Jesus Heals the Leper: A Meditation on Faith and Spiritual Cleansing

In our daily meditations on the Scriptures, we continue our series of brief reflections on Jesus's miraculous acts. Today, we focus on the healing of a man with leprosy:

¹²While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." ¹³Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" And immediately the leprosy left him. ¹⁴Then Jesus ordered him, "Don't tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them." ¹⁵Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. ¹⁶But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed (Luke 5:12-16, emphasis added).

The Courage of Desperate Faith

This leper exemplifies someone with strong faith in God. Desperate for Jesus to heal him, he risked death by stoning as he entered the town. For him, it was a matter of all or nothing. His torn clothes, face, and skin show he was a leper, as Luke describes him as being “covered with leprosy” (v. 12). There seems to be a sense of courage driven by desperation in his pursuit of Jesus.

The leper shows humility by kneeling in the dirt and expressing his faith in Jesus, saying, “If you are willing, you can make me clean" (v. 12). Unlike asking for healing, he explicitly seeks cleansing from leprosy, recognizing his need for it. This highlights that Jesus doesn’t search out those who believe they are self-sufficient; instead, He reaches out to those who openly admit their guilt and see their need for spiritual cleansing. Many focus on being good enough, but this man approaches Christ, understanding that only Jesus can cleanse him and trusting in God's mercy for his healing.

 

A Truly Clean Record Before God

It's like the man who told his friends about the high cost of his sports car insurance. He asked, "How can it be so high when I have a nearly clean license?" When his friends questioned him about his license being almost clean, he said, "Well, it's nearly clean, just a few spots on my record." How can someone have an almost clean license? Your record is either clean or it isn't! The only way to have a truly clean record before God is to come to Him, admit your sins, and acknowledge that your life is stained and marred by sin. Turn to Jesus and be cleansed of sin and purified!

Jesus Touches the Untouchable

Few believed that God would heal leprosy because those affected were seen as unclean and under God's disfavor. I can picture the crowd near Jesus recoiling in horror at the sight of a leper among them. Mothers would quickly grab their children and step back from him. Was Jesus angry at the man’s boldness in coming close to Him with his leprous condition? Amidst the crowd’s gasps, Jesus knelt to the man’s level, placed His hand on his head, and said, "I am willing. Be clean!" Christ touched him! Instantly, his hand knobs turned into fingers, his ears healed, his toes grew out, eyebrows and eyelashes appeared, and hair sprouted on his head. Spectators stared in awe at what God had done before their eyes. Jesus showed no hesitation; He is willing to heal those who come to Him in faith. Would that each of us could approach Jesus with such unwavering faith! Today, many are considered “untouchable,” yet Jesus reached out and touched them with love. Can we not do the same? - Keith Thomas

Continue Your Journey…

If you found this meditation meaningful, there is so much more to explore about God’s plan in study 9. Jesus Heals Leprosy and Paralysis, found in the series on the Book of Luke in the All Studies box on the Home Page.

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