Matthew 8:1-4 "When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them."
It struck me this morning as I read these scriptures that it always seems easy to follow Jesus when we are coming from a “mountain top” experience. When we have been lifted up by the Holy Spirit to hear and understand the words of our Lord, it is a time of great rejoicing and encouragement in our lives. We find ourselves feeling revived and energized to declare like Peter did, “Lord, we will lay down our lives for you (John 13:37)!”
As they came down from the mountain on that occasion, a man with leprosy approached Jesus. This was an action in direct contradiction to that day and time. A leper was required to go about in rags with their mouth covered. They were supposed to cry out “Unclean! Unclean” if anyone approached them. They had to live isolated from the larger community of family and friends.
This man, who was a disciple, came to Jesus in the midst of this great multitude. He was compelled to confess every day that he was unclean, and he testified of his understanding of that fact when he said to Jesus, “thou canst make me clean.” He came and worshipped (bowed down before Jesus – see Strong’s). He came close enough for Jesus to touch him, even though it was in violation of the law given to Moses.
Under the law service, anyone who touched a leper was declared unclean. Knowing how the chief priests would react if it were known, Jesus told the leper to tell no man. He sent the leper on his way to go before the priest according to the law, which Jesus was in the process of satisfying to the last detail. Jesus alone had the power to declare the leper cleansed simply by His divine touch.
Dear ones, let us acknowledge our sinful nature (uncleanness) and that our only hope of being clean lies with Jesus. When He says to us, “be thou clean,” we are no longer bound under the law. We can run and tell everyone what a wonderful Saviour and friend that we have in Him. Let us follow Him from the mountain top and not be turned aside in the valleys of life, for He is truly Lord of all!