THE TOUCH OF CHRIST

The Leper

The disease which we today call leprosy generally begins with pain in certain areas of the body. Numbness follows. Soon the skin in those spots loses its original color. It gets to be thick, glossy, and scaly.…Spongy, tumor-like swellings would eventually grow on the face and body.... As the sickness progresses, the thickened spots become dirty sores and ulcers due to poor blood supply. The skin, especially around the eyes and ears, begins to bunch, with deep furrows between the swellings, so that the face of the afflicted individual begins to resemble that of a lion. Fingers drop off or are absorbed; toes are affected similarly. Eyebrows and eyelashes drop out. By this time one can see the person in this pitiable condition is a leper. It eventually becomes systemic and affects internal organs, while the bones would begin to deteriorate. Untreated in ancient times, it produced a weakness which made the victim vulnerable to tuberculosis or other diseases. By a touch of the finger one can also feel it. One can even smell it, for the leper emits a very unpleasant odor. Moreover, in view of the fact that the disease-producing agent frequently also attacks the larynx, the leper’s voice acquires a grating quality. His throat becomes hoarse, and you can now not only see, feel, and smell the leper, but you can hear his rasping voice. And if you stay with him for some time, you can even imagine a peculiar taste in your mouth, probably due to the odor.

Leprosy is a graphic illustration of sin. Like leprosy, sin infects the whole person, and it is ugly, loathsome, corrupting, contaminating, alienating, and incurable by man. Lepers in ancient Israel were vivid object lessons of sin.

The leper was cut off from society and corporate worship.

See Leviticus 13:45–46...

Ephesians 2:12 “remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.”

He recognized that Christ was His only hope to be made clean.

Luke 5:12 “While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy. And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.””

1 Timothy 2:5–6 “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.”

The Savior

Jesus is a merciful and compassionate Savior that is eager to meet our needs.

Mark 1:41 “Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.””

Matthew 9:35–36 “And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”

See Mark 2:15-17...

See Romans 5:6–11...

The Cleansing

All it took was the touch of Christ to instantly cleanse the leper.

Matthew 28:18 “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

All it takes is the touch of Christ to cleanse us from all of our sins.

Hebrews 10:10 “And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

Hebrews 10:14 “For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.”

Isaiah 1:18 ““Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.”

Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”

See 1 Corinthians 6:9-11...

The Aftermath

The leper was so excited that he didn’t obey Jesus’s instructions.

Mark 1:45 “But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter.”

Luke 5:16 “But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.”

John 6:15 “Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.”