin.’ And who can overcome this sense of condemnation because everybody does sin? Not even one person is exception. Everybody sins, and God can use leprosy as his judgment and punishment. Who can overcome such huge sense of condemnation from God? This man could have believed that ‘my leprosy was caused by my own sin.’ He had to overcome that.
In order to approach Jesus this man even broke the law of Moses. According to Moses’ law he was not supposed to move around in one of the towns. He should live in a separate place. But he even broke Moses’ law and came to Jesus. He did not have anything to lose. “If people stone me to death let it be so because I am already a dead man. I don’t have anything to lose.” He was so desperate that he came to Jesus when he was full of leprosy. And he begged Jesus. He fell with his face to the ground and begged him. He did not demand Jesus. He did not say, “If I go to him, the Lord, you should heal me because I am in a desperate situation.” But he said, “Lord, if you are willing you can make me clean.”
“Lord, I know you have power to heal me, but I am not so sure whether you are wiling.” “What if the leprosy comes as the result of God’s judgment? Maybe you may not be willing. But if you are willing you can make me clean.” That was this man’s appeal.
Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing. Be clean!” Jesus did not need to reach out his hand and touched the man. He can still heal him by saying, “I am willing. Be clean!” But the first thing he did was to reach out his hand and touched the man. No one wants to touch the leper. No! No one wants to touch the leper. First of all, he will become unclean and he cannot have fellowship with God. And leprosy is contagious. So he can get the leprosy. Who wants to touch the leper? But Jesus touched the man. He stretched out his hand and touched the man. “I am not different from you. I am as you are.” With great compassion of touching Jesus said, “I am willing. Be clean!” And immediately leprosy left him.
This touching healed inner part of his wounds of the man. People do not want to touch leprosy. There was one pastor who was helping lepers. At his first visit of his church there were people lined out and he was shaking hands with them. One grandma held his hand although she did not have fingers for such a long time. And the pastor asked her, “Why do you do that?”, and the grandma said, “I became a leper at the age of 17. But until now I became so old that I was never able to touch any hand of healthy man. This is my first time that I can touch the hand of healthy man.” No one touched her.
And the scholars found out that among babies in incubators some babies touched by nurses have high rate of survival compared to the babies who were not touched. In the morning daily bread time at 5:30 am there is hugging time. I don’t know whether it is culture of America or not, but I like to touch or hug. My daughters know that. But they all grew up. So I cannot do as many as I want. I like to touch or hug. It really gives me sense of unity and oneness, and it removes many barriers. Try it!
Try to hug instead of just (showing hand touch). This is good but hugging is better. And Jesus was willing. “I am willing.” Now we know God does not answer all our prayers. So we may also pray, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” But we need to remember one thing. If the leper thought “I don’t know whether Jesus is willing. So I am not going to go to ask him. If he had done so he would never had a chance to be healed.” Although he did not know whether Jesus was willing or not he came to believe, believing that Jesus has power to heal him. We need to come to Jesus although we may not know whether Jesus is willing to heal us or not. Otherwise we will not have any chance to experience Jesus’ miraculous healing in our lives.
After leprosy left him, this is what Jesus told him. ““Don’t tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”” (v.14) Jesus asked this man to remember Moses’ law. Jesus helped this man to obey Moses’ law and offer sacrifices Moses commanded for his cleansing as the testimony to the priest. The priest was working as a doctor in those times. And they should issue a health certificate to help the man to return to his camp or community. But at the same time there is implication that Jesus was helping him to obey the command of God, the word of God, the command of God according to Moses.
This man might have broken Moses’ law in order to come to Jesus. But Jesus was helping him to obey the command of God. Jesus gave us freedom. But God asks us to use our freedom to obey the word of God instead of using it to indulge in our sinful desires. God asks us to use our freedom in Jesus Christ to serve one another in humble love. What are the sacrifices Moses commanded?
Let’s read the book of Leviticus 14:1-20 responsibly.
“The LORD said to Moses, 2 “These are the regulations for any diseased person at the time of their ceremonial cleansing, when they are brought to the priest: 3 The priest is to go outside the camp and examine them. If they have been healed of their defiling skin disease, 4 the priest shall order that two live clean birds and some cedar wood, scarlet yarn and hyssop be brought for the person to be cleansed. 5 Then the priest shall order that one of the birds be killed over fresh water in a clay pot.6 He is then to take the live bird and dip it, together with the cedar wood, the scarlet yarn and the hyssop, into the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water. 7 Seven times he shall sprinkle the one to be cleansed of the defiling disease, and then pronounce them clean. After that, he is to release the live bird in the open fields.
