Healing a leper

In a town where Jesus was, a leper came to him, threw himself on his face and said to him: " Lord, if you want, you can make me clean ". Jesus touched him, saying, " I want you to be clean. And immediately the leprosy withdrew from him ". Luke 5:12

This man had discerned in Jesus the divine power that alone could heal him.

Leprosy, as we know, represents sin, from which we can only be cleansed by faith in the blood of Christ. This man saw in Jesus the power, but doubted the will. This is understandable when you live in a world characterized by selfishness and indifference; you can always doubt the goodwill of those who might come to the aid of the unfortunate.

The leper did not yet know the one Man who contrasted with all the others, the one who, moved with compassion for his creature, had come from heaven to help it, the compassionate man, but at the same time Jehovah fulfilling on behalf of his people what was said of him in Psalm 103:3 : "He forgives all your iniquities and heals all your infirmities.. And also: " I am the Lord who heals you " (Exodus 15:26).

The leper's weak faith immediately receives the answer that only grace could give him: " I want, be clean ". Jesus advised him not to tell anyone what had happened, but to go and show himself to the priest and offer what the Law of Moses commanded in such cases (see Leviticus 14), so that, he said, "Let it be a testimony to them. Since Jehovah alone could heal leprosy, the priests, in recognizing that this man was healed by Jesus, had to acknowledge that he was Jehovah come among his people. This healing was an irrefutable testimony of this. Alas, we know that it was in vain for the nation; the Jews did not believe in him.

The fame of Jesus spread more and more; " great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities; but he withdrew into the deserts and prayed ". Jesus did not seek fame; he performed his service and withdrew from the praise and admiration of men to seek, in isolation, the communion of God through prayer.

He was the man who depended on God to exercise divine power on behalf of the unfortunate. The perfect model of a servant, Jesus took nothing for himself and sought only the good of mankind, in obedience and dependence on God his Father, whom he wanted to glorify above all else.

God bless you.

Pasteur Clémentine