09/08/2021
THE WISDOM OF THE L***R
Matthew 8:1-4
1 When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him.
2 A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”
3 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy.
4 Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”
This teaching in Matthew chapter 8:1-4 is a beautiful picture of spiritual cleansing. The l***r dramatically demonstrates that no person is too unclean, polluted, dirty, or sinful to come to Jesus Christ. Note three significant points. a. The l***r came to Jesus. He came despite what people thought. He came... • despite being "utterly unclean" • despite being an outcast and ostracized by people. • despite being considered polluted and incurable by people. b. The l***r worshipped Jesus. The attitude of reverence and worship was shown by bowing. The l***r was desperate and knew his desperate plight. He was not allowed to approach within six feet of anyone. However, he rushed up to Jesus and fell prostrate before Jesus' feet and worshipped Him. The l***r demonstrated two significant things by rushing up and worshipping Jesus. His desire and willingness to break away from the world and its restrictions. His acknowledgment that Jesus was worthy of worship. c. The l***r asked and trusted Jesus for cleansing. The l***r did not ask merely to be healed, but he asked to be cleansed. He wanted to be restored, that is, made whole and saved completely. He wanted all the rights and privileges of a whole man. He wanted to be completely restored with men (socially) and with God (religiously). The words "If thou wilt" show two things. 1. It shows great faith in Jesus. The l***r believed that Jesus had the power to heal him; it was just a matter of Jesus choosing to cleanse him.2. It shows that the l***r appealed to Jesus' heart, not to His power. He believed and knew Jesus had the power. What was needed was for the l***r to touch Jesus' heart. In essence what the l***r asked for was the love and the power of God. "Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:28). "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life" ( John 5:24). "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15).
The l***r asked to be cleansed. "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:13). "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Romans 10:9-10). "But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee" (John 11:22).
The l***r did two things that we must all do when we ask Christ to cleanse us. 1) He genuinely trusted Christ: believed in Him and His power. 2) He offered himself to Christ: bowed and received the love and power of Christ to cleanse him. Not every l***r came to Jesus for cleansing. Every generation has its unbelievers who do not come to Him for cleansing. 1) Some just do not trust Jesus. They do not believe in Him nor His power. 2) Some know about Jesus, but are just unwilling to offer themselves to Him. They are unwilling to bow and to receive His love and power.
The heart of Jesus was deeply touched by the l***r. So many will not touch the most defiled. They will have nothing to do with them. They shun and avoid them. Too often, even when the defiled wander into church, the church gets rid of them as soon as possible. So many in the church have little time for the defiled. They neglect and leave them where they are. Too many believers and too many churches have lost the sense of mission to reach the most defiled. b. Jesus said, "I will." These words say several significant things about Jesus. 1. Jesus was not willing even for the most defiled to perish (2 Peter 3:9). 2. Jesus did not have to be urged to help the most defiled. The most defiled simply had to approach Jesus with a sincere heart. 3. Jesus did not have to be paid to help the most defiled. The l***r did nothing but come to Jesus, believing that Jesus would cleanse him. "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him" (Acts 10:38 ). "Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:25).
"I will." The mission of Jesus Christ is to seek and to save that which is lost, no matter how defiled (Luke 19:10; Matthew 9:12-13; Matthew 20:28). The church is called to the very same mission (John 20:21). Jesus Christ said go-go to "every creature," to every human being (Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19-20). The l***r had acknowledged Jesus' power. Now he received that power: he was cleansed physically and ceremonially, that is, religiously and spiritually. Note that Jesus cleansed the man immediately. He did not hesitate; there was no waiting. The man meant business with Jesus; he genuinely wanted to be cleansed. Jesus knew his sincerity, so He cleansed him immediately.
Every man must be cleansed and washed from his sins. "And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord" (Acts 22:16). "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Cor. 6:9-11). "And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood" (Rev. 1:5).
After the l***r had been cleansed, Jesus told the man to obey the law for two reasons. 1. He cared deeply for the cleansed man. He wanted him to be restored, accepted, and reunited with his family and friends They would accept him only if he was proven to be cured. 2. He wanted the man to respect God's law." This day the Lord thy God hath commanded thee to do these statutes and judgments: thou shalt therefore keep and do them with all thine heart, and with all thy soul" (Deut. 26:16). "Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 7:21). "Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him" (John 14:23).
