Jesus Heals

                                                     Jesus Heals a Leper

Seeing Jesus                                                                                                        Pg.1
Luke 5:12  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."
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promises, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Hebrews 7:25 wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

Psalms 86:5 For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.

Q.1 How did the leprous man present his request to Jesus? Did it show that he trusted Jesus ?
Q.2 How did his words and actions provide a pattern for us to approach Christ with our needs?
Q.3 How often do we wish Jesus would make us clean?
Q.4 Are we willing to place our face to the ground and beg him?
Q.5 Is he willing to make us clean?
Q.6 Are we willing to be clean?

Jesus is willing                                                                                                  
Luke 5:13  Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" And immediately the leprosy left him.
The generosity and compassion of Jesus are on full display. But I am also struck that he is also prepared to actually deliver. Jesus’ willingness to heal was equal to his ability to bring it about.  We can’t say “Well Jesus was God,” because he clearly expected that anyone who believed in him would do the same things he was doing. Jesus didn’t heal people because he was God, he healed people because he was a human being cooperating fully with the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ clear expectation of his followers was that they would be not only as willing as him to bring the kingdom, but also as able. In another place when his disciples are wondering about their inability to drive out a demon, Jesus mentioned fasting and prayer as keys to the increased power it would take.

Q.1 After Jesus touched the man and cured him of leprosy, why did he have to show himself to the priest? (Leviticus 13 and 14)
Q.2 Is there someone who could benefit from a caring touch from you in the name of Christ?
Q.3 Was Jesus seeking this man?
Q.4 Will Jesus touch even the most wretched sinner?
Q.5 And what will be the consequence
Q.6 But what must first take place in the heart of the sinner?

Jesus requires                                                                                                        Pg.2
Luke 5:14  Then Jesus ordered him, "Don't tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them."

Having been healed instantly this man was probably so full of excitement and wonder at what had just happened that he was ready to shout it from the hilltops. Go tell it on the Mountain so to speak. But Jesus ordered him not to speak of it to anyone and he should go and tell it to the priest, and offer sacrifices. Well of course this would not deter this man from spreading the news, and Jesus knew that. The fact that he did tell it anyway just illustrates the failure of ordinary people, (sinners) to listen to Jesus and do what he says. Jesus ordered this man to tell no one because his fame was such that he could no longer go from place to place, town to town without having to deal with unmanageable crowds. This publicity would just make it worse. That is really not what Jesus wanted, as dealing with crowds was a drain on his mission and he knew things would get worse. Is that the way of sin, to take a good thing and make it a bad thing. This can only happen when we start doing things the way we want, and not the way God wants. One can name any number of unfathomable evils, and when examined, it will show that God is out, and our own will is in. This is also true with all dismal failures.

Q.1 Why would Jesus order him to not tell anyone, he knew that he would tell it everywhere?
Q.2 Go show yourself to the priest? What is that all about?
Q.3 What sacrifices did Moses command for his cleansing?
      Lev 14:2-32 for a listing of all the sacrifices pertaining to healing                                                                     Q.4 As a testimony to them? A testimony of what?

Luke 5:15  Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses.
It was not possible for Jesus to do the things he was doing, and teach with the authority that he did and not become well known. So often we worry over the passage of time and we desire that events happen when we are ready, or we worry over such things needlessly. Jesus was not worried nor did it bother him that the authorities were plotting against him, he Knew the time table. It was his desire to reach as many people as possible in the short time he had. The choice of disciples worked well  for him and for mankind. The fact of Jesus healing people and performing miracles was indeed part of God’s plan, but God was letting Jesus do his own work, just as we are to do. God allows us the privilege of doing his work as we plan and execute it. He is pleased when we respond. He does not like procrastination and delay which we so often allow to slow his work down.

Q.1 How was it that the news about him spread so quickly?
Q.2 Have you ever considered what Jesus life must have been like during this time?
Q.3 Did Jesus make the decisions on who gets healed and who doesn’t?
Q.4 Is there a precedent for Jesus healing someone?
Q.5 What is common to all of the Healings that Jesus performed?




Jesus prays                                                                                                                 Pg.3
Luk 5:16  But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

Why does the Bible tell us over and over and even Jesus says when we pray, get somewhere alone. Jesus mentions going into a closet and shutting the door. One does need time alone with God so that honest thought can be expressed verbally as prayer, even tears. When we pray, we lay before God all our concerns. When one is alone and praying to God it is time to lay open one’s soul. Repeat the needs of your heart, the pain of life the need for God’s help. No one ever came to Jesus that did not need his help. David wrote in his psalm  Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? This is still a valid question. Why is there still unbelief, and conflict and the population imagining that we can have a great world without God, and without Jesus our savior. We must not use vain repetitions in prayer, Mat_6:7, Mat_6:8. We must not be proud and vain-glorious in prayer, nor aim at the praise of men.  The Pharisees loved to pray on street corners and places where they would be noticed, they loved it when it gave them an opportunity of making themselves conspicuous. The product of all this is, they have their reward; They have all the recompense they must ever expect from God. What is the will of Jesus Christ in prayer.  Humility and sincerity are the two great lessons that Christ teaches us; Instead of praying in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, enter into thy closet, into some place of privacy and retirement, that we may be unobserved, and so may avoid ostentation; undisturbed, and so may avoid distraction; unheard, and so may use greater freedom; yet if the circumstances be such that we cannot possibly avoid being taken notice of, we must not therefore neglect the duty, lest the omission be a greater scandal than the observation of it.
We all need to be in constant prayer if we are to change this world. But in this instance, a private and quiet prayerful time with God is needed to just help us in our day to day lives. We cannot possibly do it alone.

