Jesus Cleanses a Leper-“I Am Willing” (The Lord, Our Healer)

Hello dear friends! I pray that you all are well and warm. 

I hope you are finding strength through God’s Word as we look at healing scriptures. This account from scripture is another powerful story that shows the great love of Jesus. 

When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, 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 8:1-3

To fully understand the text, we must understand the context: In Matthew chapter 8, we see Jesus coming down from the mountain after preaching what many consider the greatest sermon ever preached, the Sermon on the Mount. The response to His teachings was amazing. Matthew 7:28-29 tells that when the people heard the message, they were astonished, not by the eloquence of words or the beauty of His countenance. What captured the hearts of these people was that Jesus spoke with authority.  

The multitude followed Jesus, and the power with which He spoke gave way to a series of healings and miracles recorded in the eighth and ninth chapters of Matthew. Matthew did not just want a record of events but an account of Jesus walking in His divine authority.  

• Each miracle points to the authority of Jesus, the obedient Son of God. 

• Each miracle points to both His compassion coupled with His power.  

• Each miracle shows His ability coupled with His willingness. 

Though the other synoptic gospels (Mark and Luke) recorded many of these same events, Matthew’s gospel arranges these events somewhat in a thematic way rather than chronologically.  

We see in Matthew 8 Jesus healed those who were excluded or ostracized. Among these was a leper. This leper came to Jesus worshiping. He knew that Jesus was still worthy of worship whether his request was granted or not. This was a brave man. Because of his condition, he was considered unclean and was banished to live outside the community, having little to no fellowship with others.  

This leper came humbly to Jesus and said, “Lord, if You are willing . . . ” The man must have felt a sense of worthlessness. Because of his physical condition, he was shunned. He became an outsider with no hope of feeling the love and warmth of the community. But he took a chance. He had to try. So he asked the Savior if He was willing to heal Him.  

Jesus was moved with compassion (Mark 1:41). 

What Jesus does next is beyond sympathy or empathy. What He did was beyond human comprehension. The crowd around them must have collectively gasped as Jesus did the unthinkable–He touched him. This man must have felt such love from just one touch, especially when he hadn’t been touched in so long.  

Jesus stretched forth his hand and said, “I am willing.”  

The term willing comes from the Greek word thelo, which means ”to take delight in” or “to have pleasure in”. It speaks to Jesus’ heart toward this man-He delighted in this man’s healing. It indicates Jesus will towards us–that we be made whole. He takes pleasure in us being set free, healed, and delivered.  

This beautiful word thelo is the same one found in the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus submits to the will of His Father and shows His obedience, even unto death on the cross, and says, “Yet not My will, but Yours be done.”  

He is willing.  

Sometimes, we come to Jesus feeling unworthy. We know that Jesus has the power to heal, deliver, and set us free. We know He is mighty to save, and He has all power. Still, we wonder, “will He do it for me?”  

Be assured, dear hearts, Jesus’s love for you is powerful and palpable. He is compassionate to you in your time of need.  

He is willing to heal. It is His good pleasure to make you whole. Even if there are delays, trust in His willingness to heal. Trust Him even if it doesn’t happen as we want it to. Even if healing comes on the other side of this life, know He is for you. 

Those who have been redeemed from sin by grace through faith in Christ can stand in God’s presence in complete confidence that we are accepted “in the Beloved.” We praise Him for the grace He extends to us. 

Come to Jesus with every care. The Lord Jesus’ nail-pierced hands are still stretched out to us, and He still says, “I am willing.” 

Until next time, remember: The Word W.O.R.K.S we are walking in WHOLENESS, OBEDIENCE, RIGHTEOUSNESS, and KINGDOM SUCCESS through the Word of God.

Erica