THREE POWERFUL WORDS
Matt 8:1-4 NKJV
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.”
Matthew shares a brief but powerful encounter of a leper who came to Jesus. Jesus had just completed His sermon on the mountain, and huge crowds of people were following Him. A man with leprosy came to Jesus and worshipped Him. With huge multitudes following Jesus, it’s interesting that this man was able to get to the Lord. Maybe because he had leprosy and people gave him a lot of room. Leprosy is a contagious disease.
So the man with leprosy came to Jesus and worshipped Him. Worship is always a good place to start when it comes to the Lord, and this man worshipped before he made a request. And his request was conditional. ‘’If You are willing, You can make me clean.” In essence, this man with leprosy was convinced that the Lord had the power to heal him of his disease. What the man was not sure of was the willingness of Jesus.
Jesus communicated His willingness to heal the man with two distinct things. First, Jesus put His hand on the leper and touched him. That may not seem like much to us, but it spoke volumes to the man. People did not touch the lepers. They were instructed to live isolated from society and were to yell unclean if anyone came near them. Even their families could not touch them. So for a man who may not have been touched in years this was huge.
The second thing that communicated the willingness of Jesus was His words: “I am willing; be cleansed.” Remember that Jesus never did anything apart from the will of His Father God. In communicating His willingness, Jesus was also communicating the willingness of God for people plagued by disease to be made whole. And immediately the leprosy was cleansed. This was a miracle, not a healing. Healings take place over time; miracles are instantaneous.
Then Jesus commanded the man, who was no longer a leper, to do three things. First, don’t tell anyone. Jesus was so engulfed by crowds that it made moving around difficult. Of course, this may have been the commandment that no one listened to. If you have been cleansed from a foul, life-altering disease such as leprosy, chances are slim that you will keep it to yourself. The second thing Jesus commanded was for the man to show himself to the priests. There was a ceremony and an examination for everyone claiming to be healed of leprosy. But the priest had to pronounce a person clean before they could reenter society.
The third instruction was interesting. Jesus directed the healed man to give the gift that Moses had commanded in the law. Jesus said it would be a testimony to the priests. A testimony that God was given the credit for cleansing the leprosy. This was not an accident or random luck. God was involved.
APPLICATION
One of the biggest challenges to people receiving from the Lord is believing that the Lord is willing. Most people believe God is able to save, heal, deliver, and help. Many do not know if He is willing. Search the scriptures for examples, such as our one today, to determine the willingness of the Lord for your life. Don’t look at your situation or circumstances. This is a huge topic, but this will help you get started and reframe your perspective of the Lord.
Worship before asking. This is always a great way to approach the Lord. Worship is always appropriate. “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.” This is how Jesus taught His disciples to pray, and the principle still applies today.
Recognize that offerings are a testimony that you are giving God credit for what He has done in your life. By bringing our tithes and offerings to the Lord, we acknowledge Him as our source. Our giving is a way to honor God.
PRAYER
Thank You, Lord, for Your willingness to save, heal, help and strengthen me. I believe You are willing!