A Man Cleansed

Luke 5:12–16 CSB

While he was in one of the towns, a man was there who had leprosy all over him. He saw Jesus, fell facedown, and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Reaching out his hand, Jesus touched him, saying, “I am willing; be made clean,” and immediately the leprosy left him. Then he ordered him to tell no one: “But go and show yourself to the priest, and offer what Moses commanded for your cleansing as a testimony to them.” But the news about him spread even more, and large crowds would come together to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. Yet he often withdrew to deserted places and prayed.

While HE (Jesus) was in one of the towns

Jesus was just doing what Jesus commands us to do. He was going from town to town. He was living the life that the Father commanded Him to live.

Matthew 28:19 CSB

Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

See the interesting thing about this verse that we call the Great Commission is that it is a reminder about the MODELED life of Jesus. The Greek word that we translate as GO is:

poreuomai (pore-vo-mae)— means to move away from a place into another place. To GO - To PROCEED - to TRAVEL

So AS YOU are traveling, as you are going, as you proceed from place to place - share the GOSPEL!

Jesus was proceeding from town to town, like He always did, modeling for us how we should be.

1 John 2:6 CSB

The one who says he remains in him should walk just as he walked.

In love, in the power of the Spirit!

Now as Jesus was in the town, follow the verse:

Luke 5:12 CSB

While he was in one of the towns, a man was there who had leprosy all over him. He saw Jesus, fell facedown, and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

He SAW Jesus, he FELL facedown, he begged.

He Recognized the Authority of Jesus-

This man has Leprosy all over - The Bible says that this man was FULL of Leprosy!

Leprosy is an infectious cutaneous disease, this means it is all over the skin. The disease affects the skin, the peripheral nerves, mucosa of the upper respiratory tract, and the eyes.

It can cause bumps and boils on the skin

blindness

dry mouth and eyes

fingers, toes, nose, ears can all fall off

And as crazy as this sounds: leprosy is still around today!

So he has been sick for a long time. It was all over him. But his eyes still worked! Now we do not know if he was looking for Jesus, but we know that this man was looking! His eyes were open. Maybe he had been head down and despondent. maybe he had been full of woe and worry. But where there is Jesus there is a stirring! There is a crowd. There is a NOISE!

SOMETHING happened and this man SAW JESUS!

And when he SAW JESUS, he fell facedown.

You do not get more vulnerable or humble than when you are facedown before someone who is above you!

This man saw Jesus, he recognized whom Jesus was, and he humbled himself in the most humbling way possible! FACEDOWN, face in the dirt - and HE BEGGED!

“LORD” - kyrios - Lord, owner, ruler - a title of respect for someone in a position of greater authority

This man may not have grasped that Jesus was God, but he surly understood that Jesus was in the position to do something!

He understood the Power of Jesus

“Lord if you are willing, YOU can make me clean”

He may not have understood exactly who Jesus was, but he understood enough. He had heard enough.

Word gets around the community of the hurting when hope arrives. Sometimes the word comes and people are skeptical:

it sounds like a fairy tale, a man who can heal the sick.

they say there is a man who is able to cure all things

and then the thought sets in

I hope this man comes

maybe he can heal me

And then the man comes! and the sick and the hurting hear his voice and their SOUL cries out: MOVE!

and this man, this sick leper, this man that is full of sickness, FELL DOWN AT JESUS’ FEET and Begged - IF YOU ARE WILLING, YOU CAN MAKE ME CLEAN! It is a statement, a declaration

YOU are the man I have heard of

YOU Are the man that I know can

YOU are the man I need!

NO ONE ELSE CAN, BUT I KNOW YOU CAN!

and the PLEA of his heart -

IF YOU ARE WILLING

The cry of a broken man. We often speak of hitting rock bottom. The hard place. But few people actually know what that means. In America we just do not find ourselves there that often. But we should.

This man is sick. He is outcast. He is the lowest of low. And his own body is falling apart while he is still living. There is no treatment. There is no cure. Loved ones leave for fear of getting sick. The religious leaders cross on the other side.

And since you are a leper, you are ceremonially unclean and not allowed near the temple.

So for a Jew, you are even more cut off from God.

Being that he was a Leper, he was ceremonially unclean.

Leviticus 13:1–3 CSB

The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron: “When a person has a swelling, scab, or spot on the skin of his body, and it may be a serious disease on the skin of his body, he is to be brought to the priest Aaron or to one of his sons, the priests. The priest will examine the sore on the skin of his body. If the hair in the sore has turned white and the sore appears to be deeper than the skin of his body, it is in fact a serious skin disease. After the priest examines him, he must pronounce him unclean.

When you are pronounced UNCLEAN, you could not worship God.

Leviticus 13:12–15 CSB

But if the skin disease breaks out all over the skin so that it covers all the skin of the stricken person from his head to his feet so far as the priest can see, the priest will look, and if the skin disease has covered his entire body, he is to pronounce the stricken person clean. Since he has turned totally white, he is clean. But whenever raw flesh appears on him, he will be unclean. When the priest examines the raw flesh, he must pronounce him unclean. Raw flesh is unclean; this is a serious skin disease.

This man was “full of leprosy”, which means he was RAW from head to foot; RAW flesh is unclean.

He was probably in pain, covered in sores.

