© 05 Colin Melbourne
Jesus Touches Lepers and Outcasts
Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
Oh how precious. He left the Throne of Heaven to meet this destitute leper in his sickness and squalor. God’s heart filled with compassion, tears welled in those sinless eyes, and He took away his ‘if’. Mtt. 8:2-3 KJV;
And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
Savour this you outcasts and Aid’s sufferers: Nobody in the multitude wanted to be near the stinking leper, you wouldn’t, and I wouldn’t, because he was cursed, filthy, diseased, and dangerous.
But Almighty God in the Flesh bent down, (that leper was surely prone in supplication) Jesus stooped and touched him, drove out his disease with a word, and healed him.
The Holy God touches untouchables and fixes all their problems. His Name is the LORD Jesus Christ and He is willing to help you too. What He told the leper is for whoever will believe.
I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
Heb 13:8 KJV
When did He change?
Cross-eyed Christians
Some Christians have a cock-eyed understanding of healing, they say,
‘Oh I know God can heal me, if He wants to, I’ll just leave it with Him. In His time.’
Two Kinds of Faith by E.W.Kenyon: Here’s the little book that transformed T.L. Osborn from a failed missionary to the greatest missionary evangelist of the 20th century!
What tragic ignorance masquerading as humility.
‘If He wants to’… ‘In His time.’
This is a grievous slight upon Christ’s finished work. What more must He do to convince you that He wants to heal you?
He gave up everything to take your place on the Cross. His word declares plainly that He bore your infirmities and your diseases. In His ministry He refused no one who came to Him for healing. Not one, because His salvation is for whoever believes in Him. He put in the Bible the example of the leper who asked (on your behalf) if Christ was willing to heal even an accursed leper.
The answer for everyone under the New Covenant is a resounding YES! No exceptions.
When is God’s time to heal you? The Holy Spirit says,
Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
2 Co. 6:2b KJV
And God’s salvation includes healing for whoever believes. The Bible teaches over and over that God has already healed every believer, and you can have it now.
Your Will Be Done on Earth
Dare to declare; I know Christ can heal me, and I know He is willing to heal me now!
Then according to your faith it will be done to you.
This good news isn’t just for the Jews.
Next, a brutal Roman invader humbly asked Christ to heal his servant. Mtt. 8:5-13.
A Gentile enemy of Israel, a thug, a killer, an idolater, so impressed Jesus by his faith that Christ was astonished. You can do the same today: thrill God with your faith in Him.
Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
Quite a commendation from God. What did this sinner-man get?
Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee.
Mtt. 8:13 KJV
And it was done for him according to his faith.
Can He Fix Your Problem?
Two blind men listened to the reports of miracles ripple through the multitude:
Maniacs of Gadarenes delivered of their demons. Furious storm stopped in its tracks. Ruler’s dead daughter raised up. Bleeding woman healed by touching Him.
‘That’ll do for us.’ they said, ‘This is our chance, let’s get in on it.’
Following the buzz, the blind beggars cried out loudly:
Thou Son of David, have mercy on us.
They lacked the courage to call Him Messiah; the Pharisees would rebuke them for blasphemy. But even Jewish children knew that ‘Son of David‘ was code for the same thing, and they pressed in for His attention. They got it, and immediately, He put the responsibility onto them.
Believe ye that I am able to do this?
Understand; Christ knew that He could do it, but it was essential for the blind men to do their own believing. Jesus demanded it of them, just as He demands it of you.
Yea, Lord. Then touched he their eyes, saying,
According to your faith be it unto you; and their eyes were opened.
Mtt. 9:27-30 KJV
They got what they believed and asked for. You will too when you do what they did.
Go to The One Who Never Fails
Don’t pester your pastor, don’t chase after healing evangelists: go straight to Christ yourself and get what you believe from His Hand. He loves His children to come to Him direct. He wants you to depend upon Him, not men. Don’t be afraid, He won’t let you be dismayed when you really believe, and if you are weak in faith, He will inspire miracle faith when you walk with Him.
You Can Do This Stuff Too
As a finale to this sublime display of Christ’s divinity, grace, and supernatural power, we read the message of Matthew Chapter 10. Which can be summarized as,
‘OK Lads, I’ve shown you how to do it, here’s my authority, now go and do the same things in my Name.’
He dropped the first twelve in at the deep end.
It’s a glorious situation to be completely out of your depth with nothing to rely on but the Word of God.
Have you let Him do that to you yet, or has fear held you back from discovering what you were made for? You will never be truly happy until you allow Jesus full control of your life and destiny.
Let go, and let Him take charge, and according to your faith it will be done for you.
Whatever He tells you to do, get on with it regardless of circumstances, opposition, or personal cost.
When you obey Christ’s commands, failure is impossible.
It’s time to begin the greatest adventure of all.
© 05 Colin Melbourne
