The beloved physician Luke shared how, “it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if you will, you can make me clean”, and in chapter five and verse thirteen of his book Luke shares how Jesus, “put forth his hand, and touched him” where we read:
And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be you clean.
And immediately the leprosy departed from him.
The verse reads, “And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be you clean.” Luke began with the words, “And he put forth his hand” or “and Jesus stretched out his hand toward the man with leprosy”, “and touched him” which means “and physically touched the man with leprosy”, “saying” or “uttering, declaring and proclaiming”, “I will” which means “I, Jesus, have in mind, intentionally, am resolved and purposed to, desire, wish and love to cleanse”: “be you clean” or “be cleansed, purified and consecrated”. Luke shared how Jesus stretched out his hand toward the man with leprosy and confirmed with the man his desire to “cleanse” him from his terrible disease.
The verse continues, “And immediately the leprosy departed from him.” Luke added the words, “and immediately” which means “and straightway and forthwith” “the leprosy” or “the most offensive, annoying, dangerous, cutaneous disease, the virus of which generally pervades the whole body, common in Egypt and the East” “departed from him” which means “left and went forth and away from the man”. Luke shared how the “leprosy” “immediately” left the man after Jesus touched him.
When we think through Luke's words in this verse, we learn of another miracle performed by Jesus. “Leprosy” was such a horrible disease that people infected by it were to keep a distance from others and cover their mouths while yelling out “unclean, unclean” before anyone approached them. There were often “leper colonies” where people had to live separated from others because of their stench, abnormalities and disfigurements caused by the disease. “Leprosy” is known as “Hansen disease” today, and there are remedies to halt it's progress, however, in Jesus' day, there were no cures, remedies or reliefs from it. People with “leprosy” were not to be “touched”, and yet Jesus extended His hand toward the man and cured Him. “Leprosy” becomes a type of “sin” within every person's life, and there is no cure for it other than receiving Jesus Christ as a personal “Savior and Lord”. Those who recognize their “spiritual disease of leprosy”, called “sin”, may come before Jesus, ask Him to forgive their sins and receive His cleaning power that not only saves them, but also grants them everlasting life. (See 1 John 1:9)
Next time Luke shares how Jesus charge the leper who was healed, “to tell no man”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book
“Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the
marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the
Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms
Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County"
in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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