Transcribed from the Words of Life Radio Program

 

     The word “leprosy” is found in the Bible numerous times. The term “leprosy” in the Bible probably refers to a variety of skin diseases, not to actual leprosy alone. Historians are not sure where or when leprosy originated. Today, leprosy still afflicts a few million people worldwide, especially in tropical or subtropical regions including in Africa, Central and South America, India, and Southeast Asia. In the United States, on average, fewer than 300 new cases of leprosy are diagnosed annually mainly from immigrants.

     In Christ’s day, in Israel, leprosy and other skin diseases were more common. Leprosy was a feared, religiously defiling disease as described in the Old Testament book of Leviticus result in in ritual impurity, social exclusion, and that requited diagnosing by Levitical priest examination. Leprosy, and other allied skin diseases were interpreted as a divine punishment, and a “living death,” that totally devastated its victims.  Leprosy involved reddish-white spots, raw flesh, hair changes on the skin often signifying ceremonial impurity along with physical illness. Those diagnosed as “unclean” by a priest were required to live outside the community, as separated from society to prevent its spread.

     Archaeologists found the earliest evidence of leprosy (the modern term, being Hansen’s disease) in a 1^st century AD tomb in Jerusalem, indicating the disease was present. Leprosy causes disfigurement primarily through nerve damage, leading to loss of sensation, muscle weakness, and paralysis which results in injuries, infections, and deformities like clawed hands or foot drop. Left untreated, damage can also cause skin lesions, loss of eyebrows, and damage to the nose, leading to sunken features, this as the bacteria attack skin, nerves, and tissue overtime. Lepers, including of any skin disease, were forbidden to live in towns, forbidden to enter Jerusalem and the temple or interacting with any healthy people. Lepers usually survived only by begging.

     Listen to the law as recorded in Leviticus chapter 13 verses 43 through 46 “The priest is to examine him, and if the swollen sore on his head or forehead is reddish-white like an infectious skin disease, the man is diseased and is unclean. The priest shall pronounce him unclean because of the sore on his head. The person with such an infectious disease must wear torn clothes, let his hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of his face and cry out, Unclean! Unclean!” In Jesus’ day, based on rabbinic interpretation of Levitical Law, lepers were required to remain at least about 6 feet away from healthy people. However, during windy conditions, this required distance was increased to about 150 feet or 50 yards, downwind to avoid any contamination. Such was the lot of victims of leprosy (or variety of skin diseases) in Jesus’ day.

Let’s look closer at our study text (Mark chapter 1 verses 40 through 45) and we’ll include relevant application for today.

Verse 40 “A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”

    Leprosy was one of the most dreaded diseases of the ancient world. Medical historians believe it possibly may have originate in Egypt, since the bacteria that causes it has been discovered in at least one Egyptian mummy. Leprosy was a communicable, that is contagious infection that could be spread both through the air and through physical touch. Today, reportedly, there is now a cure for the disease since 1981, though it can be controlled with medication.

     Besides all the physical and social issues the disease also causes those it infects to emit a foul odor making leprosy repulsive both by sight and smell. Lepers became physically disfigured, socially despised, and religiously defiled. Cutoff from everyone and everything they lived without family, friends, occupations, or hope. Their pitiful plight was permanenting the ancient world.

     Driven by desperation this victim, on his knees begged Jesus “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” This leper was both respectful and reverential toward Jesus; believing that He could cure him. In Luke’s version of the same incident, he adds detail in Luke chapter 5 verse 12 “While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Therefore this leper broke the law and entered a town, not just on his knees but also on his face in abject humility and humiliation and cried out using the title “Lord” in respect and reverence toward Jesus.

     He begged for deliverance knowing he could not presume on Jesus’ mercy thus prefaced “If you are willing.” Certainly. This unnamed leper had heard of Jesus of Nazareth’s miraculous healing power therefore he exclaimed bold faith: “You can make me clean.” That is clean physically, socially, and religiously.   Mark chapter 1 verses 41 and 42 “Jesus was indignant. He reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured.”

     We should understand from the perspective of 1^st century AD Judaism, Jesus had every right to be outraged by this leper’s behavior. He had disregarded public health, social norms, and especially the requirements of Mosaic Law! Yet, instead of being filled with anger, Jesus was filled with compassion! Jesus deeply understood the man’s pitiful plight. Jesus knew the man’s isolation, desperation in hopelessness, and Jesus knew that the effects of sin in general from Adam forward had devastated this man’s life.

     Jesus proved His profound compassion in that He reach out His hand and touched him – a leper! Jesus could have merely said the word “Be clean” without actually touching the leper. Ever since this person had been diagnosed with leprosy, no one dared touch him! This victim had probably not been touched by a healthy person in years. He was untouchable! Yet here, not knowing what Jesus would say or do, being totally vulnerable in the dirt, was begging for deliverance.

     Jesus reached out and healed him with a touch that instantly freed him of all he had suffered. That’s our Jesus who has infinite compassion for all the human race plagued with physical and spiritual disease – that is sin sickness! He ultimately proved His love, His compassion, by hanging, dying on a cross as an atoning sacrifice who took God’s wrath for our sin. (First Peter chapter 3 verse 18) “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.”

     This leper no longer disfigured surely left leaping for joy! Yet Jesus gave him a stern warning. Mark chapter 1 verses 43 and 44 “Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: “See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”   Why did Jesus not want this former leper to tell anyone of His cleansing cure? Jesus did not want messianic hysteria to spread like wildfire due to His healing miracles. Crowds of miracle mongers impeded Jesus’ gospel teaching which had eternal consequences versus physical healings which were temporary. The miracles primarily served to validate, verify His teaching was indeed from God.

     Jesus also commanded that the healed man, before resuming his place in society, needed to fulfill the requirement of Mosaic Law. Why? First, in keeping with then societal needs, but also secondly note he last words of Mark chapter 1 verse 44 “as a testimony to them.” Who are the them? Probably primarily directed to the Levitical priests serving in the Temple. Any priests involved in pronouncing lepers clean would have been confronted with the validity of Jesus of Nazareth’s healing power as Messiah, and also that Jesus did not disregard legitimate Mosaic Law. If the priests declared the leper clean but rejected the One who had cleansed him, their unbelief would be incriminating evidence against them.

     But the healed, cleansed man could not contain himself. Mark chapter 1 verse 45 “Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.”  Jesus was well aware that His popularity was primarily the result of superficial and temporal desires. The crowds wanted to see, experience, miracles but were largely uninterested in the gospel message He was teaching.

     Today little has changed, so-called “Faith Healers” can fill stadiums but far fewer are interested in gospel teaching. Consider how the Lord and the leper exchanged places. The leper had been in isolation, yet after being healed he could mingle freely in the town. Conversely, Jesus started in towns, after healing this leper confined Himself to lonely, isolated places. Leprosy is also a metaphor for sin. All sinners are spiritual lepers who live in alienation as separated from God. Yet God created a way of salvation for sinners. The Son of God left heaven, came to earth took on a human body, “flesh and blood.” On the cross Jesus was forsaken, rejected by most, even forsaken by His Father (Matthew chapter 27 verse 46). Jesus became sin – a castoff! In that He took our sin upon Himself. Really?

     Consider from Second Corinthians chapter 5 verse 21 “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

This is the Great Exchange regarding believers. Jesus took our sin and gives us His righteousness. “He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” Isaiah 53:3. Jesus became like a leper!

Why did Jesus do all of this?

“Filled with compassion,” on the Cross, in effect, Jesus said “I am willing: be clean.”

 

David Johnson is Minister of the Sellersburg Church of Christ in Sellersburg, IN.