And everyone around you, is sick as well.

“JESUS - IF YOU ARE WILLING, You can make me clean. “

You can make me PURE!

This is a powerful statement. This man had such a great understanding, a great faith. How can I say that?

You can read Leviticus all day. You will learn something amazing.

The law and priest could not make a man clean.

They could only determine and declare when he was clean or not.

There is no remedy or power to change a person’s standing before God found in the law.

In other words:

Only God CAN MAKE A PERSON CLEAN!

Luke 5:13 CSB

Reaching out his hand, Jesus touched him, saying, “I am willing; be made clean,” and immediately the leprosy left him.

Jesus TOUCHES the sick!

Listen: This man had leprosy! It is an infections skin disease. It looks nasty. NO ONE TOUCHES THE LEPER!

According to the Law: if you touch the unclean, YOU ARE UNCLEAN!

And before Jesus heals the man, HE TOUCHES THE SICK!

Imagine the looks, the gasps, the sheer confusion of the onlookers as this man falls at Jesus’ feet, and then Jesus reaches down and touches the Leper!

Listen, by their standards not only was Jesus going to become unclean, but also a leper.

Pay attention because this is huge: REACHING OUT HIS HAND, Jesus touches him.

Jesus REACHES!

When I read this, there is a thought that comes to my mind:

The word Reaches, is the word that means extends. So EXTENDING OUT HIS HAND.

Are you following yet?

Have you caught it yet?

Jesus extended his hand for the leper.

He extended his hand for the sick who had NO HOPE.

When I read this words, I am reminded of Jesus’ hands being extended for me. The Crucifixion.

Why? Because Jesus is always reaching His hands out for us!

Listen:

Jesus possess a holiness that is not defiled by touching the unclean, but with a touch HE cleanses the unclean.

Jesus possess a holiness that produces what the law requires but cannot itself produce.

Who do you consider unclean?

Because Jesus is:

Jesus is WILLING and Able to heal you!

BE MADE CLEAN!

It is interesting that the word choice here in virtually every translation is the same: CLEAN! NOT healed.

The leper doesn’t ask to be healed. He asks to be made clean.

Jesus does not say: be healed!

He says BE MADE CLEAN!

To go from ceremonially unclean, to ceremonially clean. Yes. BUT IT IS MORE!

IT IS A COMMAND! Jesus commanded the body to be clean!

And Immediately - not gradually - but immediately the Leprosy left him. at once. without hesitation.

the theological definition says: with no time intervening.

Jesus commanded it, and the disease hit the road!

Listen there is a huge lesson to learn here and it is powerful!

It is more important to be RIGHT with God, than anything else!

Luke 5:14 CSB

Then he ordered him to tell no one: “But go and show yourself to the priest, and offer what Moses commanded for your cleansing as a testimony to them.”

GO offer what Moses commanded

Jesus tells the man, to go give what Moses commanded. What does this mean?

1 - the man had to go to a priest to be examined to confirm that the leprosy was clear.

2 - the man had to present an offering as atonement for sin.

This is covered in Leviticus 14.

Jesus always pointed the people of God BACK TO GOD!

Matthew 5:17 CSB

“Don’t think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.

This is the same thing we are to do. Always point people to God!

This is the spirit of Revival as well: TURN PEOPLE BACK TO GOD!

Luke 5:15–16 CSB

But the news about him spread even more, and large crowds would come together to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. Yet he often withdrew to deserted places and prayed.

Crowds Grew, but Jesus kept His focus

Again, Jesus models for us something powerful:

Keep the main thing, the main thing!

What is the main thing: Your relationship with God!

Do you withdraw to be alone and pray?

Who do you consider unclean?

Where are you afraid to reach because of what might get on you?

Listen:

We ARE the Body of Christ, and Christ REACHES!

Exalting Jesus in Luke (Jesus Has a Holiness that Cleanses Us before God (Luke 5:12–16))

Many Christians have thought of persons with same-sex desires as unclean. Drug addicts and drug sellers may get tagged with that label and stigma. Prostitutes, alcoholics, or the homeless are viewed as lepers in our day.

We must reconsider whether we should regard people as unclean—especially if we are tempted to withdraw from them, because Jesus has a holiness that is not defiled by uncleanness, but a holiness that cleanses by his touch!

Brothers and Sisters, we followers of Christ, can and should be around the ‘unclean’ of our day. So that we can tell them that there is a way to be made clean before God. That way to cleanness is calling on the Lord to make them clean. Jesus’ will is for His people, those who call upon His name, is to walk the way he walked. To reach out our hands, and touch people with the Gospel!

Don’t be afraid of getting some of their dirt on you.

Matthew 15:11 CSB

It’s not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth—this defiles a person.”

They can’t make your heart dirty. But your heart and the gift of righteousness before God, by faith in Christ, can save them. We need to walk in that.

That world out there is dying. They are literally drowning and we have the life raft. We can be afraid of getting wet, or we can throw out the life line that Christ save’s sinners, and then get soaking wet helping them from the sea of sorrow.

Brothers and Sisters, I pray that you hear the Word of God today, and feel yourself being thrust into the world out there with the Good News - the GOSPEL - in full confidence that the Savior will cleanse everyone He touches!

Will you be His reaching hand this week?