HE IS WILLING

Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on January 8, 2020 under AM Bible Study |

AM Bible Study Group: January 8, 2020 from Luke 5:12-16

Theme: The Lord Jesus’ encounter with the leper teaches us that He is willing to cleanse those who come to Him in faith of their sins.

(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).

Leprosy and sin had a lot in common. So much, in fact, that the Bible often used the Old Testament plague of leprosy as an illustration of the terrible nature of sin.

The Old Testament disease of leprosy was an infectious disease. It was dreaded because it was spread easily from one person to another. And sin is also like that. It was first introduced into the human family through Adam; and it has spread to all of Adam’s offspring. Romans 5:12 tells us that it was through “one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—“

Leprosy was also a pervasive disease. It made its entry into someone’s body through something small—a cut or a wound; but once it made its way in, it ended up spreading through the victim’s entire body. And the same is true with sin. It may make its entry through some small area of life; but once in, it spreads and contaminates the whole person. God described Israel’s sin in this way in Isaiah 1:6; “From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it, but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores …”

And leprosy was a socially defiling disease. Thankfully, we live today in a time when many such diseases can be cured. But back then, there was no cure. To have leprosy was to be condemned to life of loneliness, sickness and misery. The Jewish leper was excluded from the ceremonies of the temple. The Old Testament law commanded that when someone was infected by it, “his clothes shall be torn and his head bare; and he shall cover his mustache, and cry, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’” (Leviticus 13:45). And similarly, sin separates us from God. As Romans 6:23 tells us, “the wages of sin is death.”

But praise God! Jesus takes our sin away! As 1 John 3:4-5 tells us, “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin.” The story we find in Luke 5:12-16 shows us that Jesus is not only able to take our sin completely away from us, but that He is willing to do so for anyone who comes to Him. The Gospel writer Luke shows us this through the story of a leper:

And it happened when He was in a certain city, that behold, a man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately the leprosy left him. And He charged him to tell no one, “But go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as a testimony to them, just as Moses commanded.” However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities. So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed (Luke 5:12-16).

* * * * * * * * * *

It’s interesting to consider who it is that is telling us this story. It’s true that it is a story that is also found in Matthew 8:1-5, and in Mark 1:40-45. But Luke’s report of the story is particularly noteworthy because he was a physician. His telling of it bears a little bit of ‘professional’ authority.

Consider Luke’s account, first, in terms of …

1. THE MAN’S REQUEST (v. 12).

Luke had been telling us about our Lord’s ministry in the city of Capernaum. And most recently, he had told us about how the Lord had demonstrated His power and authority to Peter—when He commanded Peter to cast his net at a certain spot, and filled his net with fish. Peter’s conclusion—that this was the Son of God, in whose presence he was unworthy to be—only added to the growing reputation of our Lord. Many were coming to Him.

And so also did this man. It must be that Jesus was not in Capernaum; but probably one of the other cities of Galilee in which Jesus went to preach (4:33-34). Luke wrote, “And it happened when He was in a certain city, that behold, a man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus …”

What a terrible condition this man must have been in! We’re told—by Dr. Luke—that the man was “full of leprosy”. He was covered from head to foot. Leprosy was a loathsome disease that made someone look like the walking dead. This poor man saw Jesus—who he had already heard could cast out demons and could heal many kinds of diseases. We are told that He healed many other diseases; but so far in Luke’s Gospel, we had not heard that He had healed any lepers. And yet, this leper found Him and came to Him with hope.

Luke tells us that “he fell on his face” and “implored” Jesus. In Matthew 8:2, we’re told that he came “worshiping” Jesus; and in Mark 1:40, we’re told that the man was “kneeling down to Him”. Imagine what a sight that must have been! Perhaps people—seeing the leper coming—would have backed away in fear; and yet Jesus did not back away as the man drew so close to Him as to kneel before Him and worship Him. And in the accounts in Matthew and Mark, we’re told that the man said basically the same thing as we find told to us in Luke’s report: “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”

What a way to make the request! It almost wasn’t really a request as much as an admission! And he left the matter entirely up to the Lord. One old-time Bible teacher observed what a great prayer this man’s prayer was. It was

1. Expectant, because the man came.
2. Reverent, because he knelt.
3. Personal, because he had no one but himself in mind.
4. Earnest, because he implored.
5. Definite, because he asked specifically for cleansing.
6. Submissive, because he said, “If You are willing . . .”
7. Confident, because he said, “You can . . .”
8. Brief, because it took only six words in the original Greek to say it.
9. Effectual, because he was cleansed.¹

What a lesson we can learn from this leper! But what an even greater lesson we can learn from the Lord’s response to Him! Luke next tells us about …

2. THE LORD’S MERCY (v. 13).

Other people would have shunned this leper in horror and disgust. But in Mark 1:41, we read that Jesus was “moved with compassion” for the poor, helpless man. Jesus is moved with compassion for all those who seek mercy from Him—even if everyone else rejects them.

