A Nugget from New Life Network
(by Chris Musgrove of Future Now)
Scripture for the Day (January 19, 2018)
And it happened when He was in a certain city, that behold, a man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately the leprosy left him. (Luke 5:12-13)
There are many people that are right where this man was in Luke 5. They believe Jesus can heal them, if he is willing to. Jesus was not only willing to heal him, He was willing to put His hand on a man that Luke the physician said, “was full of leprosy”.
With leprosy the appearance of the face would be altered, so that the sufferer would come to resemble a lion. Nodules would grow on the vocal chords so that the leper spoke with a raspy voice. The body was in a state of living decomposition, thus a terrible stench surrounded the leper constantly. Leprosy would attack the nervous system, compromising the body’s ability to feel pain. It acted as an anesthetic, numbing the body. The leper might step on a stone or a thorn and injure his foot and be totally unaware that there was a problem. Infection would set in and eventually, the injured foot might just fall off. The leper might wash his face in scalding water and blind himself. He might reach into a fire to pick up a dropped potato and not realize that he had been badly burned. Rats would often chew on sleeping lepers. When it was determined that a man had leprosy, they would banish him from the village and it was unlawful for a leper to approach within 50 feet of a clean person.
In the Bible, leprosy was far more than a disease. It was also a type of sin. The leper usually died a horrible death. This information on leprosy helps us see into the mindset of the leper. Now you can see what possibly would’ve caused him to say, “I know you can heal me if you’re willing.” I’m sure he felt so unworthy from the shame of social isolation. But Jesus made a bold display of the love and nature of God when he touched the leper (which was a big no no!) and said, “I am willing, be cleansed!”
Jesus wanted people to make no mistake about it. He was (and is) willing to heal anyone, even a leper.
Acts 10:38: How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. God was the one who anointed Jesus to heal all.
Jesus and God are still the same. They haven’t changed. Hebrews 13:8: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. I hear people say all the time that it is not God’s will to heal everybody, but they can provide no scripture to validate that statement. Nowhere in the scriptures does Jesus ever say, “I won’t heal you.”
I John 5:14-15: Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
This doesn’t mean we are to pray, “Lord heal brother so and so if it’s Your will.” Nowhere in the Bible did anyone pray that way while praying for someone. Find scriptures that cover your prayer needs and pray in line with the Word of God.
John 15:7: If you abide in me, and my Word abides in you, you shall ask what you will and it shall be done.
God’s Word is God’s will; so pray in line with God’s Word.
