Dive Deeper

Jesus Cleanses a Leper 

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Luke 5:12-16 

15 But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities.

          Here is a man who was full of leprosy. He was seen as rejected and unclean. He was most likely isolated from all people, including his family and loved ones. But when Jesus comes, this man throws himself before him and confesses that he believes Jesus can make him clean. Jesus does and commands him to tell no one, something that I can imagine would be hard for this healed man.  Instead, the man is to show himself to the priest as proof. This leads to verse 15, above, which states that even great crowds gathered to hear Jesus and to be healed. Luke shows the importance of Jesus’ preaching ministry, the power of his words, before his ability to heal. 

Jesus Heals a Paralytic

Luke 5:17-26

20 And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven”

          Here is a man who is paralyzed. His own friends had to carry him to Jesus and lower him through a roof so that Jesus might see him. As they lowered him, Jesus looks upon the faith of the friends and declares with the that the paralyzed man is forgiven. Instantly, the scribes and Pharisees begin to question who Jesus is to say such a thing. It is not until a few verses later that Jesus tells the paralytic man to rise and walk. Jesus speaks out of his authority to forgive sins before he heals the paralyzed man. 

A Sinful Woman Forgiven 

Luke 7:36-50 

47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven – for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 

          Here is a woman who has so many sins that Jesus states that very truth to the people around him. But she has come and poured out her heart before him, wetting his feet with her tears and wiping them with her hair. Jesus uses this time to share a lesson with Simon and then proclaims that the sins of this woman are forgiven. 50 And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” It was not the love of this woman that saved her.  It was not her devotion to Christ that saved her. It was her faith in Him.  She had such faith in Him and believed in the words that He said when He proclaimed her forgiveness.

Jesus, If willing make me clean

Touch me, heal me, set me free 

Bowing, praying, I believe 

I’m reaching out for you, the Healer of Disease 

           God has given all authority to his son Jesus Christ. We see this throughout scripture and the life of Christ. Jesus has the power and the authority to heal every disease, every illness, every condition. There is nothing on this earth that is greater than our Savior. But it is not the healing of our physical trials that is the greatest healing of all.  In fact, physical healing is truly only temporary. Rather it is the healing and redeeming of our souls that is more powerful than that of our body.

           People gathered to hear Jesus and then to be healed of their infirmities. Jesus spoke to the paralyzed man and forgave him before he rose and walked.  Jesus looked upon a woman who had many sins and forgave her because of her faith. In each case, Jesus first speaks words that can heal a person’s soul, which is often the more broken part. 

           We have to choose to believe the words that Jesus has spoken to us. He may not always choose to heal our diseases, our illnesses, and our conditions, but that does not impact His ability to do so. It may feel like your prayers for healing are bouncing off empty walls, simply falling into silence. But it is in those moments that we must be like the leper and the friends of the paralyzed man and the sinful woman. We must choose to have faith and to call out in the name of Jesus over and over again and to believe. We must declare that Jesus has the power to heal, surround ourselves with friends who have great faith, and pour their hearts before him. Even when we do not see the physical healing, Jesus can still do healing within each of our hearts and will continue to do so until we finally are called to Heaven, our home. 

He said, “I am willing to Heal” 

Take your mat, dry your tears, you can feel 

Your sins are forgiven

Your faith has made you whole 

Rest now, my child, you can go home
 

Questions for Reflection: 

1. Of the three passages given, which person do you tend to identify with most? Are you the person who throws himself at Jesus, believing that he can heal him? Are you the person who is carried by his friends who have such great faith? Are you the person who pours himself out before the Lord on the ground? If you don’t identify with any, which one do you desire to be like? 

2. Why do you think that the Lord chooses to physically heal certain people and not others? What are your views on suffering? How do you think the lessons learned through healing and the lessons learned through suffering compare to one another? 

3. Just like the Pharisees that were in the crowd watching the healing of the paralytic man, sometimes we lack belief. Christ commanded the man to get up and walk as proof of his authority because his words of forgiveness did not satisfy the Pharisees and scribes. How often do you take the words of Christ and fully believe them? What are some of his promises that are the hardest for you to believe? Which are the easiest?