8 “The person to be cleansed must wash their clothes, shave off all their hair and bathe with water; then they will be ceremonially clean. After this they may come into the camp, but they must stay outside their tent for seven days. 9 On the seventh day they must shave off all their hair; they must shave their head, their beard, their eyebrows and the rest of their hair. They must wash their clothes and bathe themselves with water, and they will be clean.
10 “On the eighth day they must bring two male lambs and one ewe lamb a year old, each without defect, along with three-tenths of an ephah of the finest flour mixed with olive oil for a grain offering, and one log of oil. 11 The priest who pronounces them clean shall present both the one to be cleansed and their offerings before the LORD at the entrance to the tent of meeting.
12 “Then the priest is to take one of the male lambs and offer it as a guilt offering, along with the log of oil; he shall wave them before the LORD as a wave offering. 13 He is to slaughter the lamb in the sanctuary area where the sin offering and the burnt offering are slaughtered. Like the sin offering, the guilt offering belongs to the priest; it is most holy. 14 The priest is to take some of the blood of the guilt offering and put it on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of their right hand and on the big toe of their right foot. 15 The priest shall then take some of the log of oil, pour it in the palm of his own left hand, 16 dip his right forefinger into the oil in his palm, and with his finger sprinkle some of it before the LORD seven times. 17 The priest is to put some of the oil remaining in his palm on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of their right hand and on the big toe of their right foot, on top of the blood of the guilt offering. 18 The rest of the oil in his palm the priest shall put on the head of the one to be cleansed and make atonement for them before the LORD.
19 “Then the priest is to sacrifice the sin offering and make atonement for the one to be cleansed from their uncleanness. After that, the priest shall slaughter the burnt offering 20 and offer it on the altar, together with the grain offering, and make atonement for them, and they will be clean.”
So this is a big thing. They have to offer 2 birds. And then they have to wash everything and they were allowed to enter the camp. But he cannot enter into his tent for 7 days. On the eight day there should be atoning sacrifice – 2 lambs and 1 ewe lamb. Now when you look at this, what does make the man clean before God? Now let’s assume that this leper came to the priest. He was already completely clean. So theoretically speaking he just needed to prove that he was completely healed of leprosy. Basically the priest just could tell him, “We will wait a month or even a year to know that you are healed. And we will just let you in.” But the priest offered sacrifices; first 2 birds and 1 was killed. And blood was shed in the clean water. So what made him clean before God? The fact that his body was already healed or the blood of the sacrifice? It is not the fact that the body was healed of leprosy but the blood of sacrifice that was offered for him. It made him clean before God.
Figuratively speaking, no matter whatever we do it cannot make us clean before God. Only the blood of Jesus that was shed for us can make us clean in the sight of God. To be clean or unclean was a huge problem in the past. If you are ceremonially unclean you cannot have fellowship with God. You cannot enter into the temple and worship God together with others. You cannot meet God. The first thing about ‘clean’ and ‘unclean’ appears at the time of Noah. God commanded Noah to bring clean animals and unclean animals. ‘Clean’ and ‘unclean’ was very important issue because if you are unclean you cannot have fellowship with God.
And God opened the door for his people to be clean in his sight not through their own bodies but through the sacrifice, the blood sacrifice, the sacrifices Moses commanded. I don’t know how many people could enjoy this provision, the sacrifices Moses commanded. But God made it very specific that the leper, even though he is completely healed, would be not be clean in his sight unless he brings sacrifices Moses commanded.
Did the man obey Jesus’ command? Today’s passage does not say about it. But the gospel of Mark shows that he did not obey. He went out and freely talked about his healing. Today’s passage says, ““Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” (v.15-16)
Jesus became busier. But he still maintained time to pray. What did he pray? Maybe he prayed for the leper he healed too. Jesus is the Son of God. He didn’t sin. So it seems like he is the last person who needs to pray compared to all of us. And he was very busy, but he still made time to pray. There is one man. I don’t know his name because I forgot his name. He is the second general secretary of UN (United Nations). This guy said something like this. “When I am busy I woke up in the morning and pray one hour. When I am extremely busy I woke up 2 hour earlier”, meaning he prayed 2 hours.
