Intro: The Lord Jesus is in the midst of a tiring and challenging preaching campaign in this passage. Verse 21 to 34 tell us that Jesus had just taught in the synagogue the previous day; 23-28, "cast out a demon"; mended Simon Peter's mother by marriage, v. 29-31; and delivered others from demonic possession and healed numerous sick people, vv. 32-34.
You would believe that Jesus could require a time of rest after such a furious timetable. However, in verse 35, Jesus is up and praying well before dawn. According to verses 36–39, when His disciples find Him, He tells them that it is time to preach in the nearby cities because that (ministry) was the reason He came to the world.
Amidst His proclaiming and showing service in Capernaum, He is intruded on by a solitary man, an outcast. I want to concentrate on this intimate encounter this morning. One man was able to have a moment with the master, even though there were a lot of people there to be helped, taught, and healed. Let's take a look inside this scene and experience A Moment of Transformation for ourselves.
I. V. 40 THE State OF THE Outcast
A. His Infection - We are informed that this man, who moved toward the Ruler Jesus was an untouchable. Leprosy was the most feared of all the diseases and afflictions that devastated the ancient world. Today, perhaps a brief description of this terrible disease is in order.
Most of the time, the disease starts when a person starts to feel tired. He would just feel tired for no particular reason, and then the joints would start to hurt. And afterward that man one day saw that little white spots were showing up all around his skin, simply minimal white spots. The white spots then began to harden into nodules, changing from white to pink to brown and becoming extremely scaly. Then those nodules started to appear everywhere on the body; They would first affect the face, changing the shape and appearance of the face. Wrinkles and nodules would cover the face until they said that a man with leprosy like that would start to look like a lion.
After that, the nodules would begin to ulcerate, become covered in pus, and spread throughout the body. In addition, the man would release a foul odor that was so horrible you couldn't even stand to smell it. Furthermore, there was a desire for the mouth of the man that came when infection got hold of him. His vocal chords would be covered in nodules, which would cause him to breathe with a wheezing sound and a rasp in his voice when he spoke.
So, you see, this leprosy disease just started completely consuming a man until his body was nothing more than a pool of slime. He would have these nodules all over his body. This man's hair would turn white, his eyebrows would start to fall out, and his body would start to rot slowly. He would leave wet spots on his feet where pus would pour out and the extended parts of his body would start to fall out as he walked. The toes of the feet would begin to fall off, and the fingers would fall off. Additionally, leprosy attacked the nervous system in such a way that a man lost all sense of pain. As a result, a man who was afflicted with leprosy might accidentally put his hand in the fire and not feel any pain; however, he would burn himself tragically. Additionally, whenever he stepped on a thorn, whether it was in the path or not, he would not feel any pain as the thorn punctured his finger. So what a man became was a mobile demise. It endured a normal of around 9 years and a man at long last imploded into a heap of defilement. It was a horrendous truly crippling illness.
The severe social isolation that accompanied this disease must also be taken into consideration, as if this weren't bad enough. When a man was found to have leprosy, he was kicked out of the village and could no longer share communion with other people. He was forced to leave his friends and family. It was unlawful for a pariah to move toward inside 50 feet of a spotless individual. The limit was raised to 200 feet on days with high winds. He could only see his family from a distance and not touch them. Numerous families brought food and dress for some time, however after a period, most families had a burial service and viewed the tormented individual as a dead man.
To show that he was a leper, he had to tear off his clothes. He was to go to a funeral service dressed as a mourner: his own burial service! In order to prevent contamination, he was required to wear a cloth over his upper lip, and whenever he saw people approaching, the leper was required to yell, "Unclean! Unclean! Unclean!", what's more, it would caution individuals that an untouchable was in the vicinity and they would get stones and they would start to toss the stones at him so he would waste time around him. According to the Bible, this man was afflicted with leprosy; therefore, here is his condition and picture.
(Note: Some may say, "Preacher, no one here has leprosy," which is a horrible image. What's the point of hearing this? This is how I would respond to that: In the holy book, uncleanliness is undeniably in excess of a sickness. Additionally, it is a sin! Even though no one in this room is a leper, they all struggle with sin! Furthermore, none of the diseases mentioned in the Bible more accurately depicts sin than leprosy. In Leviticus 13, we are given the guidelines for diagnosing and managing uncleanliness. Permit me to highlight a few parallels between leprosy and sin.
1. Lev says that leprosy goes deeper than skin. 13:3 (Sin also is! Matt, sin's outward manifestations are only a window into the heart. 15:18-19. Man isn't a delinquent since he sins. Rom says that man sins because he is a sinner. 3:23; Gal. 3:22!)(Ill. Watch from my grandfather. looks good from the outside, but the inside has a problem! It doesn't require winding. A fresh battery is not required. It needs a watchmaker to fix the issue. It needs something extremist to occur inside! The sinner is the same way! External, quick fixes like religious ones won't work! In their hearts, the lost person needs major surgery!
