“Bridging the Gap Like Jesus: Week 3 Touching the Untouchable”
“Bridging the Gap Like Jesus” • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Announcements:
Offering box is in the back
2. August bible reading plan is on the back table
3. Men’s meeting is on Wednesday at 7PM.
Worship:
Mighty Name of Jesus
2. Faithful Still
3. Worthy of It All
Introduction:
We are continuing our series on Bridging the Gap Like Jesus.
In week 1, we talked about how the foundation of bridging the gap is love and compaasion. Are we writing people off? Thinking they are too far gone to be helped? That Jesus can’t save them like He saved us?
Challenge: choose one person this week to reach with compassion: a visit, a call, a meal.
In week 2, we talked about crossing barriers to reach others. Are we willing to cross the barrier of ethnicity, morality, religious affiliation to reach others for the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Are we willing to get uncomfortable?
Challenges:
What barriers has Jesus crossed in your life to reach you?
Who in your community is considered an outcast or outsider? How can you reach them?
This week we are going to talk about “Touching the Untouchable.”
I want you to imagine for a moment that you have something on your skin — a rash or sore — that begins to spread.
People begin avoiding you.
You can’t go to work.
You can’t hug your kids.
You can’t worship at church.
You’re told you must leave the community.
In the time of Jesus, this was the reality of a leper. They weren’t just sick— they were cut off.
Today, we might not see leprosy often, but we still have people in our communities who are treated the same way — avoided, judged, and left alone.
Since we don’t see leprosy often, here is something to help us compare what leprosy was back then to some individuals we interact with today.
[Display Chart: Lepers in the New Testament vs. Comparable Today]
Here’s a clear side-by-side chart you can use to show the connection between New Testament lepers and modern-day equivalents.
Lepers in the New Testament Comparable Today
Physically unclean due to leprosy Physically ill with a stigmatized or visible condition (severe skin disease, advanced cancer, disabilities)
Feared as contagious People with misunderstood conditions (mental illness, HIV/AIDS, addiction)
Forced to live outside the community Homeless individuals, refugees, those in institutional care or prison
Had to announce their uncleanness (“Unclean! Unclean!” – Lev. 13:45) Those whose past mistakes or records follow them (ex-prisoners, sex offenders, former gang members)
Cut off from worship and temple life People who feel unwelcome or judged in church because of appearance, lifestyle, or history
Viewed as cursed or under God’s judgment Those society assumes “brought it on themselves” (addicts, prostitutes, debt-ridden)
Longing not just for healing, but for touch, dignity, and belonging People craving acceptance, friendship, and a place to belong despite their condition or past
This morning, we’ll look at Matthew 8:1–4 and see how Jesus responded to someone everyone else avoided. And we’ll discover how He calls us to do the same.
1 When he came down from the mountain, large crowds followed him.
2 Right away a man with leprosy came up and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”
3 Reaching out his hand, Jesus touched him, saying, “I am willing; be made clean.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
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.”
Transition: The first thing we see Jesus do when He ministered to the untouchable is…
Body:
I. Jesus Saw the Person, Not the Problem (v. 2)
1 When he came down from the mountain, large crowds followed him.
2 Right away a man with leprosy came up and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”
The man’s disease was enough to keep crowds away — but Jesus didn’t turn him away.
Notice the leper said to Jesus, “If you are willing…”
Leprosy meant you were unclean by law (Lev. 13:45–46). No one was supposed to come near you.
45 “The person who has a case of serious skin disease is to have his clothes torn and his hair hanging loose, and he must cover his mouth and cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean!’
46 He will remain unclean as long as he has the disease; he is unclean. He must live alone in a place outside the camp.
But this man approached in humility, kneeling and calling Jesus “Lord.”
Jesus looked past the disease and saw a man desperate for hope.
Question:
Who in your life might be easy to avoid because of how they look, act, or smell?
When we look past someone’s problem, we see the person God loves.
10 For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.”
Illustration: Story: The Boy with the Red Jacket
In the early 1990s, in a small town in Illinois, there was a high school freshman named Chris who had recently moved from another state. Chris was quiet, awkward, and wore the same oversized red jacket every single day, no matter the weather. Some students whispered that he was “weird” and kept their distance. Others ignored him entirely.
One day at lunch, a sophomore named Mike noticed Chris sitting alone again. Mike’s friends were making fun of the jacket, but Mike decided to sit with him anyway. At first, their conversation was slow—just small talk about classes and music—but over the weeks, they kept talking. Mike didn’t care about how Chris dressed; he just liked that Chris had a quick wit and a deep knowledge of baseball history.
Over time, Chris started to open up. Mike learned that Chris’s family was going through a very hard time financially, which was why he always wore the same jacket—it was the only one he had. Mike invited him to join weekend basketball games, and before long, Chris became part of Mike’s friend group.
Years later, Chris gave a speech at Mike’s wedding. In front of everyone, Chris said:
“Mike looked past my jacket and saw me. He didn’t see a poor kid. He saw a friend.”
That friendship lasted decades, and they often joked that a faded red jacket was the thing God used to start it all.
7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature because I have rejected him. Humans do not see what the Lord sees, for humans see what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart.”
Transition: Jesus not only looked past the problem and saw the person, but…
II. Jesus Touched the Untouchable (v. 3a)
3 Reaching out his hand, Jesus touched him, saying, “I am willing; be made clean.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
Jesus could have healed with just a word — but He reached out His hand.
This was the first human touch this man likely felt in years.
The touch didn’t make Jesus unclean — His touch made the man clean.
Application:
Sometimes people don’t need a sermon first — they need a hand on their shoulder, a smile, a handshake, a hug.
Touch communicates value, dignity, and acceptance.