Our common sense says “If you are so busy and if you have so many things to do you need to sacrifice your even one hour prayer to do things you need to do. But this man increased the time of his prayer doubled when he became extremely busy.
Martin Luther, the founder of reformation movement, said the same thing. Since he is so busy and he has so many things to do and discharge, he need to pray 3 hours in the morning. 3 hours in the morning, that is a lot of time. What he was saying is this: “If I use my 3 hours of morning time to do what I need to do I will not be able to discharge all my duties properly. But if I do spend 3 hours in the morning in prayer I will be able to discharge all my duties properly.” That is what he was saying.
Anyhow Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed when he became busier. When more people came to hear him and be healed of their sickness Jesus made sure of his prayer time.
How can Jesus help us to overcome our dark and negative thoughts? Our sinful desires arising in our hearts makes us unclean in the sight of God. First, Jesus can help us because Jesus is willing. Jesus is willing to help us. Do not doubt the love of God. What the bible says is, of course, some people will pray and do not receive God’s answer. For example, Job prayed for his healing. But he was not healed. Then he was healed when God’s time came.
Apostle Paul prayed for the healing of thorn in his body. But Jesus didn’t answer although he prayed 3 times. But Jesus did say to him, “My grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness.” What if apostle Paul thought “since I don’t know if Jesus is willing to heal me or not, I am not going to pray for the healing of my thorn”. What would happen to Apostle Paul? He would never know Jesus’ revelation. “My grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness.” So Jesus answered his prayer. Jesus healed the thorn in his body in a different way, revealing why he did not want to heal him. It was to make him strong – to make his power complete in the life of apostle Paul.
So we need to believe that Jesus is willing to cure our incurable diseases, physical diseases and spiritual diseases especially dark and negative thoughts. Adam and Eve became so negative when they disobeyed and ate the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Then their eyes were opened. They realized they were naked and they made covering of them. Their eyes were not opened to the love of God who allowed to eat the tree of life and enjoy all the provisions in Garden of Eden. They are sharply opened to shame, and fear and guilt. And they complained toward God and each other. Adam said to God, ‘the woman you put here with me she gave me some and I ate it. And I am a victim.” Eve said to God, ‘the serpent deceived me. I am a victim.” Adam and Eve complained toward God and each other.
Our eyes are very dark and negative since then. We see weaknesses of each other. We see the weaknesses of ministry. We see all negative side of each other. And we complain and we fall into sorrow and we condemn each other. We shouldn’t do that.
Let’s come to Jesus and ask him and beg him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Open my eyes toward your great love, your unlimited love on the cross, and open my eyes to see good things of others and good things of the ministries and be very thankful toward each other. Can we do so? (Amen!) Ultimately Jesus healed our inner dark and negative thoughts with his sacrifice on the cross. We should remember his love and his resurrection and breaking the power of sin and death and come to him believing his willingness to heal us. We also need to believe he is praying for us. After risen he is sitting at the right throne of God, and he is praying for us. And he is willing to cleanse us from all our sins, elements of death, and all our dark and negative thoughts. Praise God!
One word: I am willing.
Manuscript
Biblenote
I am willing
Luke 5:12-16
Key verse 13
“Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.
Introduction:
In this passage, Jesus healed a man of leprosy. Leprosy has been known to be one of the incurable diseases and it disfigures the nature of human body and character and it makes the
afflicted one to be most wretched state and many people thought the leper to be the cursed and they were banned from the community. In this hopeless situation, the man with leprosy came to Jesus by faith and he believed that only Jesus could make him clean, if he is willing. The merciful Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man’s wounds and scars and he made him clean. We can see that anyone can be clean, if he/she comes to Jesus by faith, however wretched his/her situation is.
1. Read verses 12 Who approaches Jesus? (12a) What metaphor could leprosy possibly represent in your life? According to the law, what were the restrictions for those with leprosy? (Lev. 13) What does the man with leprosy do when he sees Jesus? (12b) How can this man’s request relate to your life?
1-1. Read verses 12
“While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”
1-2. Who approaches Jesus? (12a)
“A man came along who was covered with leprosy” A man with leprosy.
the author, Luke had a background as a physician and the way of description here in Luke 5 is differed from Mark. Mark 1:40 shows "a man with Leprosy," while Luke 5:12 "a man came along who was covered with leprosy." Luke the physician described him more carefully as a man covered with leprosy. In RSV, he is a man "full of Leprosy."
