Jesus—high Above Us, Yet Bending Over Us
A man … who was covered with leprosy … saw Jesus … and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!”.
Luke 5:12-13
Leprosy! Unclean! Unclean! Virtually incurable in Bible times, this dreaded disease meant that the sufferer became an outcast from family, friends, society—in fact, from everyone except other lepers … and the Savior!
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In Luke 5 Jesus healed a leper with a touch. His act of compassion changed the man’s life and, with it, the course of Jesus’ public ministry (Luke 5:15).
Alexander Maclaren reflects on the touch of the man from Galilee.
WALK WITH ALEXANDER MACLAREN
“All true sympathy involves a touch.
“Jesus reaches the leper with the touch of a universal love and pity which disregards all that is repellent and overflows every barrier.
“He is high above us and yet bending over us. He stretches his hand from the throne as truly as he put it out when here on earth. And he is ready to take us all to his heart—in spite of our weakness and shortcomings, the leprosy of our many corruptions, and the depth of our sins—and to hold us ever in the strong, gentle clasp of his divine, omnipotent, and tender hand.
“This Christ lays hold on us because he loves us, and will not be turned from his compassion by our most loathsome foulness.”
WALK CLOSER TO GOD
Like a leper, you may feel unworthy of God’s forgiveness, love and cleansing. And you are.
You may sense that God is grieved by your sin. And he is.
You may feel that your conduct has placed you beyond his reach. But that’s where you’re wrong!
No sin is too great for him to forgive. No life is too damaged for him to redeem. Is it possible that the only thing standing between you and the Savior’s forgiveness and cleansing is your own self-pity?