Q.1 Jesus often sought to be quiet and alone for time to pray. Why?
Q.2 Do we really understand what real solitude offers us as relates to God?
Q.3 What did Jesus say about prayer? Matt. 6:5-6-7 and Luke 11:2
       And do we fully understand why he spoke those words?
Q.4 Re: Verse 16. How important is it for us to imitate the private life of Jesus?
Q.5 What single act can one commit that will most assuredly be heard by God?
Q.6 Are there other ways to communicate with God?












                                                                                                                                                Pg.4
Meditation:
It is human nature to want to be healed of any and all infirmities? And it is of a devine nature that God through his Son Jesus wants us to be healed of any and all infirmities. So it is with those in Jesus day. When he saw or was exposed to sickness, or broken lives, he was moved by his love and compassion to do for that person, to cause healing of the life in whatever way it was needed. Is it ever thus that even today we seek Jesus for our healing, and if he be willing, we will be healed. We are not here to question God as we see what the world has to offer. As was the leprous man who sought Jesus for his healing, we are to seek Jesus to guide us for all our needs and to see us through this imperfect world. To do this we must see to the accounting  of our own needs and come to Jesus, asking of him, his will for our life.
· Do we come because of hope?  (the Leper did)
No matter how “contaminated” we are He can heal us.
There are no untouchables with Jesus, he is master of the universe, all laws are his , he makes what he will of any and all things, and the universe obeys him
· Do we believe that Jesus can change the situation? (the Leper did)
There is none who cannot be healed if by seeking honestly and faithfully we come to him in humble gratitude and faithful trust, and ask of him.
Heb 11:6 NIV And without faith it is impossible to please God, because
anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards
those who earnestly seek him.
· Can I worship Him in spite of my current trial? (the Leper did)
Our worship is often situational. We need to worship Him for who He is
· Am I willing to humble myself and simply ask? (the Leper did)
You have not because you ask not - have we become desperate enough?
· Do we ask in faith and confident trust? (the Leper did)
Lord if you will –( I know you can do this”)
Not if you can - it was IF YOU WILL. To acknowledge that God has the right to grant or
refuse a request is not lack of faith... it is the ultimate act of dependence on God's compassion
and takes great trust and commitment for a desperate person.
· Are we even sure that we know how to come to God in prayer? (the Leper did)
In cases where we are uncertain about the will of God we can pray in the Spirit
Romans 8:26  In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.
Romans 8:27  And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God's people in accordance with the will of God.

· “Ask, and you will receive . . .” (John 16:24). We complain before God, and sometimes we are apologetic or indifferent to Him, but we actually ask Him for very few things. Yet a child exhibits a magnificent boldness to ask! Our Lord said, “. . . unless you . . . become as little children . . .” (Matthew 18:3). Ask and God will do. Give Jesus Christ the opportunity and the room to work. The problem is that no one will ever do this until he is at his wits’ end. When a person is at his wits’ end, it no longer seems to be a cowardly thing to pray; in fact, it is the only way he can get in touch with the truth and the reality of God Himself. Be yourself before God and present Him with your problems— the very things that have brought you to your wits’ end. But as long as you think you are self-sufficient, you do not need to ask God for anything.
Oswald Chambers



Opening Prayer:                                                                                                 Pg.5                                                

Father God, we come to study about Your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ whom we believe with all our heart is the author of our salvation. Our study today takes us to the presence of a leprous man where Jesus is asked for help. And we too ask Jesus for his help. We ask that no word be spoken here tonight which might be contrary to your will. And we ask you to bless those who are here tonight with the perfect understanding of those things which You would have us learn from this study. Bless our brothers and sisters in Christ who need your healing touch, give them reassurance that even though you are not present in body, you are most certainly with us in spirit. Offer them your healing Spirit as you truly are there with them. We ask this in the name of Jesus Amen

Our study today is about Jesus continuing on in his ministry. He is asked by a leprous man for his healing touch. He heals this man and then tells him to tell no one, but to go to the priest and show himself to be clean. The rest is what we normally expect from Jesus. A continuation of his mission and a rise in his reputation as a man, the Son of God who performs miracles, and heals the sick.  From then on he gained more respect for his message as he continued to heal all who came to him for help and healing. It is further encouragement to all who would seek healing and help no matter what the distress, to call urgently to Jesus for his help. He will respond and his message will become all the more real to those who trust in him.

Closing Prayer:
Father God,  be with us now as we leave this place. May we carry with us your blessing as we continue in our efforts to live the life of a disciple of Jesus Christ. We pray for your continued watch over our loved ones and those among us who need your healing hand to touch them in their time of distress. Some of us are ill some of us are conflicted. We all need your healing power. We pray now that  we will have Your guidance as we continue in our day to day living. It is in Jesus name we pray, AMEN