According to Wikipedia:
Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a chronic infection caused by the bacteria mycobacterium leprae. Initially infections are without symptoms and typically remain this way for 5 to as long as 20 years. Symptoms that develop include granulomas of the nerves, respiratory tract, skin, and eyes. This may result in a lack of ability to feel pain and thus loss of parts of extremities due to repeated injuries. Weakness and poor eyesight may also be present. Until recently, it has been considered incurable disease, although it is currently curable disease by long term drug therapy and it severely disfigures the human being as this disease progresses. Because it attacks nerve endings, the patient sometimes loses pain sensation. Since the ancient time, the people have considered the lepers to be cursed by God and are afraid of them. They were abandoned by the family and forced to be separated from the community and had to live in the isolated area.
We are made to serve the living God, without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our
days (Lk 1:74b-75). But this man was unable to serve God.
1-3.What metaphor could leprosy possibly represent in your life?
A leper can be compared to the sinners in the Bible in that leprosy begins as nothing, grows slowly, numbs the senses, causes wasted and deformed, and results in disgusting appearance.
A leper becomes the wretched and alienated state due to separation from God, however, they don’t even feel the pain and sometimes, they do not know that they are sinners.
Sin is like leprosy in that it is inside of us, deeper than the skin(Leviticus 13:3), spreads(13:8), always defiles and isolates(13:45-46) because it is infectious.
Just as leprous patients' garment MUST be burnt up(13:52-57), it is sins that lead to eternal condemnation and the second death with fire when Jesus comes as the Judge.
1-4. According to the law, what were the restrictions for those with leprosy? (Lev. 13)
According to the law, the priest examined the sores and proclaimed to be clean or unclean. The true leprosy was considered to be a ceremonially unclean and they must have been isolated(quarantined) from the camp.
When they approached the people, they had to warn them by saying, “unclean, unclean.” Anyone who touches them becomes unclean too, so they would avoid them.
Leviticus 13: 45, 46
45 “Anyone with such a defiling disease must wear torn clothes, let their hair be unkempt,[c] cover the lower part of their face and cry out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ 46 As long as they have the disease they remain unclean. They must live alone; they must live outside the camp.
Leprosy was also regarded as a punishment by God.
Historically, God had struck Miriam, Gehazi, and Uzziah with leprosy as a curse for their sins (Nu 12:10; 2 Ki 5:27; 2 Ch26:16-21).
*It is hard to imagine how much this man had suffered with leprosy.
He must have been one of the most miserable people on earth.
1-5. What does the man with leprosy do when he sees Jesus? (12b)
“When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”
Although the leprosy was considered to be an incurable disease, he believed that Jesus could heal him completely if he is willing.
He fell with his face to the ground and begged him. He shows respect to Jesus.
In addition, this is the first place in this gospel where Jesus is called Lord but Peter.
Who knows? The leprosy might have read Leviticus 13 and 14. “The LORD said to Moses and Aaron” is repeated several times. The LORD is Yahweh. He may have known who Jesus is.
“If you are willing, you can make me clean.” He does not force Jesus to do what he needed. Rather he believes that Jesus is more than able to clean him.
So at issue was whether Jesus is willing to heal him. He humbly asked Jesus’ mercy.
1-6. How can this man’s request relate to your life?
No matter how desperate your situation might be, you can still be cured if you come to Jesus and ask his mercy.
In this passage it must have been hard to overcome his despair. He must have fought against leprosy, fatalism, despair, loneliness and sorrow, and so on.
He may have thought of committing suicide many times. He was hopeless, helpless and powerless.
But one day he heard of Jesus, who accepted anyone who came to him and healed them. It was really good news to him.
It gave him hope. This man’s request means a lot in that he came to Jesus by faith despite all negative thoughts.
He could have been stoned to death on the way to Jesus.
However he had personal faith in Jesus until he came to Jesus.
2. Read verse 13. What do you think is significant about Jesus touching the man with leprosy? (13a) What do you think can be learned about Jesus from what he says to him? What happens when Jesus speaks? (13b)
2-1. Read verse 13.
Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.
2-2. What do you think is significant about Jesus touching the man with leprosy? (13a)
The man with leprosy was considered to be unclean and if anyone touches him, he becomes unclean too.
