Before You Ask, He Is Willing
Society shunned and even feared the leper, but he still put himself in Jesus’ path. What did he see in Jesus that caused him to risk being stoned?
In Matthew 8:1–4, Jesus encounters a leper,
When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”
Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately, he was cleansed of his leprosy. Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded as a testimony to them.”
This short but powerful story speaks volumes of the leper’s actions and Jesus’ response.
The leper had likely hid himself as he listened to Jesus preach the Sermon On The Mount. Romans 10:17 teaches,
… faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.
Hearing Jesus’ words gave the leper faith that Jesus could heal and was willing to heal him. His faith was manifested as the belief that Jesus was different from the religious elite of Jesus’ time, which compelled the leper to come to Jesus publicly.
Jesus’ Response, “…I am willing,” alters what people believe of God
To the Jews of that day, only touching a corpse could defile you more than touching a leper. They thought that the leper’s condition was the deserved result of some heinous sin. Jesus did not hesitate to touch the leper as if showing the error of their beliefs.
The leper’s uncleanness didn’t defile Jesus; His righteousness cleansed and healed the leper.
However detestable your sin, Jesus will forgive and cleanse you.
I am is what God called himself when speaking to Moses from the burning bush. (Exodus 3:2) In Gethsemane’s garden, soldiers fell to the ground when Jesus said, “I am He.” (John 18:6)
In effect, Jesus’ saying “I am Willing” means that God is willing.
Those three words from Jesus continue to ripple down through time to you and me today, “I am willing:”
- “I am Willing” to heal you.
- “I am Willing” to redeem you.
- “I am Willing” to forgive every wrong you have done.
- “I am Willing” to hang on the cross to pay your ransom and return you to the Father.
In our world, many different people groups are treated as lepers, as the untouchable. Whoever they are, we’re called to love them all and share Jesus with them.
The leper entered the encounter with Jesus unclean; he left it cleansed and redeemed. So, what did the leper see in Jesus that made him risk being stoned? He saw a loving, graceful God who was and is willing to heal all who believe.
