Healing a Leper – Miracles of Christ
So far, we have seen the miracle at the wedding of Cana in Galilee. A miracle of nature.
And then we went from that to the healing of the nobleman’s son. Where the nobleman requests a healing.
And then we saw the healing at the pool of Bethesda, and Jesus asking, “Do you want to be made well?” and that question is to all of us spiritually: do you want to be made well? Do you want to be a follower of Christ, and the decision is ours.
And then we looked at the catching of the fish by launching out into the deep by going a little further, another miracle of nature, but He was teaching a lesson about going a little further and not stopping short, staying faithful to what God tells you to do. Go a little further and trust God to supply the need.
And then we saw in Capernaum, which is on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, where Peter, James, John, and Andrew made their living.
And there we see Jesus casting out the demon in the synagogue or church.
And in that story is the very one that is with Jesus a majority of the time, and that is Peter.
We always see Peter, James, and John.
Because after casting out the demon, we then find out that just down the road is Peter’s house.
With that, it tells us in these stories that even if you’re walking with God and you’re doing the right things, even people in your family and even yourself will have to suffer at times, but Jesus is always there.
And then we see in Peter’s house the healing of his mother-in-law,
And then later that day the healing of many and the casting out of many demons.
Over the last several lessons, we’ve covered the transition from demonstrating who Jesus was as a person to demonstrating Jesus’ power and authority over all things.
And the one we’re going to be looking at now is the cleansing of the leper.
The story is found in the first three gospels (Matthew 8:1-4; Mark 1:40-45; Luke 5:12-15)
Matthew’s account says that after preaching the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), Jesus came down the hillside followed by a large crowd. A leper approached Jesus and was miraculously healed of his skin disease.
But the texts were going to use comes from the book of Mark
Mark 1:40-45 40 Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” 41Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” 42 As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed. 43 And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, 44 and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” 45 However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.
Introduction: This passage finds the Lord Jesus in the midst of a tiring and trying preaching campaign. We are told in verses Mark 1:21-34 that just the day before, Jesus had taught in the synagogue, v. 21-22; cast out a demon, v. 23-28; healed Simon Peter’s mother-in-law, v. 29-31; and healed many sick folks and delivered others from demonic possession, v. 32-34.
You would think that Jesus might need a period of rest after such a hectic schedule. However, v. 35 finds Jesus up and in the place of prayer well before daylight. When His disciples find Him, He tells them it is time to go into the neighboring cities to preach, for that was the reason He came to the world, v. 36-39.
In the midst of His preaching and teaching ministry in the area of Capernaum, in Galilee, He is interrupted by a single man, a leper. It is this personal encounter that I want to focus on this evening. While there were great crowds there to be healed, helped, and taught, one man managed to get the attention of Christ.
- THE CONDITION OF THE LEPER
We are told that this man, who approached the Lord Jesus, was a leper.
Luke 5:12-16 12 And it happened when He was in a certain city, that behold, a man who was full of leprosy
Of all the diseases and afflictions that devastated the ancient world, none was more feared or more fearsome than leprosy.
A man with leprosy in the eyes of all became an image of “dead men walking.”
It was a terrible, physically devastating disease.
As if this weren’t enough, the terrible social isolation that went hand in hand with this disease must also be considered.
When it was determined that a man had leprosy, they would banish him from the village; he was no longer allowed to have closeness with other people.
Sounds something like 2020 with COVID.
He had to leave his family; he had to leave his friends.
He could not touch his family; he could only see them from a distance.
Many families brought food and clothing for a while, but after a time, most families had a funeral service and regarded the afflicted person as a dead man.
He had to tear his garments so people would recognize that he was a leper.
He was to dress as a mourner going to a funeral service: his own funeral service!
Over his upper lip he had to wear a cloth so he wouldn’t spread the contamination, and every time he saw people coming, the leper was required, from a distance, to cry, “Unclean! Unclean! Unclean.”
So here is the condition of this man; here is the picture of this man the Bible says was filled with leprosy.
In the Bible, leprosy is far more than a disease.
It is also a type of sin!
While no one in this room may be a leper, everyone in this room has problems with sin!
And, of all the diseases mentioned in the Bible, none pictures sin any more clearly than does the disease called leprosy.
