Ever touched a leper? May be, that's a difficult question. Ever seen a leper and the plight of leprosy? Though the disease has its name look like 'rosy', the mention of it only brings a frown on our faces. The society has always kept the lepers away, or to put it in right words - 'put them away'. Right from the first mention of the disease in the history of mankind, we see a similar treatment for the affected person all through the world in every civilization.

The Disease Called Leprosy

'Lepi' in Greek means the scales of a fish. The disease is related to the skin and the affected person's skin becomes scaly and dry, withering off causing blood wounds all over the affected parts. The bacteria spreads over the body quickly affecting any part of the skin, the limbs, the face, scalp, etc. causing withering of the fingers, deformations on the face, balding and erosion of the body, not to mention the accompanied pain amidst the numbness caused by the bacteria. The disease is highly contagious and hence, any community that finds a case of leprosy immediately drives away the person out of its habitation, confining them to the remote outskirts. If the afflicted person is seen to enter the village or city, it only resulted in the person being stoned to death. Just the thought of this disease is so dreadful!

What Does the Leper Deserve?

Death? 'Death' is the verdict that the society has decided for lepers. Medicines are being discovered for this dreadful disease and early diagnosis has helped in many people getting treated. However, there are quite a number of variations to this disease and hence, not all are curable.

Many missionaries and people with a heart of love, claim that what the lepers deserve is not death, but a touch of love. However, many a missionary has lost their own lives to leprosy after contracting the disease in the course of their mission to save or to provide a decent death to the lepers in their homes. Father Damien, one such missionary to the Hawaiian Islands has been accepted as a Saint for his service to mankind. The disease spread to him as he was spreading the love of Christ among the quarantined community of lepers living in the island, and eventually took away his life.

Who Dares to Touch a Leper?

A leper came and worshiped Jesus, saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean." Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed." Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. (Matthew 8:3)

Lord Jesus Christ dared to put out His hand and touch the leper. While there was every chance for the disease to pass on from the leper to the body of Jesus, who walked in flesh, however, power flowed out from the Lord's hands to cleanse the leper off his disease. Lord Jesus Christ is greater than any disease in the world - even leprosy. And one touch from His hands could wash out the disease from the body of the leper. He is all-powerful and His power far exceeds any of the sicknesses that we find in this world. In His name, there is healing taking place even today, all over the world. He is alive and His healing power is the same even now.

Wasn't He Afraid?

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him (Lord Jesus) because He first loved us. (1 John 4:18, 19)

The courage in the Lord Jesus Christ was sourced by His love. It was not the confidence that He had in His power to fight the disease out of the leper's body, but the love He had for the suffering person kneeling in front of Jesus that drove Him to stretch forth His hand to touch the leprous person. Indeed, He was even willing to take upon Himself the suffering of the leper, as the Holy Scriptures confirm, "He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5)

Oh, the selfless sacrificial love of Jesus! Oh, the compassion that moved His heart for the people! Oh, the all-encompassing big heart of our Lord that led Him to the Cross of Calvary! He readily puts Himself at risk to save the perishing. His love is incomprehensible!

He has Done it For You Too

"Am I a leper?" you may ask. "Much worse" could be the answer. Sin is far worse than leprosy. If the federal law demanded what God's law of righteousness demands, you and I would owe our life for the sins we have committed. The world might have rewritten its standards to justify itself for all its immoral deeds, but listen to the voice deep inside your own soul and you will know what is sin and how much of it is in your own account. Look deep inside yourself and see how much of your own character is being defaced by your sin and how much of your own soul is withered by the sins that surround you. God's standards demand, "Be holy, for I am holy."

He declares His law: "I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (Matthew 5:22,28)

Just as leprosy alienates a man from his own family and friends, sin alienates man from the family of God. The Lord Jesus Christ stretches forth His hands to touch the leprous sinner and cleanses him from the sin by the cleansing power in His spotless, sinless, holy blood that He shed on the cross. His blood is the remedy to the uncleanness caused by sin. He shed even the last drop of it on the cross of Calvary so that we may be cleansed and united back in the family of God as His children, according to the promise in the Bible:

"As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:12,13)

Your Part

The leper was not touched by the Lord Jesus out of accident or by force, but only because the leper wanted to be cleansed. The leper cried out to the Lord, "If you are willing, you can make me clean." But the Lord is always willing. His plea with you is, "If you are willing, you can be clean." The leper was willing - so he worshipped at the feet of Lord Jesus and cried out to be cleansed. Now, if you are willing, you would first recognize the leprosy of sin that is eating into your soul and identify the need for you to be cleansed. Secondly, you would cry out in prayer to the Lord, "Lord Jesus, I wish to be cleansed of my leprous sins. Please wash me by Your holy blood. I know that You poured out Your blood to cleanse every sinner and to reconcile every man with God. I want to be cleansed from my sin now and be united with God, the Father, and become a child of God. Help me, I need Your cleansing touch." The Lord is near to everyone who calls upon His name. He will touch you and His peace will be established in your heart. If you have said that prayer with all your heart, you are saved. Your life will never be the same. All stench is gone. Old sins have passed away. All things are made new. You are a new creation in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

God bless!