LEPROSY – A PERFECT PICTURE OF SIN
OR
STOPPING THE INFECTIOUS SPREAD Of SIN
SUNDAY JAN. 27, 2019
Scripture To Consider:
“Now a leper came to Jesus, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, ‘If You are willing, You can make me clean.’ Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said, ‘I am willing; be cleansed.’”
“As soon as Jesus had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed. Jesus strictly warned him and sent him away at once, and said to him, ‘See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.’ However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in desert places; and they came to Him from every direction.” Mark 1.40-45
Something To Consider:
Mark declared, “…they came to Him [Jesus] from every direction.” Oh, that every true preacher of the gospel message would have such difficulty that people would come from every direction to hear the true gospel message. And yet, according to Daniel chapter 11, as the Antichrist creates the abomination of desolation in the middle of the last seven years of man’s rule upon planet earth, Daniel declared; “But the people who know their God shall be strong and carry out great exploits.” As true believers, do we long for those days when the people of God will do great exploits?
The following is from the book entitled, “Life of Christ,” by Geikie. He wrote concerning leprosy; “It begins with specks on the eyelids and in the palms of the hands, and gradually spreads over different parts of the body. This spreading would bleach the hair wherever it showed itself, crusting the infected areas with shining scales and causing swellings and sores. From the skin leprosy slowly ate through the tissue to the bones and joints rotting the whole body. The lungs, speech, hearing, and the eyes were often attacked in turn. The dread and fear of infection kept others far from the suffering leper.”
Something Else To Consider:
And yet, the faith of this leprous man or the plight of his pain caused Jesus to be moved with compassion. We often read in the gospels of Jesus being moved by compassion. Can the same be said of us in our daily lives? Leprosy in the bible is a vivid picture of sin! Leprosy in the bible was considered a clear picture of the nature of sin. Leprosy like sin was often hereditary, as we have inherited our sin nature from Adam and Eve in the Genesis garden. There we clearly see a scene of divide and conquer played out by a few early actors on the world’s stage of beginnings.
Leprosy, like sin was contagious, infectious, and eventually crippling, ever tending to increase, ever shameful, disgraceful, and incurable, except by the power of God. Leprosy left one alone as an outcast of society. Leprosy eventually brought about physical death, similar to the effects of sin eventually bringing about spiritual death. And sin, the practice of sin, according to the Word of God leaves us as an outcast, unable to enter the kingdom of God without true sincere confession and true repentance of our sin.
But thank the Lord, that the blood of Jesus, and nothing but the blood of Jesus, can wash away our sin and enormous load of iniquity. To become and to remain end time overcomers it will take the spiritual application of the blood of Jesus, the spotless Lamb of God. Without the blood of Jesus being spiritually applied to the overhead lintel and to the side posts of the entrance to our hearts and lives, there can be no remission of our sin and no passing over of the death angel!
Something More To Consider:
This particular leper in our text, asked Jesus, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” Jesus as usual was willing. Therefore, He spoke the Word of power and gave new redeeming life to a man with a sentence of certain death hanging heavy over him. Jesus’ Word and touch of compassion upon this leprous life put the infectious spread of the perfect picture of sin in more than total remission. Instantaneously every sign of that dreadful disease was removed.
The power of the Word of Jesus has not changed in two thousand years, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Jesus still remains willing to remove every sign of the dreadful cancerous-like disease of sin from the life of anyone who would come to Him in faith as did this leprous man in need. This leper had no other choice available to him. In his mind and heart, he must get to Jesus or die a most terrible and excruciating painful death.
Evidently, this leper had heard of the God ordained power demonstrated by Jesus in the miraculous healing of many. And what this man heard infused within him the mustard seed-like faith that propelled him to get to Jesus and to confront Him concerning the cleansing of his leprosy. What about our faith? Has our faith, no matter how small or how long ago it was last exercised, become dormant during our growing older and yet not growing stronger in the Lord?
A Few Final Words:
Will we be counted among those who know their God as we approach the coming of the abomination of desolation? Will we do great exploits in the midst of millions being deceived into receiving the mark of the beast and pledging their allegiance to the Antichrist and therefore sealing their eternal fate to an eternity separated from God and tortured and tormented in a place that was created for Satan and his fallen demonic one-time angelic entourage? Our personal decision will affect all of eternity for ourselves and unfortunately for others looking on at our lives and at our wise or unwise decisions.
According to Jesus in Matthew 24, we are already seeing the signs of the end times all around us. “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.” We must decide for ourselves as to how close we are to the end and act accordingly as good stewards of God’s Word!
Yes, leprosy is a perfect picture of sin and our part in the healing process is stopping the infectious spread of sin in our own lives by spiritually applying the blood of Jesus to our sin and then taking full advantage of the forgiveness of our sins. The time is coming according to Jesus as He continued His end time warning in Matthew 24, by stating for the record; “Then they will deliver you [true end time enduring to the end believer in Jesus] up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.”
Shall we be among the strong who have been cleansed of their own leprous-like sin? Or will we fall short of allowing the blood of Jesus and the available power of Jesus to cease the infectious spread of sin in and through our lives? If not truly forgiven enduring to the end true believers in Christ, we will become those who at the first hint of tribulation, we will become offended and betray those closest to us for a mouth full of food or less.
Compassionate leaders and leaders in training, forgiven and cleansed, desire to become the outstretched hand of God, by touching others with the cleansing power of the Word of God. This can be done by our following the example of Jesus in His touching the destined for death leprous man in our Scripture to consider. The choice as always when confronted with the Word of God is ours. What will be our choice?
Prayer:
Our Father in heaven, thank You for the soul cleansing power of the blood of Jesus Christ, who came to both forgive and cleanse all true seekers of God. In Him Always, Amen!
According to Jesus 