2. Lev says that leprosy starts out small and then spreads. 13:7 Just as that leper may have noticed a tiny white spot on his skin one day, the horrible disease didn't take long to devour his flesh. Oh, what a sinful image! See David in 2 Samuel. 11! A small instance of laziness resulted in adultery, an unintended pregnancy, lies, and murder! That small drink will become a significant alcohol issue. On a date, a little petting could result in an unwanted pregnancy. If you lower the barriers a little here and allow a little sin a little there, the devil will soon have destroyed and pillaged your entire life!
3. Lev says that leprosy ruins everything it touches. 13:44–46 We were completely and completely defiled when a man was smitten with leprosy! Sin is the same way! Sin can contaminate a person's entire life. It will harm your loved ones. It will harm your connections. Everything in your life that it touches will be destroyed! Joshua 7, ask Achan if a garment and a little gold and silver were worth his life and his family's lives. Inquire as to whether a couple of taken minutes with another man's better half merited the demolition and catastrophes that came into his family subsequently.
4. Isolates of leprosy - Levi 13:46 The leper was removed from the clean camp. He was compelled to live by himself on the outskirts of society. Sin isolates as well. It splits apart relatives and it isolates the delinquent from God, Isa. 59:2.
5. Things are made for the fire by leprosy - Lev. 13:52 The leper burned everything he touched! Sin is the same way! Psa. says that it condemns those who suffer from it to fires of everlasting suffering. 9:17!
Physical leprosy was a big deal, which is easy to understand. Additionally, it is simple to comprehend how that dreadful and cruel disease depicts the horror of sin.
B. His Desire: Now, this man is here. The plague of leprosy has devastated his life. He might have heard that Jesus was in town when he awoke that morning in the leper colony. He might have heard that Jesus had cured a wide range of ailments and even extinguished demons. Maybe a heart that had been conditioned to feel only hopelessness felt hope for the first time in a long time. The majority of people held the belief that leprosy was a "stroke of God." that it was God's direct punishment for the leper's sin. Infection was a savage disaster for an individual's confidence. It caused them to feel disliked, undesirable and neglected. But that morning, this leper's faith awoke and he realized he had to get to Jesus. This poor, miserable man began to stumble his way to Jesus, no matter what inspired him.
Could you at any point see the hoards as they swarm around the Friend in need? When people realize there is a leper present, can you hear the commotion in the back of the crowd? As this man moves through the crowd, can you hear the cries of fear and disgust as they begin to separate?
He clears his path through the terrified group and stops inside a careful distance of Jesus. Declaring his desire to the Lord, he kneels before Him. His words to Jesus speak volumes about his condition.
1. His words suggest that he wants to get rid of his disease.
2. His words show that he believes Christ can do anything.
3. His words demonstrate his own sense of inadequacy before God.
A picture of what a sinner who wants to be saved from their sins should be like is represented by these three things. The desire to be free from the sin that binds you must exist. This desire arises in the sinner's heart upon conviction. There should be confidence in the capacity of Jesus to save the spirit. The gift of God is faith, Eph. 2:8–9, and the Holy Spirit produces it in the sinner's heart. If this is the case, there will always be a sense that one is unworthy to appear before God. This is accurate because none of us are deserving of salvation. The devil will tell us, "You’re not worthy to come to Jesus!" when we arrive. He is correct! You might hear your own inner voice say, "You're not worthy to come to Jesus!" You're absolutely right! Yet, don't let that prevent you from coming! John 6:37 says that although you might not be deserving to attend, He will never refuse you entry. That is the incredible grace of God's power! The flesh and the devils are correct when they say, "You're not worthy to come!" But they are completely mistaken when they say, "He won't have you!"
This elderly leper has reached the point where he is aware that he will require a divine intervention to recover from his illness. He appears to be in the final stages, as we read in Luke 5:12 that he was "full of leprosy." He was almost gone and he really wanted help from above. He thus went to Jesus. Friend, if sin has ruined your life, I can assure you that you also require divine intervention. Only Jesus can give you what you need. You want a marvel! You must follow in the footsteps of this leper and kneel at Jesus' feet!
II. V. 41-42; 45 THE Empathy OF THE Ruler
(Sick. As the group watches, this outsider tumbles down before the Ruler and requests a supernatural occurrence. How will Jesus respond? Is he also going to turn away in disdain? Will he require the man to be stoned, as many individuals could have done? No! Jesus does the incomprehensible: He shows this man sympathy!)
A. As Manifested by His Touch: This man has not been touched in years. This man had not held his wife or children in years. He hadn't felt someone's hand on him in a very long time. He hadn't been able to kiss his wife in a long time. He had been detached and solitary! The law strictly forbade touching a leper because doing so was considered unclean. If you touch a leper, you run the risk of getting infected yourself. Yet, how did Jesus respond? He gave Him a hug!
