Miracles - Healing - Leper
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No Miracles
No Miracles
Before we go into the miracles that Jesus did perform, lets look at a time when He didn’t.
Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him. And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, “Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands! Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” So they were offended at Him.
During His travels, Jesus returns to His hometown.
It can be an odd feeling returning to your hometown after being away for a while.
Jesus taught in their synagogue, just like He taught in others.
But the people were astonished.
What is this wisdom He’s handing out.
Isn’t this Mary’s boy?
Don’t His brothers and sisters live here.
Where did Jesus get all these things.
Then they went from astonished to offended.
What makes Him so special?
But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.”
We have the phrase “Familiarity breeds contempt” from this very idea.
The people of Jesus’ hometown didn’t think He was so special.
After all, many had grown up with Him.
His mother, brothers, and sisters still lived in the town.
As Jesus puts it “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives and in his own house.”
No matter how a big deal you are to the outside world, those who know you the best, who live with you every day, still see you as just a man.
For most of us, a return home and a reminder like this keeps our ego in check,
Like the victorious Roman general parading into town with a slave repeating in his ear, “You are mortal.”
A way to keep us from getting too big for our breeches.
Even if the Son of God does not need this reminder, it goes to show that God will not do miracles where there is no faith.
Leper Cleansed
Leper Cleansed
Now lets look at a couple of incidents involving lepers.
Remember, lepers were outcasts. not allowed into society.
When they came into a town they had to cry out “unclean, unclean”.
No one would touch them.
They were doomed to a terrible and lonely death.
Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.”
No long prayers, no petition that he is a righteous man,
Simply needing down and saying Please help me.
IF you are willing...
Not a demand or a bargain, simply a plea.
Not based on anything the leper has done, simply Jesus’ will.
You can make me clean.
You have the power.
Not pleading, a simple request.
“IF you are willing YOU can make me clean.”
Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.”
Remember, you were not allowed to touch a leper.
You could be infected,
You would be unclean unless you went to the temple for cleanings.
But Jesus “stretched out His hand and touched him.
“I am willing; be cleansed.”
Five simple words, but they are like five gasps of air to a drowning man.
As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.
Imagine how that man felt.
We don’t know how long he had leprosy,
How long since He had been touched.
And with one simple touch and five simple words, the man is now healed.
Can you imagine what that must of felt like,
This man must have wanted to jump and shout for joy,
But what does Jesus tell him?
And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”
Don’t tell anyone?
This man must be bursting to tell everyone,
But the man who healed him said to tell nothing to anyone.
Only show the priest and make the offering for his cleansing.
Can you imagine trying to keep that secret?
Maybe then you’ll understand what happens next.
However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.
It’s like the man could not contain they joy and love he now possessed.
Although he didn’t follow what Jesus said to do, I’m sure there’s part of us all who can understand his reaction.
Ten Lepers
Ten Lepers
Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”
In another instances, Jesus enters a village where He is met by ten lepers.
They didn’t approach Jesus,
They were lepers, they weren’t allowed.
But they cried out to Him,
Jesus, well that’s his name so I guess that makes sense.
Master, epistates /ep·is·tat·ace/ - An overseer.
Have mercy on us. Literally, please have compassion on us, see our state and help us.
What do you think Jesus did?
So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.
This healing is different than the one we just read in Mark,
Not because this time we’re dealing with ten people not just one,
But because in Mark, the leper was instantly healed,
Here, they left and were healed on the way.
In both cases, Jesus told those who were healed to go to the priest.
This is part of the Levitical law:
Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “This shall be the law of the leper for the day of his cleansing: He shall be brought to the priest. And the priest shall go out of the camp, and the priest shall examine him; and indeed, if the leprosy is healed in the leper, then the priest shall command to take for him who is to be cleansed two living and clean birds, cedar wood, scarlet, and hyssop.
When someone was healed from leprosy, the priest would examine them to be sure,
Then, if they were healed, they would make an offering to God.
This time, we have ten men healed on their way to show the priest.
But one man does something different.
And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.
This man doesn’t continue on to the priest,
He goes back to where he was healed and loudly glorifies God.
He fell down at Jesus’ feet to give thanks.
And this man was a Samaritan.
We all remember the parable of the Good Samaritan.
What is it about these people that they seem to “get it”?
Why did the nine who appear to be Jews, continue on to the priest, while this Samaritan returns to Jesus?
After all, the nine were doing what Jesus had said,
But this one man felt compelled to do something different to glorify God.
So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?”
There were ten men who were cleansed,
But only the foreigner returned to give glory to God.
Could it be that being so immersed in the rituals of God, we don’t see the miracles He performs every day?
Does familiarity truly bread contempt?
How many of us, in a similar situation, would do what was expected rather than what was called for?
How many of us ask God for something, and when we receive it, simply continue on our way?
How many of us don’t give a thought to glorifying God for all of the miracles we see every day?
How many of us follow the routine, do what is expected, rather than glorifying God right then and there?
I’m reminded of a song that talks about how, when we see a need we say we’ll pray for someone.
And many times we do bring it up to God, later, on our own schedule.
What would happen if we stopped what we were doing and prayed for that person right then and there?
And if we saw a miracle, would we stop to glorify God right then and there, or would we wait until it fit our schedule?
And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.”
This man, who put glorifying God above even what the law required, he was the one Jesus said “Your faith has made you well.”
This is not a faith healing, but a recognition that while God has cured his leprosy,
The man’s faith in God is what made him well.
I wonder, does that mean that while the other nine were cured of their leprosy, they were not made well?
Conclusion
Conclusion
These stories are about more than just the healing of someone’s infirmities.
They involve the faith to believe.
They contrast with those in Jesus’ home town, who could only see the carpenter’s son and not the Son of God.
They also include the joy of being cured.
And compare it to what is expected.
Jesus told the one man to tell no one, but show the priest,
But he could not contain the joy that was in him.
Similarly, when Jesus told the ten to show themselves to the priest,
One could not contain himself and had to return to Jesus and glorify God.
Now think of what God has cured you of?
When have you been sick and gotten well again?
When have you been in need and were miraculously provided for?
When have you seen the hand of God in you life?
What was your reaction?
Did you continue on as the nine did?
Or did you immediately praise and glorify God for what He had done?
Did you keep it a secret,
Or did you proclaim it freely?
I don’t think anyone here has been cured of leprosy,
But I am sure we have all had some instance where God worked in our lives.
Ask yourself, how did you react?
More importantly, when God works in your life today, how do you react?