Saved again and again

The fear of leprosy in the first century world would be equivalent to the coronavirus panic experienced today. Contracting leprosy or coming into contact with it through someone who had it, was an immensely horrifying prospect, for it was a highly contagious disease.

Leprosy is identified by blemishes on the skin, yet its effects are more than skin deep. Leprosy is a disease of the nervous system, where bacteria attacks and kills nerves so that its victims cannot sense pain. As a result, leprosy's victim would have no stimulus to the dangers around them. Consequently, disfigurement, dismemberment, and death followed.

Even more terrifying was that lepers died long before their biological functions ceased. The disease robbed its victim of their name, occupation, habits, family, fellowship, and worshipping community. Being highly contagious, lepers were by Law forced to endure a strictly imposed quarantine. Lepers were required to practice extreme social distancing. They were mandated to maintain a distance of 50 paces (200 feet), from healthy individuals. They were required to maintain an appearance of abhorrence as a means of deterrence by keeping their hair long, wild, and unkept, and wearing torn and filthy garments as well as covering their mouths and crying loudly and frequently, 'Unclean! Unclean!” Worst of all, lepers lived with the stigma of being cursed by God! Rabbi's referred to lepers as 'The Living Dead” and believed that curing leprosy was a difficult as raising the dead!

Mark 1:40-45 introduces us to such an individual. An utterly hopeless and desperate individual who approaches Jesus and begs Him: 'If You are willing, You can make me clean!” Jesus, moved with compassion, reaches out and touches the leper and says: 'I am willing, be made clean.” And Mark records that immediately he was healed!

Scripture invites its reader to identify with the individuals and their circumstances portrayed, to put yourself in their shoes if you will. Now, you may say, I can't identify with leprosy! That is until you realize that leprosy is used in the Bible as a depiction of sin. Sin is the leprosy of the heart and soul! Sin kills! It has rendered man dead to God, unresponsive and numb to the wickedness of our hearts and the dangers of rebellion against God. Leprosy is a physical reminder of a spiritual truth. Like leprosy, the outer manifestation of our lives and world falling apart around us, is evidence of our deeper sin problem. Because of sin, man and his world are falling apart under his corruption, eternally distanced from the Author of Life, and unless God intervenes, we are eternally cursed!

Amazingly, our spiritual leprosy didn't drive God away from us, instead, it drove Him to us! In the same way Jesus touched the leper, God the Father, moved by deep compassion, reached out and physically touched the world through Jesus. Through the cross, Jesus rescues man from the leprosy of sin and its consequences. Galatians 3:13 says 'Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, because it is written: Everyone who is hung on a tree is cursed.” Jesus substituted Himself for us, taking our curse upon Himself on the cross so that those who trust in Him alone are immediately made clean from their sin! Even while we were eternally distanced from Him, God came NEAR, so that He through Jesus 'might bring you to God (1 Peter 3:18)”!

The cross, Calvary, and Good Friday are evidence enough that God is more than willing to cleanse mankind from their sins and give them life. It is our reluctance and unwillingness that keeps us in our corruption. 1 John 1:9 emphatically declares: 'If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” IF only you will humbly come to Him, I assure you, you also will hear, 'I am willing, be made clean!”