I have lived many years in a country where it is not uncommon to see the terrible disease of leprosy, and I have seen lepers “full of leprosy”; and I can assure you there are no more distressing sights to see objects you shrink from, and turn away from. You don’t want to show, out of pity, the loathsomeness the object presents to you, and yet you cannot help shrinking from such an one being near you. I look at the leper, and see the ravages of the disease, and I know God has said: “He shall dwell alone. He is unclean.”
Ah, let us see. Such a leper sees Jesus, and falls down, and says, “Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean!” What makes him dare to go near Jesus, God manifest in flesh? Because he had come to see God, to know God. It is one thing to say, like Job, “I have heard of Thee”; another to say, “I have met God.” Have you had to do with God personally in this life?
He came and fell down at the feet of Jesus, and besought Him: “Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean!” He knew the Lord had the power, but he was not assured (he knew men turned away with disgust from him) if he could count on love in the heart of God. Do you think you can count on love in the heart of God, and you a sinner? You cannot be morally more unclean than this man was physically. He comes before the Lord Jesus just as he is, and says, “Lord, if You have only love in Your heart, You can heal me!” Think of the answer of the Lord! He could have spoken a word.
When the centurion sends to Him, he says, “Speak in a word, and my servant shall be healed.” The Lord need only have spoken the word, “I will,” and this poor man would have been healed of his leprosy. But it went to the heart of the Lord that the poor leper should doubt His love. It goes to the heart of God, if you doubt there is love in His heart to you, the sinner. We read, “He put forth His hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean.” He would give expression to His love.
In India, there was a lady missionary, seeking to labor among the women folk there. You may know, perhaps, that in former days all the educated people were very jealous of their women relations, and they were always kept in retreat at home, and not allowed to mingle with people in the streets, and were without any education. But for women missionaries, it would have been impossible to reach the families of the educated classes. So ladies went out to gain admittance to these people. There was a very rich man, and this lady missionary of whom I speak had received permission to visit his female relatives, and went to try to teach them various occupations, and at the same time speak of the Lord Jesus. They belonged to the highest caste the Brahmins; and she always had to remember that, according to their idea, they were descended from heaven, and she had to avoid coming too near them. They were friendly, but maintained their distance. They would have been defiled by her touch.
One morning, on passing the house, to her surprise she found the courtyard door open, and great preparations for something to take place. She found the ladies of the house were all on a raised platform, and one of them called out, “You can come and sit with us today, for we are all defiled!” There had been a death in the family, and they were beginning the funeral ceremonies. She went in and sat down. There was not much room, and they had to crowd together, and she had never been so near before. They were weeping, and all the caste barriers being broken down, because they were all defiled, she could put her arm round one, and speak a word of comfort. Telling the incident she said, You cannot tell, if you love a person, how difficult it is to refrain from touching them!
Do you not see how the heart of the Lord is affected? He could have healed by a word, but it would not have satisfied His heart. “He put forth His hand,” and loathsome as he was, the Hand of God touched that poor man, and He said, “I will, be thou clean!” If you come to God, owning the same need as this leper, you will get the same reception as he!
0.H.