Haluwasa Monday Night

Introduction

The same way that you are getting to know Jesus and who He is, the disciples were as well.

Reading the gospels is a way that we can get to know Him

Think about how you know the people that are closest to you

Mom, dad, siblings, cousins, friends, teachers

What did it take for you to get know them well

Time

Intention

Tough times together

Great times together

An argument or two

Seeing my wife and kids in passing isn’t enough to really know them

I need to date my wife, and spend life with my kids

This is what it takes to know Jesus, and the only way we get to develop our relationship with Him is reading the Word and praying

Before we do this, lets take an overview of the Bible so that we know where we are reading about Jesus

Walking into a movie theater, watching one second of a movie, and then running out and trying to explain what the whole movie was about to a group of people.

The Garden, the problem

The Flood

Israel

The promise/prophets/Kings

400 years of silence

Jesus is born

Jesus dies around 33 years old and ascends to heaven

The Holy Spirit comes, the church is born

The gospels are recorded

Paul and the apostles spreads the gospel

2000 years later, here we are reading their accounts of Jesus

Message Body

Jesus Heals a Man With Leprosy

8 When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. 2 A man with leprosy[a] 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. 4 Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

Explanation

What we can know for sure about this leper is:

He is unclean

He should live outside of the town

Must live alone

A leper wasn’t allowed to come within six feet of any other human, including his own family.

The disease was considered so revolting that the leper wasn’t permitted to come within 150 feet of anyone when the wind was blowing.

Lepers lived in a community with other lepers until they either got better or died.

This man should not have been in the crowd at all

Jesus could have asked or commanded to leave and it would have been considered the right thing to do

Jesus touches the man and does not get sick

He takes a major risk here

Sneezing in line at Home Depot during the pandemic. Standing at a distance from loved ones because we were afraid of getting them sick. When someone sneezed or didn’t feel well, we banished them from us.

This left people feeling isolated, depressed, and distant.

When we are connected to someone and feel a sense of belonging

Improved mental health

Better resilience

Increased happiness

Live longer,

Reduced risk of illness

Improved immune system

To put yourself in the shoes of the Leper, considered the opposite of each of the benefits of being a part of a community of people

Worse mental health

Worse resilience

Decreased happiness

Shortner lifespans

Increased rise of illness

Worsened immune system

Leprosy as a Metaphor for Sin

No matter what sin is seperating you from Him, Jesus is willing and able to make you clean.

Leprosy in the Bible carries with it great spiritual applications. “Leprosy is a remarkable type of sin and its fruits … The visible effect on the body illustrates the effect of sin upon the soul.

John G. Butler

Jesus heals the Centurians servant and Peter’s mother in law- both not the elite or the wealthy

What can we learn about Jesus from this passage?

Jesus cares about each individual person, not just the crowds

Jesus hears us when we cry out to Him

Jesus is willing to make you clean

Jesus is willing to touch you without becoming unclean

Jesus will use to as a testimony to Him to show His power

No matter what anyone else thinks about you or what they call you, you are precious to Him and He knows you by name.

Mark began this story with Jesus on the inside and the leper on the outside. At the end of the story, Jesus is “outside in lonely places.” Jesus and the leper have traded places.

James R. Edwards; Chuck Swindoll