MIRACLES OF JESUS: DIRTY LIVES
LUKE 5:12-16
INTRODUCTION… Kids playing in the sprinkler
A few weeks ago there was a very nice day and the sun was shining bright. Our three kids had been outside for quite a while when we decided to help them cool off. We got out the hose and the sprinkler. Our kids love to run through the sprinkler. They laugh and screech and enjoy playing with each other in the sprinkler. On this particular day, Abby and Nate also enjoyed dumping muddy water on Ian’s head. He had dirt in his eyes and all over. They dumped it on his head over and over again. He was dirty! He walked up to his mother and said all he could say was, ‘Look what they did to me!’ The bottom of the tub was full of dirty water and the tub definitely needed a good cleaning after the children were done.
Today, we are going to look at a miracle of Jesus that is all about making oneself clean.
READ LUKE 5:12-16
We find in this passage that a man that was suffering from leprosy approached Jesus. “Leprosy is a chronic contagious disease that is characterized by ulcers of the skin, bone, and internal organs and leads to loss of sensation, paralysis, and deformation” (http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/leprosy). This sounds painful doesn’t it? Besides being painful, Jewish people that suffered from skin diseases were required by the Law in Leviticus 13 and 14 to be separated from the place where they lived until they were cured. They were unclean and were outcasts.
This man comes to Jesus in verse 12 and says to Jesus, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” This man was asking Jesus to heal him. This man was asking Jesus to let him back into society. This man was asking for his life, job, and family back. This disease was in the way of the life that he wanted and he knew that Jesus could help. Of course, Jesus was more than willing and Jesus declared two simple words, ‘Be clean!’ and the man was immediately healed. The man was healed of the disease that had separated him from his life. The man had been made whole again.
After I read this passage, I asked myself the most important question a person can ask when reading a passage of Scripture: ‘What does this mean for me?’ And for some reason I thought of all the things in my life that are leprosy that block me from having the kind of life that I should live. I do not mean physical leprosy of course, but I begin to think of all the sins and obstacles that I commit and deal with that keep me from being whole. As I thought about the list of things that I do that keep me from living a holy abundant life, I thought of another passage of Scripture that I just could not stop reading over and over again.
READ 2 CHRONICLES 26:1-23
I have to ask several questions after reading a passage like that:
Why did Uzziah get leprosy?
What was the sin of Uzziah?
What happened to Uzziah’s life because of his sin?
I hope you see that it was the pride of Uzziah that brought the leprosy on him and separated him from his family and his life. Uzziah’s life was never the same after that day in the temple. Pride led to Uzziah being separated with leprosy.
The Bible has much to say about pride:
Psalm 10:4, “In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.”
Proverbs 11:2, “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”
Proverbs 16:18, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”
Proverbs 21:24, “The proud and arrogant man-- "Mocker" is his name; he behaves with overweening pride.”
I cannot help but link the passage in 2 Chronicles 26 and the passage in Luke 5. It makes sense to me and I hope that I can explain why I see these two passages connected.
Uzziah was not a bad man. In fact the passage in 2 Chronicles tells us that Uzziah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and God gave him success (verse 5). Uzziah was a man who sought after the Lord. God gave this man success after success. Verse 15 tells us, “His fame spread far and wide, for he was greatly helped until he became powerful.” Then verse 16 tells us pride struck. Verse 19 tells us that leprosy broke out on his forehead because of that pride. The man had no recourse. The man was stricken. Verse 21 tells us that he had to live in a separate house from everyone else. He was not known for being mostly faithful to God or having massive military success, but was remembered in the end for having leprosy (verse 23).
APPLICATION
Uzziah had leprosy. The man in Luke 5 had leprosy. Uzziah died alone in a separate house. The man in Luke 5 was cured and went back to his life. What is the difference? What is the difference in these two stories? [hopefully someone says ‘Jesus’]
You are absolutely right. The difference in the lives of these two men is the difference that Jesus Christ makes. I do not know what you deal with in your life that is dragging you down. I do not know what sins you are dealing with on a daily basis. I do not know what is stealing your joy. I do not know what your ‘leprosy’ is that is not allowing you to be whole…
… you might be dealing with pride or selfishness
… you might be dealing with greed or materialism or the love of this world
… you might be dealing with grief or loss and it has overtaken your heart
… you might be dealing with hatred or frustration with other people in your life
… you might be angry with God about something or a situation that you have to deal with
… you might be overwhelmed with worry
… you might be going through a time of doubt or unfaithfulness
But I do know who will make a difference… Jesus.
The difference between 2 Chronicles 26 and Luke 5 is Jesus. The difference is always Jesus. I would like you to take a moment as we close in prayer and I would like you to examine yourself. I will allow a few moments of silent prayer as we begin and I want you to think of and area or areas in your life that are keeping you from the holy abundant life that God has designed for you. What sins are getting in the way? What ‘leprosy’ are you dealing with? And then I will lead us in a prayer for us. You see we already know from Luke 5 that Jesus is willing to make us clean.
CLOSE IN PRAYER