(Not on slide) Luke 5:13 — Jesus touched the leper.
Hebrews 13:12–13 — Jesus went “outside the camp” to bring us in.
12 Therefore, Jesus also suffered outside the gate, so that he might sanctify the people by his own blood.
13 Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing his disgrace.
Illustration: Touching the Untouchable—Then and Now
In the late 1800s, leprosy struck fear into the hearts of people around the world. In Hawaii, those diagnosed were shipped off to the remote island of Molokai, never to return. They were left in squalor—without proper housing, medical care, or human touch. The sores and disfigurement of leprosy made them outcasts.
But in 1873, Father Damien, a Belgian priest, volunteered to live among them. He didn’t just drop off supplies and sail away. He stayed—eating with them, dressing their wounds, building homes, and hugging people no one else would touch. Over time, Damien contracted leprosy himself, yet he kept serving until his death. His legacy was not just in buildings and medicine—it was in restoring dignity and hope to people the world had rejected.
Fast forward to today, and while leprosy is rare, there are still people who bear visible marks of illness. Dr. Sandra Lee, a dermatologist known as “Dr. Pimple Popper,” often treats patients with severe skin conditions—open sores, cysts, and painful growths that draw stares and whispers. One man named Delano had lived for years in isolation because of his appearance. Many doctors turned him away. But Dr. Lee looked him in the eye, shook his hand, and treated him with dignity. She removed diseased tissue, cleaned his wounds, and walked with him through healing. For the first time in years, he was able to walk in public without hiding.
In both cases, the difference was not just skill—it was touch, presence, and love.
And that’s exactly what Jesus did in Matthew 8:1-4 when He reached out and touched the man with leprosy. The law said “unclean.” Society said “stay away.” But Jesus said, “Be clean.” He didn’t just heal a body—He restored a person to community.
When we follow Jesus, we are called to do the same—to reach the people others avoid, to offer dignity where the world gives shame, and to extend the healing presence of Christ.
Transition: So Jesus looked past the problem and saw the person, Jesus touched the untouchable and lastly…
III. Jesus Fully Restored the Outcast (vv. 3b–4)
3 Reaching out his hand, Jesus touched him, saying, “I am willing; be made clean.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
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.”
The man was instantly healed — but Jesus sent him to the priest so he could be officially declared clean and welcomed back into society.
Jesus’ work is always holistic — body, soul, and relationships.
Application:
True ministry is not just about spiritual salvation — it’s also about restoring people to community.
That might mean helping them reconnect with family, find a church home, or get back on their feet.
2 Corinthians 5:18–20 — Ministry of reconciliation.
18 Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.
19 That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and he has committed the message of reconciliation to us.
20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.”
Psalm 147:3 — He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
3 He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.
Illustration: Restored and Sent Out
When God sets people free, He doesn’t just remove the chains—He restores purpose. Here are three real-life examples of that truth:
Chris Wilson – From Prison to Purpose
Sentenced to life in prison as a teenager, Chris used his time behind bars to learn, study, and prepare for a better life. After 16 years, he was released—but with no job, little money, and a criminal record. A mentor stepped in, helping him find housing, work, and the tools to start his own business. Today, Chris runs a successful company that hires other former inmates and speaks nationwide about second chances.
John Koufos – From Failure to Leadership
Once a lawyer, John lost everything after a DUI accident sent him to prison. Upon release, a church reentry program welcomed him with meals, transportation, and job connections. He eventually became the Executive Director of a nonprofit serving former prisoners. Now, he works nationally to create employment opportunities for those reentering society.
Ron Gonzales – From Gang Life to Guiding Others
Ron spent 17 years in prison for gang-related crimes. Homeless and broke after release, he was connected to a Christian transitional home where he received shelter, meals, and discipleship. Volunteers taught him life skills, money management, and job readiness. Within two years, Ron became a counselor in the same program, guiding others toward a new life.
Application: These stories reflect the heart of the Gospel—God doesn’t just free us from sin; He restores us, equips us, and sends us out for His purposes. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Conclusion:
Lepers in the New Testament were avoided, feared, and rejected.
Today’s “lepers” might be the homeless, addicts, people with criminal records, those with mental illness, or anyone we tend to avoid.
Jesus touched the untouchable — and He calls us to do the same.
Challenge:
Who is one person in your life that others avoid — and how can you reach out to them this week?
Discussion Questions:
Who in your community might feel like a “modern-day leper”?
What fears might keep you from reaching out to them?
How can your touch, words, or presence communicate Jesus’ love?
Why can’t we as “The Gap” be the church that reaches out to those who are incarcerated and helps them not only while they are serving time but also helping them get on their feet when they get out?!
[Display Chart: Lepers in the New Testament vs. Comparable Today]
Here’s a clear side-by-side chart you can use to show the connection between New Testament lepers and modern-day equivalents.
Lepers in the New Testament Comparable Today
Physically unclean due to leprosy Physically ill with a stigmatized or visible condition (severe skin disease, advanced cancer, disabilities)
Feared as contagious People with misunderstood conditions (mental illness, HIV/AIDS, addiction)
Forced to live outside the community Homeless individuals, refugees, those in institutional care or prison
Had to announce their uncleanness (“Unclean! Unclean!” – Lev. 13:45) Those whose past mistakes or records follow them (ex-prisoners, sex offenders, former gang members)
Cut off from worship and temple life People who feel unwelcome or judged in church because of appearance, lifestyle, or history
Viewed as cursed or under God’s judgment Those society assumes “brought it on themselves” (addicts, prostitutes, debt-ridden)
Longing not just for healing, but for touch, dignity, and belonging People craving acceptance, friendship, and a place to belong despite their condition or past
