by Audubon Baptist Church

Gospel: Luke 5:12-15

Intro: Jesus is the Great Physician.

Give Background. Read Luke 5:12-15

1. The Humility and the Faith of the Leper (v. 12)

a. His Condition - Leprosy - It was an awful condition. Leprosy was not just one type of skin disease, but it refers here to a variety skin diseases - some curable and other incurable. It caused disfigurement, pain, and was often fatal. The ancient world's only defense against it was to quarantine the lepers. When they did come into contact with people, they were required to yell, "Unclean! Unclean!" They were unable to work to make a living; therefore, they depended on people's charity to survive. He was an outcast. His leprosy represented not only the loss of his health, but the loss of his family, friends, home and livelihood. He is described as full of leprosy. It was advanced and terminal.

b. His Humility

i. His Action - "fell on his face"

ii. His Address

1. The manner in which he addressed Jesus. He implored, pleaded, and begged.

2. The word he used to address Jesus. LORD.

c. His Faith

i. It was not a question of whether he believed Jesus had the power to heal/cleanse his leprosy.

ii. It was only a question of whether Jesus was willing to heal.

APP: Should we pray for God to heal us (Our family, friends, etc.)? Absolutely!

We should go to God in prayer just as this man came to Christ. When our faith and God's will to heal meet, then we will be healed.

The question is not one of power to heal. God has the power to heal. Jesus power has not changed one bit. The question is one of God's will. God knows what is best for us. It may be that God chooses to heal us while we are on this earth and in the midst of our sickness. Or, God may permit us to go through the valley of pain and suffering for His own glory and for our own good.

Rest assured, if God does not heal you, He has just as good a reason as if He did heal you. In fact, it may have very little to do with you. God may use your condition and your life to touch another's life. You may be God's instrument of grace to help others know Him.

ILL: Joni Erikson Tada

App: Our approach to God should be like this leper's. He came humbly before Jesus. If we are to come to Jesus, we must humble ourselves. We must acknowledge our own uncleanness before Him. We may not have an incurable skin disease, but we have an incurable sin disease. And, only Christ can cleanse us. We must acknowledge our sin and separation from God. The leper was quarantined from society. Our sin quarantines us from God. It separates us from Him. And if we do not come to Jesus by faith, then we will finally and eternally separated from God in Hell. Would you come humbly to Jesus today? Would you come by faith, believing that Jesus, the Great Physician, can cleanse you and make you well?

2. The power and The compassion of Jesus (vv. 13-15)

a. His Condition - Perfection - Unlike the leper, Jesus was completely clean. He was sinless. He was holy. No person has ever been who Jesus was. No one has ever done what Jesus did. And, no one can ever be sinless, like Jesus was. He was and is Perfection.

b. His Power

i. His Will. The will of Jesus and the will of the Father are one. Jesus is God. The miracles and healings of Christ point, ultimately, to the fact that Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus is the savior. He is God's only Son. He is sovereign over all.

ii. His Word.

1. All it took was one word in the Greek. Katharistheti

2. The leper was immediately healed.

c. His Compassion

i. He reached out His hand to the leper.

1. No one dare come to the lepers. They were unclean. Even the food and other charitable items that were brought to them had to be left at the outskirts of their homes outside the towns.

2. No one reached out to the lepers, but the Great Physician did. Jesus came to the sick and needy, not those who were well. He came to the outcast.

ii. He touched the leper as He spoke the word of cleansing.

1. Jesus did the unthinkable.

Quote: "Jesus word would have been sufficient, but his touch confirms His care."

Darrell L. Bock in BECNT Luke

2. In the eyes of the religious leaders, Jesus would now be unclean. But, Jesus shows the extent of His love and compassion. Jesus was willing to come to a world filled with sinners and give His very life's blood so they might be forgiven.

3. Even in this healing we are reminded that the cross was where all of this was heading and Jesus knew it. He would die so that we, who have experienced His grace and mercy, might live.

ILL:

APP: We need to know this Jesus. We need to experience His power. We need to experience His love and compassion. We are unclean, but He is perfection. We are separated from Him, but He reaches out to us. We are untouchable, yet He can touch us and with one word, we can be brought near to God.

Conclusion:

In the healing of the leper, Jesus again displays His power and His compassion. Every healing Jesus performs is a sign that the Messiah has come and that Jesus is the Messiah. The leper displays how we should approach a holy God. With humility and with faith. Today, if you want to experience the power and compassion of Jesus, then you, too, must come humbly and by faith.