The section is Matthew chapter 8 verses 1-4. This is the part of Christ's life where He heals the man with leprosy. It's so moving to me when I read this. Here's the passage:
"When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. And behold and leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, 'Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.' And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, 'I will; be clean.' And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus said to him, 'See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded for a proof to them.'"
Could you imagine how amazing that must have been to see for the people who were watching? Here they are, just walking and following Jesus, and they see Him cure a leper. Boom, just like that. Now, for those of you who don't know what leprosy is, allow me to explain.
Leprosy is a skin disease that was very common back in the age of Jesus. It was a flesh eating disease that made you a walking abomination. It ate away at your skin, made you unclean, and you were just walking and living trash to everyone else. It was very contagious, so no one would talk to you or even go near you. Leprosy ruined lives back then.
So imagine this life of the leper. He probably lost his family if he had one. His parents would disown him and leave him. His wife, if he had one, left him so that she wouldn't get infected. If he has children he couldn't see them because their lives would be at stake as well. He probably lost his job as well. This man's life was gone. There was nothing for him. He had no one to love and no one to love him, well, until Jesus came along.
Jesus did the unspeakable here. He actually touched a leper, and action that could quite possibly ruin His life. What is very important here, is the beginning and the action. The leper came to Jesus, he didn't wait around for Him to come over. Then, he asked if Jesus was willing to cleanse him. He didn't demand it, he waited on Jesus. That takes some humility and courage.
Then, Jesus touched him. Actually touched him. Now, the Greek translation for "touch" in this verse isn't the kind of touch you might think of. Jesus didn't lightly touch this man or just brush him softly with His hand. The Greek translation for "touch" here translates to "the kind of grip you would need if you were pulling someone up from falling off of a cliff". Jesus didn't touch this man, He gripped him. Jesus squeezed this leper so hard that the leper literally felt the love of Christ in this grip. Jesus gave this man what he had been deprived of for years: love.
Physically, Jesus was able to do anything. He casted demons out of people's bodies, He cured illness, and He brought the dead back to life (He also came back to life Himself). If Jesus was capable of doing all of that, imagine the spiritual power He has. He has authority over everything, literally everything, including death. This passage is my favorite about Jesus, it reveals so much about who He was as a person. If Jesus could cleanse a leper, He can cleanse us of our sins, we just need to say, "Lord, if you're willing, you can make me clean."
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