In Leviticus 13, we are given the regulations for diagnosing and dealing with leprosy. Allow me to point out a few similarities between leprosy and sin.
Some scholars have suggested that some forms of leprosy in the Bible were spiritually related, rather than disease-related.
2 Chronicles 26 tells us that King Uzziah ended up with leprosy as a divine judgment for his pride and for illegally entering the Temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar when it is the priest’s job, not the king’s.
One example they often give involves Moses’ sister, Miriam, who suffered from leprosy and was isolated for seven days after speaking out against Moses, in Numbers 12.
- Leprosy is deeper than the skin –
Leviticus 13:3 3 The priest shall examine the sore on the skin of the body; and if the hair on the sore has turned white, and the sore appears to be deeper than the skin of his body, it is a leprous sore. Then the priest shall examine him, and pronounce him unclean.
So is sin! The outward manifestations of sin are merely a window into the heart.
Matthew 15:18-19 18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.
You see, man isn’t a sinner because he sins. Man sins because He is a sinner,
Romans 3:21-26 21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation (mercyseat) by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Propitiation = is the act of gaining or regaining the favor, goodwill, or calm of a person or deity, often by appeasing an angry party or satisfying a demand
Word is only used 2 times in KJV: propitiation 1 mercyseat 1
neuter of a derivative of <G2433> (hilaskomai); an expiatory (place or thing), i.e. (concretely) an atoning victim, or (special) the lid of the Ark (in the Temple) :- mercyseat, propitiation. Strong’s Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary.
Quick, external, religious fixes won’t do the job! Only God can remove leprosy; only God can remove Sin
- Leprosy starts small, and then it spreads –
Leviticus 13:7 7 But if the scab should at all spread over the skin, after he has been seen by the priest for his cleansing, he shall be seen by the priest again.
Just as that leper may have seen a tiny white spot on his skin one day, it wasn’t many days until his flesh was consumed by that disgusting disease.
Oh, what a picture of sin!
I bumped my leg a few years ago getting out of a boat with Brian before the next day it was spreading, and before it was over with, I was spent about 5 weeks in and out of the wound clinic trying to get my legs to keep them spreading infection into my whole body… And that’s exactly how SIN works: once you let a little bit in, it starts growing, it starts spreading, and it affects the whole body and even affects the whole body of Christ
I’ve seen how sin affects a family or affects the whole church before it was all over
- Leprosy defiles everything it touches
Leviticus 13:44-46 (NKJV) 44 he is a leprous man. He is unclean. The priest shall surely pronounce him unclean; his sore is on his head. 45 Now the leper on whom the sore is, his clothes shall be torn and his head bare; and he shall cover his mustache, and cry, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ When a man was smitten with leprosy, he was totally and thoroughly defiled!
So, it is with sin!
Sin has a way of poisoning a person’s entire life.
It will devastate and ruin everything it touches in your life!
- Leprosy Isolates
Leviticus 13:46 46 He shall be unclean. All the days he has the sore he shall be unclean. He is unclean, and he shall dwell alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp.
The leper was isolated from the camp of the clean. He was forced to dwell alone on the borders of society. Sin also isolates. It drives a wedge between family members, and it separates the sinner from God, Isa. 59:2.
Isaiah 59:2 2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.
- Leprosy’s fate is for the fire
Leviticus 13:52 52 He shall therefore burn that garment in which is the plague, whether warp or woof, in wool or in linen, or anything of leather, for it is an active leprosy; the garment shall be burned in the fire.
Everything the leper touched was burned! So, it is with sin! It destines those afflicted by it to the fires of eternal torment,
Psalm 9:17 17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, And all the nations that forget God.
This man most likely lived outside of a town’s walls or boundaries.
There is no mention of the man as having companions, which would not be surprising, given his affliction.
It appears that he took it upon himself to find and meet Jesus. As we all should
Even though he was hindered from interacting with the broader community, this man still was able to learn of Jesus’ ability to perform miracles.
The leper expresses faith and reverence to Jesus by physically lowering himself in the presence of Jesus.
Matthew and Mark state that the man kneels before Jesus (Matthew 8:2, Mark 1:40).
Matthew 8:2 2 And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”
Mark 1:40 40 Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.”
