A LEPER CLEANSED BY JESUS.
Luke 5:12-16.
The various skin diseases which fall under the Biblical heading of ‘leprosy’ have long stood as a metaphor for that worst of all human diseases: sin. However, this does not detract from the historicity of the incident which Luke now sets before us. Leprosy, in all its various forms, is a horrible disease which rendered its victims ceremonially ‘unclean’ - and which still separates its sufferers from society (Leviticus 13:45-46).
LUKE 5:12. Behold! The untouchable comes away from the margins of society, and worships the Lord. Normally a leper might have expected to be chased away, or even have stones cast at him, but it appears nobody on this occasion prevented him. There was hesitation in his voice as he made his plaintive petition: “If it is your will…”; but there was also faith: “You can…” The leper has faith in Jesus’ ability to heal him, and submits to His will.
LUKE 5:13. Is it the Lord’s will that I should be cleansed, healed, forgiven or whatever? He answers: “I will; be thou clean.” Jesus touched the leper! Jesus is willing, and speaks the word. At Jesus’ word, there is instant recovery. “Immediately” the leprosy left him. Healing power passed from Jesus to the sufferer.
LUKE 5:14. There is a time to be silent (cf. Ecclesiastes 3:7). Jesus does not court popularity, but gives the former leper instructions in accordance with the ceremonial law of the time. Jesus came ‘not to destroy the law, but to fulfil it’ (Matthew 5:17). So He told the healed leper to present himself before the priest “as a testimony to them.” This was in keeping with ‘the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing’ (Leviticus 14:2).
The stern way that Jesus spoke to the former leper is perhaps accounted for by the fact that Jesus is the One who knows men’s hearts. He no doubt knew that the man was not inclined to obey the injunction not to tell anyone (except the priest) what had happened.
LUKE 5:15. Why was Jesus so insistent about this? We see the answer from what followed. Jesus’ time was not yet come, but it would come soon enough (John 2:4; John 7:6; John 12:23): meantime men need not have been doing things which might prematurely precipitate His cross.
LUKE 5:16. Jesus now felt constrained to withdraw from the city to the solitary places, like an outcast. It was outside a city that He would later die, for the sins of His people.
APPLICATION. Leprosy is often used as a figure for sin. Jesus proved His willingness to cleanse us from our sin by pouring forth the fountain of His life’s blood on the Cross of Calvary.
Sometimes people are troubled about whether or not they are worthy to receive the forgiveness of Jesus. They may know that, without Him, their sin has left them in a dire condition. The Psalmist knew this, but discovered that, after all, it is in the very nature of a forgiving God to - well, forgive (Psalm 130:3-4)!
What if I am not one of the elected ones? Look to ‘the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world’ (John 1:29).
What if I am not worthy? Repent, and believe the gospel (Mark 1:15), and you will receive the Lord’s forgiveness.
What if my sin is too great? His forgiveness is even greater (1 John 1:9).
What if I sinned when I knew better? Look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).
When Jesus grants us full free forgiveness of our sins at no cost to ourselves, we must not forget what it cost Him (1 Peter 2:24). Our sin is not imputed to us, but to Him: and His righteousness is imputed to us (Romans 4:6-8; 2 Corinthians 5:21).
The man who had been unclean was now cleansed: he who had been an outcast could now be received back into normal society. When we are made right with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, the next step is initiation into the believing community.
