Jesus seldom spent much time in one
city. He was constantly travelling from
town to town, meeting all kinds of people. On his travels he and his disciples
came across a leper. The Koine Greek word
for leprosy can refer to any number of different skin diseases.
A leper was
ostracized from the life of the community. The Old Testament commands that when
people come in contact with a leper, the leper is to identify himself by covering his upper lip and yelling out “Unclean, unclean.” Lepers had to
stand fifty paces away from everyone. To
touch a leper was to become unclean yourself.
If they entered a house, the house became unclean. If they walked under a tree, the tree would
become unclean. One commentator writes,
leprosy was not so much an illness as it was a sentence. Imagine not knowing, for years perhaps, the touch of
another human being: a hug, a handshake, even a pat on the back. To feel so utterly alone, different and
broken. Josephus the historian writes,
there is no difference between a leper and a corpse.
The message of Jesus reached this particular
leper’s ears, and now he sees him walking. This is his chance.What does he
have to lose? Hoping against hope, somehow this leper has courage to approach
Jesus, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” Notice the humility in his words.He makes no demand, puts no imperative to him,
and just asks as one who can offer nothing in return. He doesn’t question Jesus’ ability, only his
willingness. The Gospel-writer Mark tells us Jesus was
indignant, not at the leper, but more likely at the wretchedness of sickness and
the pain it caused this human being. Then
Jesus doesn’t just heal him, he reaches out his hand and touches him.He touches a leper! Jesus specialized in breaking taboos:
claiming Deity, breaking Sabbath rules, and touching lepers.
He touched a perpetually unclean
man. Doesn’t that make Jesus
unclean? Never. Nothing makes Jesus unclean. He makes what he touches clean! And the man’s leprosy is gone. Now that is power. That is the the type of power kings and queens only dream about.
He Still Touches Lepers. Ever hear someone say: Jesus wants
nothing to do with me. He doesn’t know the
types of things I’ve done. He doesn’t
know the sins I’ve committed, the choices I've made, the uncleanness I’ve let in. He wouldn’t accept me. Try him and see what happens. Let me introduce you to the real Jesus, the one who
touches lepers.