And Luke adds that at one point the man is face down on the ground (Luke 5:12). Both Matthew and Luke include the detail that the man addresses Jesus as “Lord”
“Lord” = from kuros (supremacy); supreme in authority, i.e. (as noun) controller; by implication Mr. (as a respectful title):- God, Lord, Master, Sir
Strong’s Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary.
(Matthew 8:2, Luke 5:12). and expresses the faith that Jesus can heal him.
Luke 5:12 12 And it happened when He was in a certain city, that behold, a man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”
We need to have humility when coming before the throne room of Grace and coming before our mighty God. Some people take it way too flippantly and say to the man upstairs He’s not the man upstairs; He is Holy Jehovah God, Yahweh!
- THE COMPASSION OF THE LORD
THE TOUCH OF COMPASSION
Mark 1:41 41Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.”
In our text, we see an encounter that showcases Christ’s deep compassion and the healing power of His touch.
The leper’s heartfelt plea for healing speaks to our own struggles and the universal longing for connection and acceptance.
This touching story encourages us to think about the true meaning of compassion and how a simple touch can heal wounds that go beyond the physical.
Compassion is man’s way of showing God’s grace
Reflect on the importance of Jesus’ actions, highlighting His willingness to reach out to those considered outcasts.
His gentle touch offers not just physical healing but also emotional and spiritual restoration.
This narrative challenges us to embody Christ’s compassion in our own lives.
Are we ready to extend our own “touch” to those in need, showing love and grace to the broken in our communities?
Embracing this call to compassion allows us to reflect Jesus’ heart in a World that longs for connection and healing.
- Inviting nature.
Jesus encountered a leper who approached Him with deep need and faith, saying, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus responded with compassion by touching the leper (a significant act considering that leprosy made individuals untouchable and isolated from society).
This gesture of invitation shows that true compassion goes beyond social barriers and includes those who are downgraded.
It reveals how God’s Kingdom is welcoming, emphasizing that everyone is deserving of love and healing.
Practically, this calls us to reflect on how we can be inclusive and supportive in our communities, following Jesus’ example.
We are encouraged to reach out to those who are suffering or hated, whether due to illness or social stigma.
This means not only providing physical help but also being emotionally supportive and creating safe spaces for others.
By inviting people into our lives and communities, regardless of their backgrounds, we can embody Christ’s compassion, promoting healing and connection.
Ultimately, we are reminded that compassion is more than just a feeling; it’s an action that can transform lives.
- Healing power.
We see a powerful example of compassion through Jesus’ interaction with a leper. The leper seeks not only physical healing but also a sense of acceptance in a society that has pushed him away.
Jesus, moved by compassion, touches the man, an act that breaks social norms and emphasizes the value of every person. Every individual means something to Christ
This moment shows that true compassion goes beyond emotions; it is a powerful force that reflects God’s love and brings full healing to both body and spirit.
The Church is called to reflect this same compassion in our daily lives.
We must reach out to those who are suffering (physically, emotionally, or socially) by stepping out of our comfort zones.
Like Jesus, we are encouraged to help those in need, whether through volunteering, supporting those facing difficulties, or simply being present for friends in distress.
By embodying compassion, we not only demonstrate the healing power of Christ but also create communities of love and acceptance where healing can happen for everyone.
This engagement with others truly represents the transformative Message of the Gospel.
And then Jesus does the unthinkable: He Touches him.
Matthew 8:3 3 Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
Mark 1:41-42 41 Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” 42 As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.
Luke 5:13-16 13 Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately the leprosy left him.
It had been years since anyone had touched this man.
It had been years since this man had held his wife or children.
It had been years since he felt the touch of a human hand upon his.
He had been isolated and alone!
To touch a leper made one unclean and was strictly forbidden by the Law. Touching a leper could cause the one who touches to become infected as well. But what did Jesus do?
Then He put out His hand and touched him!
I don’t know what that leper expected.
Probably to be run off at best and stoned to death at worst.
But, imagine his surprise when Jesus reached out His hand and touched him!
He never expected that!
Can you hear the crowd gasp in surprise and shock as they see Jesus reaching out to touch this unclean man?
But, oh, how glorious that one touch must have felt to this man!
Do you remember how good it felt when the Lord reached into the hell of your life and touched you?
And I bet you, after all this happened, we can hear this leper singing
He Touched Me by Gaither Vocal Band
Shackled by a heavy burden,
‘Neath a load of guilt and shame.
