Speech By Nevin Pothen
Glory to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit one true God Amen.
Respected Achen, parents and my dear friends in Christ,the miracle of healing accredited Jesus as the Son of God, and as the promised Messiah, but His miracles of healing also taught great spiritual lessons. Similar to parables, these miracles were examples that pictured an even greater spiritual work of healing, the healing of the soul. This is exactly what we see with the healing of the leper taken from the gospel of St. Luke chapter 5: 12-16.
But wait, who is a leper? A leper is an individual who has contracted the fatal disease known as leprosy. Leprosy is a skin, flesh and nerve eating disease. Leprosy begins on the surface of the skin and then spreads until it covers the whole body. In the Bible, leprosy is seen as a type of sin. It was considered by the Jews to be a direct judgment of God. Like sin, leprosy starts very small, but grows into a devastating plague. It destroys as it grows and consumes all the flesh in its path. It also separates men from men, and men from God as it also kills the body.
We see in the first few verses that the man covered with leprosy fell with his face to the ground and begged Jesus to cleanse him. The coming of this leper to Jesus showed several things. First, it showed his great need. He was covered with leprosy and he saw no other cure for his dreadful disease. His life and happiness were ruined forever; therefore Jesus would be his only hope. Second, the leper’s coming to Jesus showed his Faith in God. He knew that the Messiah would come with “healing in His wings”. People wouldn’t come to Jesus until they heard about His power to cleanse and to save their souls. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God”. Third, coming to Jesus was all important to this leper. He didn’t care what men would think or say of him for approaching Christ in his condition. He was willing to suffer humiliation and rebuke of the people. Nothing could have detoured him, discouraged him, nor changed his mind about coming to Jesus.
As the reading continues, we see the leper makes a humble supplication by saying “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” “And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him”. Jesus could have shown no greater motion of love and mercy than to reach out His hand to touch this unclean leper. By this Jesus showed His great love and compassion for the needy leper. No man would have dared touch this leper, knowing he might contract this dreadful disease. Only the compassionate Jesus would perform such a cardinal act of mercy upon a helpless beggar. By touching this leper, Jesus showed His purpose in coming down to this earth; “the just for the unjust”. Yes, Jesus became acquainted with our griefs when He took upon Himself the sinner’s guilt and penalty for sin.
Jesus then says, “I am willing; be clean”. “And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” When Jesus gave the word, the leper was cleansed of all his leprosy. Jesus never fails; His words always come to pass. When Jesus saves a lost sinner, the sinner is cleansed of all his sins, and he is spiritually healed of all his infirmities. Jesus never fails to save those that He is determined to save. We must tell the world about our wonderful Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
So, my dear parents and friends let me ask you, do you see your need for Jesus? Do you see yourself as a needy sinner? Do you see Jesus as your only hope of salvation? Will you come to Jesus by faith, believing that He is able to save your soul? If you will come to Jesus as a humble and needy sinner, pleading only His mercy and grace, only then will Jesus cleanse you of your sins.
Thank You.
