Sin in the Skin: Leprosy, Love & the True Cost of Healing

The Lord has a soft spot in His heart for lepers in the Bible, have you ever noticed that? Over and over lepers ran to Jesus even though, culturally, they were not allowed to approach Him. And Jesus, as a cultural Jew, would have known the Mosaic command to stay away from them…But He didn’t.

• When so many others shrank away, lepers ran to Him.
• When so many others had questions, lepers saw Jesus as the answer.
• When others judged, lepers worshipped.

Did you ever wonder why that is? Why lepers?

Because the desperation of true brokenness, of having no hope, of having no other place to turn, and from being rejected by everyone else compels the most desperate people to forsake the crowds, run to Jesus, and worship Him – and there they find their healing.

What Was Leprosy in the Bible?

In today’s world leprosy is rare, although it still exists in many countries that suffer from poverty. Although it is not known exactly how leprosy spreads, it is known that leprosy (also known as Hansen’s disease), is a vicious chronic, bacterial infection that eats away at the skin, the peripheral nerves, the upper respiratory tract and the eyes.

In the Bible, leprosy was a literal disease that people suffered with throughout human history, but it was also a metaphor for sin. In fact, when specific sins occurred, many people were afflicted by leprosy as an outward sign of a sinful heart. (See Numbers 12).

Just like how sin “steals, kills, and destroys”, so leprosy slowly erodes the parts of you that are necessary for survival and you die piece by piece before death finally consumes you.

Just like how sin “steals, kills, and destroys”, so leprosy slowly erodes the parts of you that are necessary for survival and you die piece by piece before death finally consumes you.

~ Alicia Purdy ~

In Jesus’ day, highly contagious leprosy was still a major issue and if someone were to contract it, they had to be quarantined away from people, sometimes permanently, under Jewish purification laws.

Jesus, of course, knew this, but that didn’t scare Him away, and neither does the disease of sin scare Jesus away. Repeatedly, Jesus was moved by compassion on the lepers, as He still is today for those whom sin has overtaken, eaten away, and devastated.

Jesus Cleanses Leprosy – Within and Without

During the time Jesus walked on the earth, the Pharisees were busy observing, watching, judging and ruling of the Jews, but out of all their ritualistic perfection, they were not actually worshipping the Lord. That is why they did not recognize the Messiah when He came to earth.

The Pharisees did not see themselves as sinners in need of a Savior!

In fact, Jesus said He had specifically come to find the “sick”, and wasn’t interested in the “righteous”. (See Mark 2:15-17) Even though the Pharisees “believed in God”, their righteousness was defined by their ability to follow the laws and rules, while their hearts were consumed by sin.

The Pharisees had become ensnared by their routines and traditions, while the lepers, the sick and the untouchables whose uncleanness was visible and humiliating and gross were throwing themselves at His feet.

• True praise and worship brings you closer to God.
• True praise and worship reveals the truth to you about God.
• True praise and worship open your heart and mind to the moves of God.
• True praise and worship protect you within the presences of God.

Those who know they have need of the Savior will fix their eyes on Jesus. Those who are willing to worship Him, no matter what condition or situation they are in are the ones the Lord is seeking to spend His time with.

Those are the ones He can heal, deliver, touch, revive, awaken, restore, and put back together, because He has their permission through their submission in praise.

Are You Bowing Before the Crowd or Bowing Before Christ?

In Matthew 8, the Bible records that, “large crowds followed Jesus.” Really, it’s no different today. Many people call themselves Christians, and many more say they follow Jesus. Christianity is still the largest religion in the world!

“Crowds” follow Jesus. But. “…then a leper came and worshipped Him.”

Out of the crowds broke a desperate man. Someone who no one wanted around. Someone who had lived a life of rejection, pain and consumed by disease and was ready to let the Lord heal him. To show how serious he was, the man broke away from the crowd and ran to Jesus and worshipped Him.

By all standards of the day, he was unclean. He was untouchable. He was so diseased that he couldn’t be sure if Jesus would want Him either… but Jesus did. JESUS touched him.