Then the hand of Jesus touched me,
And now I am no longer the same.
Since I met this blessed Savior,
Since He cleansed and made me whole,
I will never cease to praise Him,
I’ll shout it while eternity rolls.
He touched me, Oh He touched me,
And oh the joy that floods my soul!
Something happened, and now I know
He touched me and made me whole.
- Call to action.
We see Jesus’s powerful example of compassion in action.
When He meets a man with leprosy (someone shunned by society), Jesus doesn’t just speak comforting words; He reaches out and touches the leper.
This act is significant because it shows God’s love and acceptance, challenging social norms.
Jesus’ touch represents true compassion, which involves actively responding to others’ needs.
In practical terms, this call to action encourages us to reflect on how we engage with those around us.
Today, this could mean supporting someone who is ill or simply offering a listening ear to someone in distress.
Compassion is not just a feeling; it’s a choice to connect with others and help lessen others’ suffering.
As we consider Jesus’ compassionate touch, we should ask ourselves who the “lepers” are in our communities and how we can be compassionate in our everyday lives.
By actively showing kindness and support, we honor the compassion Jesus demonstrated and fulfill our calling to love others as He loves us.
As soon as Jesus touched him, he was made clean. “Immediately the leprosy left him.”
Mark 1:41-42 41 Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” 42 As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.
Everything changed when he felt the transforming touch of Jesus on his skin.
That is what happens spiritually when a sinner feels the saving touch of the Lord Jesus.
Instantly, the blackness and deadness of sin are replaced with the life and the glory of God.
I remember the day I accepted Christ. I was going through a major disappointment in a major storm in my life. Then I accepted Christ, and inside of me so much changed. My circumstances did not change; in the words of Ben Turner, he said God’s more interested in changing you son than changing your circumstances
Moved by compassion, Jesus reaches out and touches the man, and the man is instantly cured:
- Lasting impact.
Jesus demonstrated the lasting impact of compassion by healing this man with leprosy.
This act goes beyond just physical healing; it restores the man’s dignity and sense of belonging in a community that had hated him.
By reaching out and touching the untouchable, Jesus shows that compassion is an active response to suffering, leaving a profound mark on both the individual and those around him.
The healing provided not only restored the leper’s health but also allowed him to share his story and inspire others, amplifying the impact of this compassionate act.
I thank God that I will forever be in some people’s hearts because I was there for them in times of heartache and pain, and, on the flip side, I have a special place in my heart for people because they were there for me during heartache and pain.
We can apply this lesson of compassion in our own lives by engaging with those who feel overlooked in our communities today.
This may involve volunteering at the ministries of this church. I’ve seen the compassion and the people in this room on the 4th Thursdays as they prepared those boxes for Operation Christmas Child. You may need to get involved and support this skateboard ministry, or support those with health struggles, or simply be kind and empathetic to those facing difficulties.
By practicing compassion, we can create positive changes- encouraging others to join in acts of kindness as well.
By representing Christ’s compassion, our actions can lead to lasting change, much like the healing that changed the life of the leper.
We see the powerful compassion of Jesus as He meets a man with leprosy. This encounter goes beyond physical healing- it represents the deeper connection and redemption that comes from true compassion.
Despite social pressures to shun the sick, Jesus reaches out to the leper, restoring not only his health but also his dignity and place in the community.
As we reflect on this Message, let us consider how we can show compassion in our own lives.
In a World filled with division, we are encouraged to follow Christ’s example by reaching out with love to those in need.
Every act of kindness and understanding can remind others of their value and God’s love. Let us create spaces of healing and acceptance, allowing God’s compassion to flow through us and touch those around us, just as Jesus did.
III. THE COMMAND OF THE LAW
- The Demands Of The Law –
After the healing, Jesus instructs the man to give an offering to a priest (Matthew 8:4, Mark 1:44, Luke 5:14).
Matthew 8:4 4 And Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”
Mark 1:44 44 and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”
Luke 5:14 14 And He charged him to tell no one, “But go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as a testimony to them, just as Moses commanded.”
This leper was to go and to present himself to the priest, and he was to get a certificate of cleansing on the basis of a ceremony in Leviticus 14.
