The stipulations given by God concerning leprosy were very harsh, and they had to be in order to keep the untreated infection from spreading. What made it even worse for the leper was that they didn't choose to have the disease. No one woke up and thought "I think I'll get leprosy today". And once someone became leprous, they couldn't simply decide to change. There was a detailed process that must be followed if the infected person could ever have their normal life back. Having leprosy meant a life of solitude outside of the camp of Israel. It's no wonder that leprosy is a picture of sin in the Bible. The spiritual similarities are astonishing. No one chooses to be a sinner, we are all born sinners. We might choose different sins than others, and some might have less sins, but we have all been infected none the less. And once we discover our sinful condition, we can't simply decide to change and become uninfected. Sinning less is never the cure. Just like leprosy, sin leads us to loneliness and often alienates us from those who love us. That's why one of my favorite passages in the Bible is the one where a leper comes to Jesus knowing that He can heal him, but wondering if He will. Jesus responds by saying "I will; be thou clean." And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. (Mat. 8:3). The process for cleansing has been simplified from where it was here in the book of Leviticus. Now those who cry "unclean" must simply come to Christ, and they will find that He is able and He is willing.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Able and Willing
Leviticus 13:45 And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent,
and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall
cry, Unclean, unclean.
The stipulations given by God concerning leprosy were very harsh, and they had to be in order to keep the untreated infection from spreading. What made it even worse for the leper was that they didn't choose to have the disease. No one woke up and thought "I think I'll get leprosy today". And once someone became leprous, they couldn't simply decide to change. There was a detailed process that must be followed if the infected person could ever have their normal life back. Having leprosy meant a life of solitude outside of the camp of Israel. It's no wonder that leprosy is a picture of sin in the Bible. The spiritual similarities are astonishing. No one chooses to be a sinner, we are all born sinners. We might choose different sins than others, and some might have less sins, but we have all been infected none the less. And once we discover our sinful condition, we can't simply decide to change and become uninfected. Sinning less is never the cure. Just like leprosy, sin leads us to loneliness and often alienates us from those who love us. That's why one of my favorite passages in the Bible is the one where a leper comes to Jesus knowing that He can heal him, but wondering if He will. Jesus responds by saying "I will; be thou clean." And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. (Mat. 8:3). The process for cleansing has been simplified from where it was here in the book of Leviticus. Now those who cry "unclean" must simply come to Christ, and they will find that He is able and He is willing.
The stipulations given by God concerning leprosy were very harsh, and they had to be in order to keep the untreated infection from spreading. What made it even worse for the leper was that they didn't choose to have the disease. No one woke up and thought "I think I'll get leprosy today". And once someone became leprous, they couldn't simply decide to change. There was a detailed process that must be followed if the infected person could ever have their normal life back. Having leprosy meant a life of solitude outside of the camp of Israel. It's no wonder that leprosy is a picture of sin in the Bible. The spiritual similarities are astonishing. No one chooses to be a sinner, we are all born sinners. We might choose different sins than others, and some might have less sins, but we have all been infected none the less. And once we discover our sinful condition, we can't simply decide to change and become uninfected. Sinning less is never the cure. Just like leprosy, sin leads us to loneliness and often alienates us from those who love us. That's why one of my favorite passages in the Bible is the one where a leper comes to Jesus knowing that He can heal him, but wondering if He will. Jesus responds by saying "I will; be thou clean." And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. (Mat. 8:3). The process for cleansing has been simplified from where it was here in the book of Leviticus. Now those who cry "unclean" must simply come to Christ, and they will find that He is able and He is willing.
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Jesus IS able and willing....... 1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from ALL unrighteousness". God is so good!!
ReplyDeleteThank you Jesus for what you did for all,how simple it is to just come to you and neal...just as I am no fancy words just help me Jesus
ReplyDeleteforgive me ...I thank you
Thank you Father for pastors like Billy and
ReplyDeleteJonathan that take the time you give them everyday
to share your word and thoughts how blessed we are
in our world today in all this trouble people can come here and read of your GREAT LOVE!!!!!!
I wonder if there were some people that when they found out that they had leprosy just kept it a secret by trying to hiding it from others. They would have known the penalty but the thought of having to leave their family is too much! Man has been trying to hide from the truth since Adam and Eve, but with terrible consequences. Denial is one of the biggest theifs robbing humanity of freedom and peace with God. Christ can and is always willing to remove the cause of our seperation from God, uniting us back to a perfect relationship with the lover of our souls, Jesus!
ReplyDeleteI can remember being lonely and alienated from my loved ones. I was very sick! But when I asked him to cleanse me he did and I've never been infected with that kind of severe "disease" of sin again! When Jesus heals you won't get that same sickness again unless YOU go back to the source of infection. I praise Him for what he's done in my life and making me whole. We are never perfect but He makes ALL things new!
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