As he entered a village there, ten lepers stood at a distance......
Isn't it weird that we all tend to think that we have things that are a part of our make up....our personality.....who we are.....that keep us from Jesus?
Things and attitudes that whisper to us and say..."He won't accept you!"
Sins and memories that flood over us every time our thoughts turn to Jesus.
Sins and memories that seem to rise up and cry out, "What you've done is beyond His reach." Such things that keep us from coming to Jesus is a kind of spiritual leprosy.
"I'm not good enough."
"I want to believe that He would heal/save me, but I've done some terrible things."
Such thoughts that overpower us and keep us in bondage to sin, are the very weapons that the Devil uses to keep us at a distance.
Funny part about the verse from Luke 17......
The lepers could see Jesus.
They could hear Him.
They could watch His every move....
But because of their disease, they stood at a distance.
Why?
Because of the nature of leprosy. That, coupled with the fact that it was against the law for anyone with leprosy to come in contact with anyone else.
But isn't that the way it is with the law. Isn't that the way it is with the law that God gave Moses. God gave 10 commandments to follow. Ten! And we couldn't even keep them. The law demanded a payment from those who had broken a commandment. Old Testament says that such payment was death.
The law keeps us at a distance. My inability to keep the commandments put me at a distance from Jesus.
But mercy and grace....ahhh, that is another story.
Mercy and grace flow over the law and whispers to us that the payment has been made to satisfy the law. Jesus was that payment.
Calvary was the place it was satisfied at.
From that hill....
Fro that cross.....
Echoed the words..."IT IS FINISHED!" No longer would we have to stand at a distance from Jesus. Now we can come to him....with our spiritual leprosy and find healing. We no longer have to stand at a distance and be a spectator to the presence and power of Christ.
Matthew 8:1-3
Large crowds followed Jesus as he came down the mountainside. Suddenly a man with leprosy approached Jesus. he knelt before him worshipping. "Lord," the man said, 'If you want to , you can make me well again." Jesus touched him, "I want to," he said. "Be healed!" And instantly the leprosy disappeared.
Two different passages from the Bible.
Same disease.......leprosy.
Same Jesus...
But this time, instead of standing at a distance, the man with leprosy risked everything he had and came to Jesus. He not only came to Him, the man with leprosy fell to his knees and worshipped. There was a brokenness and a humbleness to this man. His words revealed his faith in Jesus. The only doubt he had was that Jesus simply might not want to heal him. That was never the case as Jesus told the man, "I want to." Hidden in those three words, "I want to," is the revelation that speaks to us saying, "I've been waiting for you. I have longed to see you well and walking in new life. I am so glad that you have come to be healed."
What is it that is keeping you from Jesus?
What is it that is blocking you from receiving the ultimate healing...salvation?
Today is your day to be healed.
Don't be branded and thrown to one side because of your sin. Don't be told that you must stand at a distance and simply observe. Push through the crowd and fall at the feet of Jesus this morning and cry out..."Heal me, Lord!"
"For God so love you.......that He gave His only begotten Son, that if you would believe on Him, you would not perish but have everlasting life."
Now if that doesn't set you on fire...then your woods wet!
God on you....
mb
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