Now over there in Leviticus chapter 14, here’s what it says: that the leper was to come to the priest, and the priest was to go outside the camp where the leper was.
And then that priest was to take an earthen vessel, a stone pot filled with water; he was to take two birds.
Now one of those birds he killed and let the blood of that bird pour into the water, and then the priest was to take that blood and apply it to the wings of the living bird, and then he took that living bird, with the blood sprinkling from its wings, out into an open field and he let that bird loose, and that bird would go flying up into the air.
And the leper would see that blood dropping down from the bird, and he would understand the price of his cleansing, and the message would come to that leper,
“I am clean because of the blood.” We are clean because of the blood of the Lamb!
- The Desire Of The Lord –
Notice what Jesus says that this will be: “for a testimony unto them”.
I would say that the high priest had never seen a leper cleansed.
I would venture to say that he had never utilized the commandments given in Leviticus 14.
But, that day, he was put on notice that there was a man in town who had the power to take away leprosy!
Whoever this man was He must be the Son of God!
- But he went out and began to publish it much, so instead of seeking for a healer, the multitudes would have come to see GOD!
This is based on the laws of Judaism, which are further explained in the Old Testament. During the time of Jesus, it was a practice that people who had recovered from a skin disease would travel to Jerusalem, make an offering at the Temple, and meet with the priests at the Temple.
And that is likely what Jesus is telling the man to do: in Matthew 8:4, Mark 1:44, and Luke 5:14, to go to Jerusalem and present himself to the priests at the Temple.
As explained in Leviticus 13:1-44, the priests would examine people for a variety of skin-related afflictions and declare them as being clean or unclean.
In some cases, a person could face isolation and be required to live apart from the community.
These people could later be re-examined, declared as clean, and brought back into the community.
We find examples of this in Leviticus 13:45-46 and Numbers 5:1-4.
Leviticus 13:45-46 45 Now the leper on whom the sore is, his clothes shall be torn and his head bare; and he shall cover his mustache, and cry, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ 46 He shall be unclean. All the days he has the sore he shall be unclean. He is unclean, and he shall dwell alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp.
Numbers 5:1-4 1 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 2 “Command the children of Israel that they put out of the camp every leper, everyone who has a discharge, and whoever becomes defiled by a corpse. 3 You shall put out both male and female; you shall put them outside the camp, that they may not defile their camps in the midst of which I dwell.” 4 And the children of Israel did so, and put them outside the camp; as the LORD spoke to Moses, so the children of Israel did.
Jesus also instructs the man that he should tell no one about the miracle (Matthew 8:4, Mark 1:44, Luke 5:14).
Matthew 8:4 4 And Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one;… Mark 1:44 44 and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone;… Luke 5:14 14 And He charged him to tell no one, …
Such an instruction, if followed, could lessen the chance that people would see Jesus only as a miracle worker, who could heal them of some present ailment, rather than as the Messiah through whom they could receive eternal life in the Kingdom of God, forever free of any disease or affliction.
The problem is most people only come to Christ if they think they can get something out of it and not build a relationship, but like a genie in a bottle wanting God to grant their wishes
And, in this case, the instruction could protect the man if any of the priests at the Temple had hostility toward Jesus and would therefore refuse to declare the man as clean, if they knew it was Jesus who had healed him.
John’s Gospel indicates that earlier in his ministry, Jesus had riled the religious authorities in Jerusalem when he chased vendors and money changers off the Temple grounds, accusing them of turning the Temple into a marketplace (John 2:13-25).
Even so, the healed man told many about the miracle, making it difficult for Jesus to openly enter a town (Mark 1:45) without being mobbed by people requesting miracles.
Mark 1:45 45 However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.
Luke 5:15 15 However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities. 16 So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.
Jesus was hindered because everybody was coming expecting miracles.
That’s not why we seek Christ; the reason He didn’t want him to know is that that’s the only thing they would want. The miracles, not the relationship.
Now our responsibility, our job is to go into the world and share the gospel and tell them what Christ has done for us.
It’s OK to share what Christ has done for you, and we give Him the praise and the honor and the glory that He so deserves, but we don’t follow Him for what He gives us; we follow Him for who He is. If He never answered another single prayer of yours. He’s still worthy.
Pray
Calvary Baptist Church Sunday night, November 8th, 2026
