A lesson from a leper

When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”
Matthew 8:1‭-‬4 NKJV

This story is rich with personal application.

Picture the words:

“When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him.”

Jesus is not alone, infact He’s being followed by an extreme number of people.

“And behold a leper came…”

God’s Word clearly states that those with this terrible disease were to avoid others.

“Now the leper on whom the sore is, his clothes shall be torn and his head bare; and he shall cover his mustache, and cry, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ He shall be unclean. All the days he has the sore he shall be unclean. He is unclean, and he shall dwell alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp.
Leviticus 13:45‭-‬46 NKJV

Can you hear him?

He would have yelled “unclean” as he crept toward Jesus.

But then his actions changed.

“…and worshiped Him.”

The first thing this leper did was worship, some translations say knelt.

The attitude of this leper is one of humility.

Which are reaffirmed by his words.

“Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”

He’s not asking for healing, he’s staying his understanding of Jesus’s authority and placing himself before Him with surrender.

‘Then Jesus put out His hand…”

As a person who was not allowed to be touched, this must have been an incredible moment.

But it was Jesus’s words which were life changing.

“…saying, ‘I am willing; be cleansed.’ Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.”

This leper was a leper no more!

And Jesus gave him another identity, one of testimony.

“And Jesus said to him, ‘See that you tell no one; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.'”

His testimony was not of words, but of action.

This man was to stand before the priests as a testimony to Jesus’s healing.

The very religious leaders who should have recognized the hand of God.

This man’s story is staggering.

His desperate need brought him to a place of surrender before Jesus.

Jesus changed his life, permanently and gave him a new future, a new calling.

The change in him after he met Jesus being visible to all.

I want that kind of testimony.

I want my life to be so healed, so different than the me before Jesus, that people might merely look at me and see Him.

And I know if I humble myself before Jesus daily, surrendering myself fully to His will, He will touch my life in such a way as to change me, making my life a testimony to others.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for this story. Thank You for the humility in this man. Lord, I know he was never the same after meeting You and neither am I. Lord Jesus, please help me to humble myself before You surrendering myself completely. Thank You for making this transformation a journey, each day a new opportunity to be polished by Your Holy Spirit. Each day a chance to shine brighter than the one before. I give You all glory and honor, Lord! You are worthy of all praise and worship! Amen.