Luke 5:12-16
N.B. Apologies - the audio fades out at times as the speaker moved away from the lectern/microphones
- We likely have favourites passages in Scripture
- Take this miracle and make a spiritual application
- A desperate case - a man full of leprosy
- Not just a leper - but "full of leprosy"
- An advanced case - had this disease for years
- Leprosy:
- Initial hidden/unseen
- The consequences become apparent:
- Reddening of the skin
- Other parts affected
- Hardening and cracking of the skin
- Oily substances exuding from fissures
- Numbness in the hands and feet
- Parts of the body are lost (hands, feet, nose)
- Voice becomes deep and gruff
- You could detect a leper with all 5 senses
- Reddening of the skin
- Social consequences:
- The priest in Jerusalem would declare them a leper
- Unable to socialise/go home to your family
- You have to remain with other lepers
- Unkempt, rang a bell, called out 'unclean'
- Not allowed within 16 feet of people (except lepers)
- Hopelessness - no cure with death as the only release
- This leper came into the city [village]
- Such an event - "behold"
- No leper should have come to a conurbation where people lived
- How did this man slip through?
- He was unstoppable
- He had heard the joyful news
- Using spiritual imagination - the wife and husband
- He makes his way into the city
- He sees a crowd and a young teacher
- Notice his faith
- "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean" (v12)
- He had great faith
- Personal example
- Only he went to Christ - not the other lepers
- We trust in Christ individually
- 'I know you can, but will you?'
- Why should you bother with a leper?
- Such an event - "behold"
- Jesus' compassion
- "He put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately the leprosy left him" (v13)
- Mark gives us a different angle: (Mark 1:41)
- His information comes from Peter
- "Jesus, moved with compassion"
- How do we know that Jesus was moved with compassion?
- Spiritual imagination
- Cleansing flowed to the leper
- No transmission of the infective disease
- Immediately the leprosy left him
- Not like Naaman the Leper
- Wonderful cleansing - power and compassion
- Consequences:
- Physically restored
- Social consequences rescinded
- Can go home to his family
- Great emotion
- Do you remember your salvation?
- Example
- What a relief
- A command:
- Don't tell anyone - but show yourself to the priest (in Jerusalem)
- Show and tell
- Are we distinctive in our day and generation?
- Example of hymn
- Example of the demoniac
- Show and tell
- Don't tell anyone - but show yourself to the priest (in Jerusalem)
- Application:
- We have a disease - sin
- All of us
- Sin brings death
- Sin is breaking the law of God
- Examples
- There is a cure
- In Jesus
- Have your sin forgiven and a certainty of heaven
- Believe in Jesus Christ and you shall be saved
- Trust in Jesus - He is willing and able
- Get saved
- If saved - rekindle that sense of joy, peace and thankfulness
- We have a disease - sin
- Closing Remarks