Matthew 8:1–2 (NKJV): When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. 2 And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”
Matthew, Matthew 8:1–2
Hey, I’m Nathan, and this is Day 3 of 30 Days Watching Jesus. “If you are willing”. Those are heartbreaking words. This man’s illness—leprosy—was devastating, both physically and socially. It barred him from society while ravaging his body. And, in the culture of the day, it labeled him ‘rejected by God.’ In that simple phrase—“if you are willing”—is wrapped up an unspoken bundle of pain, that is crushing him. He sees the rejection and disdain of the faces of those who may glance his direction from a safe distance—and he dare not believe that he has any value before God. In that aching cry—“if you are willing”—is wrapped up all of the remaining pieces of his hope and faith. Everyone else has proven either unwilling—or unable. Perhaps you, too, have seen the forgotten, the avoided, the pariahs. Perhaps the question put to you is, “if you will”. In this case, Jesus, without hesitation, said YES! Of course I will —be clean! Will we, too, love those with aching hearts and desperate eyes? Will we be that voice of hope that says, ‘YES!’ you matter?
