Jesus Heals a Leper

21 Mar Jesus Heals a Leper

Read Matthew 8:1-4 (NLT)
Thought for the Day: Jesus heals each of us!

In the Ancient World, lepers were cast out from society and went to a remote place where they lived with other outcasts. Today we don’t deal with physical leprosy, but we still use the term leper… It isn’t uncommon for a person to say they feel like a leper when they sense that someone else tries to avoid them. In both contexts, Jesus wants to bring about healing.

One day, a large crowd followed Jesus. Breaking all social norms, a leper approached the crowd. Rather than keeping to himself trapped in his own thoughts, he went right up to Jesus and kneeled at His feet. Instead of letting his past experiences of being rejected and cast away define him, the man knew Jesus held the solution to His problem: “Lord… if You are willing, You can heal me and make me clean.” Immediately, Jesus made it clear that He was willing. But, notice what Jesus did next. He instructed the man to go to the priest, follow the Law, and be publicly restored. Jesus performed two miracles that day. He healed the man physically and socially.

Whenever we feel rejected, Jesus offers a path forward. This begins when we acknowledge that Jesus cares about us, and wants to help us start moving beyond our past. It is important to pray and ask God to give us a real freedom. Then, as we start to move forward with confidence, we will discover that today God has given us resources in our community that will partner with us on our journey.

In Christ,
Pastors Stan and David