A leper crouches in front of a poor... - All The Good Seed Daily Devotionals for 2024

When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. And behold, a leper came and worshipped Him, saying, Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean. Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, I am willing; be cleansed. Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
Matthew 8:1–3

A leper crouches in front of a poor mud hut somewhere in the Middle East. His disease, leprosy, has already affected large parts of his body. A young woman approaches him. The sick man raises his hands defensively; he does not want the visitor to be infected by him.

But the woman approaches, speaks to him in a friendly manner and takes a New Testament out of her bag. She reads to him this story of the healing of the leper.

The sick man listens attentively. After all, he can enter so well into the thoughts and feelings of his fellow sufferer. When the reader comes to the part where Jesus touches the leper, her listener suddenly interrupts her. Astonished, he exclaims, “Did Jesus touch him? Did He really touch him?” Everybody used to avoid a leper, after all. Jesus, however, was deeply moved by his need, and in His love He touched the sick man. This poor man cannot believe it.

Yes, Jesus was not afraid to touch the sick and unclean in order to heal them. Nor did He shrink from coming into contact with the “leprosy” of sin when He went to the cross for us to make atonement through His sufferings and death. Everyone who is distressed by his sin and wants to be saved may now come to Him with confidence. Then the word of the Lord also applies to him: “I am willing; be cleansed”!

Today’s reading: 1 Kings 22:1-18 · John 14:22-31