That leper had no idea what she was expecting. At best, they will probably be chased away and, at worst, stoned to death. But imagine his surprise when Jesus touched him with His hand! He never anticipated that! When Jesus reaches out to touch this unclean man, can you hear the crowd gasp in shock? Yet, goodness how wonderful that one touch probably felt to this man! His skin must have felt like nothing he had ever felt before if it was still alive!
However, for fear of contracting the disease, others would never touch a leper. However, Jesus, the most immaculate man in the crowd, touched him without apprehension. What made this touch different from others? The untouchable didn't communicate to Jesus the debasement of his infection. Rather, Jesus sent to the pariah the purging of His God!
(Note: Did you had at least some idea that Jesus is as yet contacting lives today? Yes, you are not so bad that you are beyond His glorious touch, regardless of who you are or what you have done. Have you felt His hand on you? Do you recollect how it felt to be secured in transgression's dull prison, powerless and horrendously lost in your wrongdoings? Do you recollect how great it felt when the Ruler ventured into the damnation of your life and contacted you? If you do, then you are aware of His glorious touch. If you don't, you need to know that no matter who you are, where you've been, or what you've done, He will still touch you!
B. As shown in the transformation, he is cleansed as soon as Jesus touches him. His leprosy goes away right away, and his skin becomes brand-new and as fresh as when he was a baby. He literally receives a fresh start in life. He now has a new life and can see his loved ones again. He can go back to society. When he felt Jesus' healing touch on his skin, everything changed.
(Note: That is what happens spiritually when a sinner experiences the Lord Jesus' saving touch. Right away, the darkness and deadness of transgression is supplanted with the life and the greatness of God. The sinner is found instead of lost. Is presently not dead, yet is alive. is made a child of God instead of an outcast! Listen, lost friend! Just as Jesus changed this leper's life and freed him from the shackles of his disease, he can also instantly and forever change yours and free you from the shackles of your sins and eternal damnation! He will change your life if you come to Him!)
III. V. 43-44 THE COMMAND OF THE LAW A. The Law's Demands This leper was required to go to the priest, present himself, and receive a cleansing certificate based on a ceremony in Leviticus 14. Now, here's what it says in Leviticus chapter 14: The leper was to approach the priest, and the priest was to leave the camp where the leper was. The leper must be helped to understand where he was cleansed by the priest, you see. The priest had to leave the area where the leper was because the leper couldn't enter where the priest was. And, as you can see, Jesus has done exactly that for us. At the point when we were unable to go to paradise where Jesus was Jesus descended here where we are. See? In Hebrews chapter 13, the Bible says that Jesus suffered without the gate, that he came down to this place where we are, and that he suffered on a hill outside of Jerusalem.
The priest was then to bring two birds and an earthen vessel filled with water. The priest was to take the blood from the dead bird and apply it to the living bird's wings before releasing the dead bird into a wide open field and sending it flying through the air. He killed one of the birds and let the blood of that bird flow into the water. The message to the leper would be, "I am clean because of the blood," as the leper would observe the blood falling from the bird and realize the cost of his purification.
Friends, it is clear that the blood of Jesus is the only thing that can today cleanse you from your sins. While the Lord declares, "My blood goes so much deeper," you respond, "Well, my sins are so deep." Oh, but instead of saying, "Lord, my sins have gone too far," He says, "My blood has gone much further." However, "Lord, my sins are powerful"; According to jesus, "My blood is such a ton more grounded." In the same way that blood was used to cleanse that leper, the sinner today is cleansed by the Lord Jesus Christ's shed blood, according to Rev. 5:9; 1 Pet. 1:18-19!
B. The Lord's Desire: Pay attention to what Jesus says this will be: as a demonstration to them According to me, the high priest had never witnessed a leper being cleansed. I would venture to say that none of the instructions in Leviticus 14 had ever been followed by him. However, that day he was informed that a town resident possessed the authority to eradicate leprosy! When that poor leper was gloriously cleansed and applied for cleansing at the temple, what a testimony! Note: What a declaration it is when Jesus changes a day to day existence! It is glorious when He frees a sinner from the chains of sin and sets them free! Pay attention to verse 45! It honors Him and draws others to Him. Everyone who had been freed from the shackles of sin ought to be "publishing the matter" and letting the world know that Jesus frees sinners and alters their lives forever! Ill. The testimony of the saints is such a blessing! Not your complaining, but the Lord can use your story of salvation to change lives!)
Conc: Are you like that poor leper, friend? Are you spiritually ill and require assistance breaking free? Jesus Christ is still working to save souls and change lives. You must be aware that you do not have to continue living in your sins for one more moment if He is addressing your heart! Assuming you will come to Him at the present time, similar to that pariah did, accepting Him for your spirit's salvation, all that will perpetually change in your life. On the off chance that God is calling you and you are prepared for another life, come to Him at the present time! When you come to Him with your current requirements, He will take care of them!
