Epiphany 4 2025

As we continue to follow Christ through his life and ministry we continue this focus of a revelation of his Glory to the people.

When we watch Jesus interact with folks we get to see how God is. He is the visible image of the invisible God. So when Jesus interacts with people we get to see on the personal level what God is like. For a long time I had only heard of two revelations. General Revelation, that which can be know by observing the universe, and Special revelation, that which can be know of God especially from the Holy Scripture. But we can add to this, Christological revelation, what can be known about God from his arrival in human history.

So lets zoom in on today’s text.

We will fin that his text give us an Epipany that Jesus is a Prophet like no other, not because he speaks and works for God, but he is God Speaking and working.

The first thing I would say about todays text is this, There is just too much for one sermon. The healing of a Leper is a sermon, the healing of the centurion’s servant is a sermon, the rebuke of Israel is a Sermon. Lets just zoom in on the Leper.

When he came down from the mountain, large crowds followed him. — Matthew 8:1 (CSB)

Jesus went up on the mountain with 12 disciples and the crowd to teach them of his own mouth. The Gospel are constantly showing Jesus to be the successor of Moses, to fulfill what Moses began at Sinai. So at the top of the mountain we have not a Prophet of God, but God himself, not giving us just the Law, but Law and transformation, and not a mediator to convey the word, but the word himself speaking the law. And the 12 are not the Old Rebellious Israel, but a new Israel. Jesus has just proven his OT Cred! by fulfilling Exodus and the 10 commandments. Now we will watch as he fulfills Leviticus.

Up at the top of the mountain we get the Doctrines from on high, then he goes to the bottom of the mountain to share our pain.

Right away a man with leprosy came up and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” — Matthew 8:2 (CSB)

First off its good to review the easy things we know about Leprosy in the Bible. Modern Day Leprosy is a very specific thing. And the Bible had that same skin disease in its umbrella category , “Leprosy.” but it also included other skin maladies, ring worm, alopecia and the like. Lepers had certain law they had to follow…they could not come up to people.

This mans life is completely enslaved to his condition. So he risks his life.

Lord if you are willing: He know Jesus can, he is not doubting that, he is pleading not for the capability but the will to use it.

Prayer is a constant in the life of a Christian, but it is also complex. We do not demand anything of God, and we do not Doubt that he can, we do plead for his mercy.

The invitation to morning prayer says that we “to ask those things which are requisite and necessary, as well for the body as the soul.

The confession in our Communion rite begs “have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us most merciful father. For thy Sons sake.

The Holy Communion ask AND we most humbly beseech thee, O merciful Father, to hear us; and, of thine almighty goodness, vouchsafe to bless and sanctify, with thy Word and Holy Spirit, these thy gifts and creatures of bread and wine; that we, receiving them according to thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ’s holy institution, in remembrance of his death and passion, may be partakers of his most blessed Body and Blood.

Like the Leper we are asking what we might receive and might not, not because God lacks power, but he will do his will on earth as it is in heaven.

3 Reaching out his hand, Jesus touched him, saying, “I am willing; be made clean.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. — Matthew 8:3 (CSB)

Two of the sweetest phrases in the Holy Scripture for me. Reaching out his hand and touching him…Holiness flowing, fountain of all purity. ‘

I am willing: the great love of God for his children who cannot help themselves

Immediately: It was the not the beginning of the path to healing it was immediate.

4 Then Jesus told him,“See that you don’t tell anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” — Matthew 8:4 (CSB)

Jesus the Bringer of the word of God, does not want to become a Mobile Hospital, he wants to declare the arrival of the Kingdom. Yes he does healing but with very specific purpose. Today he shows us he is the newer and better moses nit just by talking about Leprosy in Leviticus but doing what Leviticus could not do, and healing it completely, when he sends the man to do the Mosaic washings, he it telling hime to go through the Levitical Process to show he is healed of Leprosy, but the Mosaic Rite was a bunch of ceremony that was meant to show the person healed of the physical sickness, and the Spiritual Sin that brought it. The right does not fix it only confirms. Jesus, the invisible image of the visible God fixes it.

We will fin that his text give us an Epiphany that Jesus is a Prophet like no other, not because he speaks and works for God, but he is God Speaking and working.

A few Applications.

When the divine spark of God’s presence hit you in Baptism and Communion like it did to our Leper today, your unholy status does not injure the bread, the wine and water, its holy status transforms you. There is a movement in some high church families right now to commune by putting the bread directly on the tongue so as not touch the Holy object. And for sure I will commune people directly on the tongue. Put am not worried and neither should you be about touching the things of the Holy God. His holiness overwhelms your sin-filled state and make s new thing out of you.

Do not turn to Jesus as though he is one more thing in a barrel full of solutions. The other things do not compare to his wonder and Glory. As God he is the solution, not a menu item on a buffet but the only menu item that can heal your soul.

Ask…ask God for the big things…he is able. He may not grant it, but he is able and its okay to ask. This year I want us to have a very specific prayer focus, of asking God for new friends to share the Gospel with. He wants us to ask, and when he fulfills our need above and beyond what we could have imagined we can marvel at the God who open his mouth to say “I am willing. be clean.”

4. We all have a terminal case of Leprosy. Sin has caused us to be in active rebellion to God and it decays our souls as Leprosy decays a body.And if we leave our spiritual leprosy unchecked it will drag us under to an eternity of sickness and Isolation. But Jesus on the Cross has freed us from the shackles of that leprosy called Sin, he has united us to the fellowship of the Body of Christ which is the church so we can avoid that horrible death.

Jesus dying on the cross is the Balm that soothes the soars on our bodies. Turn to him. Reach out your hands and recieve freely what he gives to all, his very self and the kind of fellowhip that allows you to his table