Be Clean
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1 When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. 2 And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”
3 Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
4 And Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”
Introduction
After the Sermon on the Mount
The people were astonished by the teachings of Jesus (7:28)
The sermon on the mount - living the Christian Life victoriously
They were moved by His authority in revealing truth (7:29)
Now His Powerful Words Would Be Demonstrated by Deeds
Jesus came down from the mountain to minister
It is nice to be on the mountain - surrounded by the applauding crowd -
But then, we have to come down into the valleys also - Jesus did both
The multitudes followed Him and were met by a leper
Body
The Leper and the Crowd (vv. 1–2)
This multitude would have been in no mood for a leper -
Might have brought panic
The leper was an outcast from the city
No one would come near him
The sermon they had just heard put them on a spiritual high
now they are confronted with real life test of faith
Great sermons are to prepare us to care and serve
In the Bible, lepers picture what sin has done to everyone
leprosy is a disease of the flesh - represents sin and carnality
leprosy is not a particularly painful disease - as the flesh literally rots and dies it also numbs
Sin is like that, as it cripples people they are often numb to the pain it is causing - yet aware they are dying
We are all unclean (Rom. 3:10–23)
10 As it is written:
“There is none righteous, no, not one;
11 There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God.
12 They have all turned aside;
They have together become unprofitable;
There is none who does good, no, not one.”
13 “Their throat is an open tomb;
With their tongues they have practiced deceit”;
“The poison of asps is under their lips”;
14 “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 Destruction and misery are in their ways;
17 And the way of peace they have not known.”
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Our sins have earned us death (Rom. 6:23; Heb. 9:27)
Many who follow Christ have no compassion for the unclean
So many people, even Christians, err by falling at one extreme or the other.
they either avoid those who are lost in sin completely, thinking to insulate themselves from them, much like the pharisees
Or they go to the other extreme, but excepting all uncleanness and never expecting change
Some people seem to want the Lord to save only respectable people
Jesus came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10)
Jesus came to seek those who are lost
this means those who are not already saved
those who still say curse words, and listen to bad music
people who still drink alcohol and maybe even smoke weed
people who still commit sexual sin, and maybe even homosexual sin
People who still tell lies, and hang out with bad crowds
gangs and greedy people and about everything else you can think of.
Jesus came to seek out every one of them
People from all of these categories are welcome in this church, and among Christians, Jesus came for you, and His arms are open wide.
Jesus came to save those who are lost
1 Cor. 6 says “and such “were” some of you — but now you are changed...
Jesus came to seek the lost, He does not want to leave any lost
He as come to give us His righteousness
Whoever continues in sin is a slave to sin, but if the Son shall make you free you shall be free!
The Leper and Christ (v. 2)
The leper came and worshiped Jesus
He came while he was still “unclean”
He came to Jesus while it was still thought to be unwelcome for a leper to come
He came becasue he was desperate for change
The leper called Jesus “Lord”
Like the thief on the cross (Luke 23:42)
Like the woman taken in adultery (Luke 8:11)
He recognized Jesus as Lord, and believed He could help - and that He would
This is faith — the faith that pleases Gopd
The compassion of Jesus
Jesus was moved with compassion for the leper (Mark 1:41)
Compassion is to feel what another feels - to be moved by what affects another
Jesus identifies with the pain of the dying man
He also identifies with our pain -
We do not have a high priest that cannot be touched with our weaknesses
Jesus touched the untouchable
Who have you touched recently for Jesus?
Have you been ignoring the untouchables?
In these days of masks and social distance - it is easy to be isolated from the untouchables of our world
It is easy to become blind and deaf to the suffering and needs of the lost
The Leper Made Clean (vv. 3–4)
“I will; be thou clean”
Jesus loves to make people clean
No one is too defiled for Him to cleanse (1 Cor. 6:9–11)
9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
Immediately his leprosy was cleansed (v. 3)
Imagine the joy of the cleansed leper
Have you experienced the joy of being clean? (1 John 1:7–9)
7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Conclusion
The Cleansing Confirmed
“Go … shew thyself to the priest”
The miracles of Jesus stand the inspection of men
So many people have received miracles and are living testimonies today
And the greatest miracles are still the transformed lives of those who are saved.
Whatever Your Past, You Can Be Clean