The leprosy can be transmitted to others by bodily fluid and wounds, so it is a great risk to be infected by touching the person with leprosy.
But Jesus was willing to be unclean himself by touching this man with leprosy. Jesus, though he is God in nature, came to this world as a human form to save us.
Jesus also choose to touch him although he does not have to do so. Praise Jesus for his great mercy and compassionate heart.
2-3. What do you think can be learned about Jesus from what he says to him?
“I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!”
He is always willing to heal us, no matter how desperate we are in, so we must come to him with our problems anytime by faith.
According to Mark 1:41 and its footnote(NIV), Jesus was filled with compassion.
Jesus did not say, “Keep distance from me and my disciples.” Rather knowing how much this man had suffered, Jesus reached out his hand and touched him.
Jesus accepted him “AS HE IS.”
Just as he has seen a Samaritan woman as the princess of heavenly kingdom, he sees this man as the precious man of God having God’s image.
May the Lord help us to see young students with compassion and love and accept them AS HE/SHE IS.
Also Jesus did not heal this man out of obligation. Jesus was willing.
Being willing makes a difference!
If we serve out of obligation, the result may not good. We can not blame something else.
When we are willing, students feel loved and respond well.
Even though the contents of Bible study are not perfect, they continue to come.
On the other hand, if we are not willing, Bible students are burdened and do not come back again.
Thus having a willing heart is what really counts.
Jesus is willing to sacrifice himself for our sins.
He said, “Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—I have come to do your will, my God”
(Heb 10:5-7).
Jesus is more than willing to go to the cross in order to please God and to save us.
Jesus made a decision to do so when he fight the good fight against the devil(Luke 4:1-13).
Jesus is the exact representation of God himself(Hebrew 1:3)
Jesus’ willingness reveals God’s love for us.
God also took an initiative to love us(1 John 4).
Praise Jesus! Just as he has shown us his love and his willing heart, we are willing to love others!
2-4. What happens when Jesus speaks? (13b)
“And immediately the leprosy left him.”
It shows the absolute power of Jesus’ word, which created the Universe. Please talk notice the word
“immediately.” Luke the physician must have impressed by this miracle.
Although it is a miracle in an instant, still it is based on what God has done through Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 9:14 says, “How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we can serve the living God.”
Many of us look fine outwardly, but inwardly we are as sick as a man with leprosy. We are filled with shame and guilt and suffer from sins.
God wants to cleanse our repulsive sins. God wants to restore his holy image in us.
We should come to Jesus honestly, just as we are.
1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
3. Read verses 14-16. After the man is healed, what does Jesus tell him to do? (14) What happens after this event? (15) Despite crowds coming to Jesus, what does he often do? (16)
3-1. Read verses 14-16.
Then Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
3-2. After the man is healed, what does Jesus tell him to do? (14, Lev 14)
Then Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”
According to Lev. 14, the cleaned person should go to the priest and the priest examined him and declares to be cleaned.
Then, he must offer the sacrifices according to the Moses’ law and can go back to the community. So Jesus commanded him to follow the regulation and laws.
Also it might be another reason why Jesus commanded him to not tell anyone about this.
2 kings 5:15-16 read,
“Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.” The prophet answered, “As surely as the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing.” And even though Naaman urged him, he refused.”
Only God can cure leprosy. Jesus must have ordered him to not tell this story for it may not be a stumbling block for his ministry.
3-3. What happens after this event? (15)
Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses.
3-4. Despite crowds coming to Jesus, what does he often do? (16)
But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. It shows that he is seeking his Father’s will.
Jotham grew powerful because he walked steadfastly before the Lord his God. (2 chronicles 27:6)
Throughout the book of 2 Chronicles, the king Jotham was able to keep his personal faith before God. through walking steadfastly before the Lord his God.
Likewise Jesus shows a good example in terms of walking steadfastly on earth by asking his Father and continue to synchronize with his Father and the Holy Spirit.
In conclusion:
When the man with leprosy came to Jesus and asked for his mercy, Jesus was willing to make him clean again. Jesus touched him with his hands and became unclean himself, but He never abandoned anyone who comes to Him by faith, no matter how wretched sinner he or she is. Jesus accepts any sinners who come to Him by faith. Praise Jesus who accepts us as we are. Amen
One word: I am willing