Friday, June 26, 2020

The writings of Luke the physician starting with his version of the gospel - Luke 5:12-16 comments: Jesus heals the leprous man




Luke 5:12 ¶  And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. 13  And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him. 14  And he charged him to tell no man: but go, and shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. 15  But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him: and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities. 16  And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.

The leprous man believed that Jesus could heal him and it was so. Many times a key to God giving us something is our willingness to receive and our belief it is within His power to give. Yes, there are many times also when we receive a blessing we were totally unexpecting. But, there is a clear Bible doctrine that believing God and humbling yourself before Him precedes receiving many blessings. I’m not talking about some ‘name it and claim it’ blasphemy about trying to order the Creator of the universe around like your own personal servant but about believing in God’s power and in His sovereignty. We will see twice upcoming in Luke 8 and 17 where Christ tells someone that their faith has made them whole.

Jesus orders the man to go to show himself to a priest, as in Leviticus 13 rather than pronounce this miracle to everyone else. Jesus has come to fulfill the Law not to overthrow it and demands that it be respected.

Still, many people heard about this miracle and Jesus’ fame grew. Again, as in other times, He goes apart to be alone and pray. It is good for us to have a private place and a private time to pray.

Matthew 6:6  But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

To fall on one’s face is one act of worship.

Joshua 5:14  And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?

2Chronicles 20:18  And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, worshipping the LORD.

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