Mat 8:1-4; Christ Is Calling All Outcasts to Join Him.

Wednesday October 23, 2024

Main idea: Know your real need to be cleansed from sin and then offer it to others.  

Mat 8:1-4 The cleansing of the leper. 

At the head of the ten miracles it is a leader among them. In it is faith and submission from one who knows his helplessness, and willingness, authority, and power on behalf of Christ. There is also Christ’s shunning of fame so that the real issue amongst mankind is always front and center. 

The leper comes to Him. Very taboo thing to do. 

He bows down while he speaks (imperfect - bowing continuous, i.e. not a hypocrite).

Faith of the leper: “Lord,” comes to Him (lepers are the ultimate outcasts), bows before Him, states that Christ is able. 

Matthew emphasizes Jesus touching him - two verbs: stretch forth and touch. 

Faith of the leper is emphasized in the condition: I am willing (He might also not be willing). 

Christology: not “God is willing,” but “I am.” Deity of Christ who has the authority and the will to do what only God can do. 

Be clean – imperative (power and authority). 

Four commandments to the former leper: See that you tell no one. Go. Show yourself. Offer according to the Law of Moses (Lev 14). 

Messianic miracle. 

Who is a sinner and why?

Leprosy represented sin, uncleanness, being an outcast. It was the ultimate outcast (Lev 13:45 and 46). 

That it represented sin is clear from the directions to the leper if he had ever become clean - offering a guilt offer, a grain offering, a sin offering, and a burnt offering. 

Israel understood that leprosy was the result of personal sin. 

Rabbinism loved to trace diseases to moral causes. “No death without sin, and no pain without transgression” (Talmud). 

Their doctrine is that it is not the fall of man that brought disease, but one's actual transgression that causes disease and death. Childlessness and leprosy are described as chastisements (Pro 19:29). 

Life was bad enough in isolation: Now add to that the fact that society says that you did something to deserve it. (Joh 9:2)

Israel thus failed to understand the doctrine of original sin, Rom 3:23-24; Rom 5:12 f; Rom 11:32.

The wiser you are the less you will suffer, but all will suffer to some extent. 

Sin is like cancer. It may be at different stages in each of us, but it is at some stage in all of us. 

Who is a sinner? All. Why? Adam’s original sin is imputed and inherited by every person. 

Seeing our real need - “Only You can make me clean.”

Jesus alerts the priests while being able to shun fame. 

Why shun recognition of Himself due to His power to perform miracles? 

It was prophesied, but that is not the reason. 

The question is best answered when we look at when He actually did reveal Himself (Mat 21:1-10). 

He chooses not to show His power over all physical things until He shows the manner in which the love of God would heal our ultimate need. 

Application: Only when you are clear (takes reminding) on your ultimate need and what Christ did to heal it (willingly) will you be able to live as God’s messenger for the needs of others. 

How you treat all sinners should be just how Christ treated with leper, though the ultimate outcast. 

You call out to and accept all who come. You do not judge. You will know them by their fruit. You are not unwilling if they come. 

Pray and consider who are outcasts in the corner of your life. 

Then consider, how can you reach out to them? Do you know that just reaching out, even if it feels awkward and clunky, will cause that person to know that someone is thinking of them.