READ: Genesis 29, 30; Psalm 15; Matthew 8:1-17
SCRIPTURE: Matthew 8: 1 When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. 2 A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” 3 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy.
OBSERVATION: Ancient people were so afraid of skin diseases such as leprosy. According to Leviticus 13: 45-46, a person with leprosy is "unclean." S/he cannot live with a community, "must live alone." They were not allowed to come and meet even their family members. So their life was in such a miserable and unhygienic condition. Even a person who touched a leper also considered as "unclean." Therefore, this leper's move and his request for healing must have been unusual for the people around him. Jesus could have made him clean just by saying "Be clean." But, he "reached out his hand and touched the man." It is not surprising that the healing took place immediately, but the touch of the Master. As Spurgeon observes, like the leprosy separated a person from his/her community, sin separated us from God and made us unclean. Jesus is willing to touch any person who wants to "be clean." Are we?
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