A super short passage but SO good.  If you don’t have your Bible handy, stop and have a quick read here:

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%205%3A12-16&version=NLT

Luke 5:12-16

Today we meet a man with leprosy…one translation I read said he was covered with leprosy. A highly contagious bacteria which attacks the nerves, the end result is rotting lesions that slowly cover a person’s body.   It was a slow, humiliating, isolating death sentence. 

But on this day Jesus was in town, and this man saw him. For a person with leprosy to approach a healthy person was against the religious law and endangered those he encountered. But he was desperate, and the rumour mill was buzzing with stories about a man who could drive out demons.  When he saw Jesus only a short distance away he saw something he hadn’t seen in years.  Hope. Even from his carefully maintained distance he had heard the stories, and he believed them.  He was convinced. Jesus was able. The question was, was he willing. 

Oh my, is this relatable! I have asked God this question a thousand times. Are you willing to help me? The man with leprosy believed the reports.  I have seen God do incredible things in and all around me. We know he is able, but we wonder if he is willing. 

I am coming through, and if I’m being honest I have yet to even glimpse the far side of, a season of struggles. Through this time, I couldn’t begin to guess how many times I have asked God if he is willing to help me. 

Finally, only a couple of years ago, God answered that question for me. It has been a very long time since I have questioned his ability.  I’ve seen too much. I know he is always able, no matter the task. But I only recently became convinced that he is also always willing. The question is never, “Do you want to help me?” He loves me. Like any loving parent with a hurting child, he wants to help. He is willing.  But he is also wise, and he knows that sometimes the better thing than simply rescuing me is to walk with me through things. He knows the value of suffering. He knows how I learn. He is always willing. In fact, I think his heart is touched when he has to say no. Remember, (if you’ve read this story before, if not hold on till the end, we’ll get there) he once said no to his beloved son who asked, “Father, if it’s possible, take this suffering from me.” Do you think he wasn’t willing? When Jesus said, “Not my will but yours” do you think the Father was just doing what he wanted, with no thought for his son’s anguish? I believe in that moment, and in each of our moments, God’s heart reflects what Jesus says here, “I am willing.” 

In this moment, the best thing was for Jesus to act in conformity with his inclination. Jesus wanted to help, and by helping he was accomplishing the greater purpose for which God was working in the man’s life.

God is a good father. He truly cares. But sometimes he knows that a better thing is coming as a result of walking through the suffering we want him to remove. It has certainly been the case for me. I only truly believed what I’m saying here because God let me feel a lot of pain and hear a lot of “no” answers. 

Sometimes God’s love for us means that when we ask for his help, or his deliverance from something, he will say no. But I just want to tell you what he took 50 years to get through to me, though my goodness he tried.

He is willing. 

He does care. 

Just because he knows there is a better plan, just because he says no, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to scoop you up and rescue you. 

Anyways, that’s a bit of a bunny trail this morning, but it took 50 years for me to grasp this. I never want to forget it.

So yes, he is willing! And in this moment the timing was best, so he healed the man by reaching out his hand and touching him, which must have been overwhelming. People didn’t reach out and touch lepers. They risked getting sick and they definitely would have become ritually impure. 

I have to slow this down once more this morning and ask you to notice something to which a friend drew my attention only a few months ago.  Have you noticed? Jesus is never worried about being contaminated by sin or sickness? He knew nothing could make him unclean. He was the one who made things clean simply by being in their presence. And he implies exactly that. He tells the leper to go present himself to the priests in accordance with Jewish law. Go offer the sacrifices you are to offer when you are made clean. Jesus made him clean, that’s what he does because that is who he is.

I think, in this case, maybe the reason Jesus told him not to tell anyone was less about keeping it under wraps and more about making sure he went about re-entering society in the right way. Go, let the priest affirm that you are clean. Then you will be free to live among people again. Jesus said it would be a testimony. That was fine. He just wanted him to go through the right steps. The man had been ostracized long enough. Jesus wanted him to be free to live again. 

And of course, that testimony got a lot of attention, and a lot more people came. The stories of healing will keep coming, but Luke pauses to let us know, “Jesus often stole away by himself to pray.” 

People ran to him, but he ran to his Father. How else could he have the strength to do what he was doing? But also, how else could he stay grounded in his purpose? He was there to do the will of his father. He needed his father just like you and I do.