A. Our study of Christ's miracles continues with the purpose of increasing our faith in Jesus according to John 20:30-31:
30Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.
B. We have previously studied Christ's miracles of healing for persons suffering from blindness and paralysis. In this lesson, we will consider the miracles in which He healed those who were afflicted with leprosy.
1. Not many instances of these miracles are recorded specifically. Others seem to be implied in Christ's words to John's disciples when He said, "Go and report to John what you hear and see: the blind receive sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them" (Matt. 11:4-5, emphasis added).
2. Leprosy was a dreaded skin disease that caused a person to be unclean.
a. This disease was infectious and required a person to be quarantined and isolated with others who had the disease. For example, King Azariah of Judah was a leper, and he had to live in a separate house (2Ki. 15:5).
b. The Law of Moses strictly regulated the diagnosis of a leper and the treatment of leprous persons and their garments and houses (Lev. 13-14). Consider Leviticus 13:44-46:
45"As for the leper who has the infection, his clothes shall be torn, and the hair of his head shall be uncovered, and he shall cover his mustache and cry, 'Unclean! Unclean!' 46He shall remain unclean all the days during which he has the infection; he is unclean. He shall live alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp."
c. Leprosy was considered incurable except by an act of God. Consider the reaction of King Jehoram of Israel when the king of Aram sent a letter asking him to cure Namaan, one of his captains, of leprosy in 2Kings 5:7:
When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, "Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man is sending word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? But consider now, and see how he is seeking a quarrel against me."
3. Presently, let us notice two specific records of Christ healing lepers.
II. THE DISOBEDIENT LEPER
A. This leper came to Jesus for cleansing in one of the cities of Galilee (Matt. 8:1-2; Mark 1:40; Luke 5:12).
1. Matthew tells us that this man came after Jesus had come down from the mountain following His "sermon on the mount" (Matt. 5-7). Mark and Luke both mention that this event was in one of the cities.
2. Luke says that the man was covered with leprosy, which indicates that his condition was severe (Luke 5:12). Some men suffered leprosy only on small areas of the body, but this man's whole body was affected.
3. The leper demonstrated his humility and his faith before Jesus.
a. He bowed down on his knees before Jesus.
b. He said, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean." In this, he acknowledged Christ's power and submitted to His will. Recall that the cleansing of leprosy was considered to be an act of God, so this leper recognized the power of God in Jesus.
B. Jesus touched the leper and made him clean (Matt. 8:3; Mark 1:41-42; Luke 5:13).
1. Mark says that Jesus was "moved with compassion." The Lord's love and sympathy for this man motivated Him to act for the leper's relief.
2. The fact that Jesus touched the man with His own hand demonstrates His compassion and His power.
a. His personal touch was a compassionate act of comfort. Let it be understood that no one else would have gotten near to this man.
b. By the same token, Jesus also showed His power, for He had no fear of contracting the man's contagious leprosy. No one else would have dared to touch him.
3. When Jesus said, "I am willing; be cleansed," the man's leprosy left him immediately and he was cleansed. Despite the severity of the man's condition, his healing was completed instantly at the command of Jesus.
C. The Lord commanded the cleansed leper to tell no one, but he disobeyed (Matt. 8:4; Mark 1:43-45; Luke 5:14-15).
1. In accordance with the Law of Moses (Lev. 13-14), Jesus commanded the man to go and show himself to the priest and to offer the appropriate sacrifice. This was "a testimony to them" both of the man's cleansing and of Christ's power.
2. Jesus also commanded the man to tell no one other than the priest. Mark says that "He sternly warned him."
3. Despite the Lord's warning and command, Mark says that "he went out and began to proclaim it freely and to spread the news around, to such an extent that Jesus could no longer publicly enter a city, but stayed out in unpopulated areas; and they were coming to Him from everywhere" (Mark 1:45).
III. THE GRATEFUL SAMARITAN
A. The account of this miracle of healing is found only in Luke 17:11-19. Read it here:
11While He was on the way to Jerusalem, He was passing between Samaria and Galilee. 12As He entered a village, ten leprous men who stood at a distance met Him; 13and they raised their voices, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" 14When He saw them, He said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they were going, they were cleansed. 15Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, 16and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a Samaritan. 17Then Jesus answered and said, "Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine -- where are they? 18"Was no one found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?" 19And He said to him, "Stand up and go; your faith has made you well."
B. Jesus healed all ten lepers by His power.
1. As was customary, the lepers kept their distance as they called for mercy from Jesus. This passage does not suggest that Jesus ever came close to them at this time.
2. They acknowledged Christ's power and authority by calling Him "Master."
3. The lepers were not healed immediately at Christ's word, but rather their healing occurred when they began to follow the Lord's instructions to go to the priests.
a. Notice that they showed their faith by going as Jesus said, for at the time He commanded them, they were still leprous, and there was not yet any reason to go to the priests.
b. Also notice that their obedience to Christ was a necessary condition of their healing.
C. Only the Samaritan turned back to thank the Lord.
1. This man was so overcome with gratitude that he glorified God in a loud voice, returned to Jesus, and fell at His feet in thankfulness. The text indicates that he did this immediately upon his healing even before showing himself to the priests.
2. The text implies that the other nine lepers were Jews. Jesus expresses the surprise that only "this foreigner" had enough gratitude to glorify God.
a. All of them should have returned, and the nine Jews should have been more likely to give thanks than the Samaritan.
b. Perhaps the Jews were so concerned with fulfilling the obligation of the Law that they forgot why the Law was important. It was the Law of God, and it was He who made them well.
3. At last, Jesus commanded the Samaritan, "Stand up and go; your faith has made you well."
a. He still needed to go to the priests even though he was a Samaritan, for even Samaritans could live according to God's Law.
b. Jesus acknowledges the Samaritan's faith in the process of his healing. For certain, the power of Christ made him well, but it would not have happened if he had not acted in faith toward Jesus.
IV. CONCLUSION
A. The disease of leprosy is almost nonexistent in our world today, but the lessons of Christ's miracles abide.
1. Jesus is the Christ and the Son of God who is endowed with all authority in heaven and on earth.
2. Jesus has the power to save us from the spiritual disease of sin, but He requires us to meet the conditions of faith in Him and obedience to His word.
3. God is worthy of all thanksgiving and glory for the spiritual healing we have through Christ.