That man, in his pain and desperation and uncleanness, no longer cared what anyone thought. He ran from the crowd of “followers” and ran to worship Jesus, and there he found his healing.

Offering up the Worship of the Once Wounded

There is always a reason to praise Lord, even if you can’t see it right now. Sometimes the darkness of the world’s troubles seem to block the light, but that is a lie from the enemy! “The light shines into the darkness and the darkness cannot overtake it,” John wrote. (John 1:5)

Praise and worship are actions of gratitude, but they are also actions of FAITH proving that what you say you believe about the Lord does actually exist. Ask the Lord to open your eyes if you can’t see His light in the darkness right now, but until then – PRAISE THE LORD. Do you trust Him?

Praise and worship are actions of gratitude, but they are also actions of FAITH proving that what you say you believe about the Lord does actually exist.

~ Alicia Purdy ~

In Luke 17:11-19, Jesus healed 10 lepers and only one returned to worship Him with thanksgiving. While being healed from leprosy is a life-changing transformation, yet only one leper acknowledged what the Lord had done. Why?

The actual healing of the leprosy was not instantaneous. It didn’t happen as Jesus stood there. The healing from leprosy was a process, a journey of healing over time. In fact, the healing took place as they were on their way to the temple.

Learn more about the 7 Hebrew Words for Praise and how each one helps create strength, intimacy, and fresh revelation as you understand more about God’s plan for praise in your life!

Because of the time it took to actually experience the full healing Jesus had given them, the lepers did not associate that miracle with anything Jesus had done. Perhaps they thought it was a mere coincidence, or thought that the temple itself had some role to play as they drew closer on their way and were healed.

Whatever the reason, only one man bothered to return and worship the Lord. It is not any different today. God saves, God moves, God heals, God restores, God answers, God rescues and so much more, but only very few return to give Him the glory.

Gratitude is the point of origin for all praise.

True worshippers acknowledge that “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights…” (James 1:17) And before the miracle, during the working of the miracle, and afterward – PRAISE THE LORD.

Thought for Today: Leprosy, Love & the True Cost of Healing

Back in Jesus’ day, sin was literally represented in the skin through leprosy, but through the precious blood of Jesus Christ, sin has been washed clean for those who choose to receive the salvation Christ paid for.

Everyone has things are hideous, odious, ugly, painful and can lead to a slow death of the spirit, dreams and hopes, relationships and worse. This is exactly why the enemy tries to disconnect Christians from the Spirit of God, telling you that whatever you carry is too ugly, even for God to touch. But that’s a lie!

The leper in Matthew 8, whose disease had made him an outcast, ran to Jesus and worshipped. That was exactly the right response! Worship separates you from the crowd. 

Yes it makes you stand out, and draw attention, maybe even mockery or derision, yet it also draws the attention of Jesus! “I will,” Jesus said to the leper. “I want to,” is what He meant. Run to Him and worship. Your miracle is there, at His feet, where He will reach out and touch you.

“I will,” Jesus said to the leper.
“I want to,” is what He meant.

~ Alicia Purdy ~

The grace of God, granted through His Son, Jesus means you get to run to Him and worship (Read Hebrews 4:16). Offer the Lord the SACRIFICE of thanksgiving. Don’t let the enemy tell you you’re not qualified to enter into worship!

Worship is exclusively God-centered. That is where you’ll minister to the Lord and where He will minister to you in return.

Satan does not want that, in case you were wondering! “God catches His fish before He cleans them,” as the old saying goes. All glory belongs to the Lord. Turn your FACE to Him – not your back!

Remember:

“Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth…loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood.” (Revelation 1:5, ESV)

If you’re a Christian who is struggling with a sin issue, or carnal behaviors or even inner darkness, don’t fall into the trap of traditional thinking and keep that from Jesus – no! Break away, run to His feet and worship. Minister to Him. NEVER FORGET THIS: God can’t work with a Pharisee who stands apart, but He will absolutely reach out and touch a leper at His feet.