And Jesus not only felt inwardly for the man; but He also acted outwardly. It may have been that people were shocked when—as we read—“He put out His hand and touched him …” After all, to touch a leper would have made someone ceremonially unclean before God; and it would have also put them at risk of contracting the disease itself. Jesus certainly could have healed the man from a distance if He had wished. But instead, Jesus touched the man. What love!

And note Jesus’ words. The man had said to Jesus, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” And Jesus responded by saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” From the standpoint of a helpless leper—and truly, from the standpoint of any helpless sinner—there couldn’t be anything more beautiful to hear from the lips of our Savior than that He is willing to make us well.

And Dr. Luke then goes on to tell us, “Immediately the leprosy left him.” The Lord didn’t simply send the man on his way with the promise that he would begin to get better. The leprosy—a disease that before the touch of our Lord’s hand had filled the man’s body—was instantly gone! It did not make our Lord ritually unclean to touch the man; because the man was healed by the touch! That’s how Jesus also delivers us from the horrible guilt of our sin. As the apostle John put it; “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 5:9).”

Now; our Lord did all things in perfect accordance with the law of His Father. The man, no doubt, would have wanted to run out and tell everyone; but Jesus would not let him. There was something else that he had to do. And this leads us to …

3. THE LAW’S WITNESS (v. 14).

Luke tells us in verse 14, “And He charged him to tell no one, ‘But go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as a testimony to them, just as Moses commanded.’”

This command from Moses is found in the Old Testament book of Leviticus; in Chapters 13 and 14. In those chapters, Moses gave the instructions—directly from the Lord Himself—of what the priests were to do in cases of leprosy. When someone became infected, they were to show themselves to the priests at the very first sign of leprosy; and the priests—who played the role of something like a ‘public health inspector’—would determine whether or not it was spreading. God gave strict instructions on what was to be done in such instances. And so, all cases of leprosy were to be carefully observed by the priests for their assessment.

And there were also instructions given with regard to healing. Leviticus 14 said this:

“This shall be the law of the leper for the day of his cleansing: He shall be brought to the priest. And the priest shall go out of the camp, and the priest shall examine him …” (Leviticus 14:2-3).

From Leviticus 14:4 all the way to verse 32, specific instructions are given for a ceremony of cleansing before God for the person healed of leprosy. In obedience to the command of God, the cleansed leper was to bring the offering that was to be made in the case of his or her cleansing. And so, even in the miracle being described to us in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus insisted that the law of His Father be strictly followed. This was to be done under the guidance and supervision of the priests—as Jesus said—“as a testimony to them”

In 2 Kings 5, we’re told the story of a Syrian man named Naaman who was healed by God of his leprosy (see also Luke 4:27). But we have no record of any Jewish person ever coming to the priests—in obedience to this Old Testament command—to make the specified offering for the cleansing from leprosy. So; what a surprising thing it would have been to the priests for this man to come to them at Jesus’ instruction! It might have been something that they’d never seen before; and it may have made them go back to the Scriptures to see what was to be done. It may even be that this Old Testament law from Leviticus had been written long ago and preserved just for the time when Jesus would come, and heal lepers, and send them to the priests as a testimony to them. The priests themselves would then have known that this man named Jesus was the promised Messiah! (This may be a part of why it was that when the gospel was later preached, as Luke tells us later in Acts 6:7, “a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.”)

It would have registered very powerfully in the thinking of the priests that Jesus truly was the healer—not only of leprosy—but even of the thing that leprosy symbolized in the Old Testament … sin itself!

Now; why would Jesus have told this man not to tell anyone—or, as it is in the original language—not to speak? As we read on, the reason becomes plain. Luke goes on to tell us about …

4. THE SPREADING REPORT (vv. 15-16).

Jesus had told the man not to say anything. “However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities. So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.” The crowds came to Jesus in such great numbers that He could barely move around!

Mark, in his Gospel, tells us that the leper “went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter …” (v. 45). Whether or not he faithfully went to the priests is something we can’t know. We can certainly suppose that he did. But even if he was on his way to do so, he must have started to proclaim publicly that Jesus had cleansed him of leprosy. Perhaps other needy people heard what the man was saying, and he told them where Jesus was. Soon, they all came to Jesus so that, as Mark tells us, “Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction” (v. 45).

* * * * * * * * * *

Jesus is the healer of leprosy—a terrible, infectious, pervasive, defiling disease. No human doctor on earth could cure it. It is a lot like sin—only the damages of sin are much greater. And yet, Jesus demonstrated that by healing the Old Testament picture of sin, He can heal the sin of anyone who comes to Him. He has power on earth to forgive sins (see v. 24).

And most wonderful of all, He is willing!

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¹Adapted to this passage from Graham Scroggie, The Gospel of Mark (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1976), pp. 44-45).

EA