Mon.’s Devo - The Leper Healed

Read Luke 5:9-14 This miracle got the attention of the fishermen, especially, Simon Peter, and brothers: James and John. Jesus told them not to be afraid because from now on they will be fishers of men. That was all they needed to hear. They dropped their nets and left all to follow Jesus. At the next city there was a man eaten up with leprosy who came to Jesus, fell at his feet and begged, “ if you want to, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and said, “I will; be clean”. Immediately the leprosy was gone. He told him to be quiet until he had showed himself to the priest to verify his healing, then be cleansed according to the law. This would be a miracle to the priests and people of the temple. Let’s look at this miracle. No other disease could symbolize sin like leprosy. Sin and leprosy are a disease of our flesh. The longer they stay the deeper they penetrate till it eventually they cause death. James puts it like this. “Every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin; and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death.” (James 1:14-15) When the man asked to be cleansed he was acknowledging that Jesus was the Messiah who had the authority to do that. No other man could. Jesus saw his faith and immediately cleansed him. It is the picture of salvation. We are all sinners who just need to recognized we are sinners and that there is one who can take our unclean sin away, and that person is Jesus. When we ask, it is an immediate response from heaven. We are clean! Notice that Jesus told him to go and have the miracle verified by the priest. Today, that would look like a person being healed and then going back to their doctor to confirm it. A few weeks ago my husband and I were asked to come and pray for a lady who was eaten up with cancer and terminal. There were about 100 people who had gathered to pray for her. I heard yesterday that the cancer is now just in a small place on her rib which will only take a few rounds of chemo to cure. I pray that they won’t even have to do that. Sometimes you get a miracle right then and sometimes you get a healing that takes time but either is a gift from God. Lord, help us to contend for your miracles and your headings and most of all, your salvations.