The Unclean Leper Cured

These words speak to us of the cure of the unclean leper. Our attention is drawn to three particulars, namely, who this leper was — a fallen son of Adam; what this leper did — he came to Jesus; and what this leper received — he received the touch of Jesus.

We can read in the Bible about this leper also in Matthew 8 and in Mark 1. However, lepers are also mentioned many times throughout the Old and New Testaments. Leprosy was a terrible disease, a fruit of our deep fall in Adam. Mention is made of many who had leprosy in the days of Israel, such as Miriam, Naaman, Gehazi, and others. The Lord gave special laws concerning lepers, as you will find in Numbers 12. Even in our times you can still find lepers throughout the world, as we have seen with our own eyes in different countries.

The fruits of actual and original sin are bitter. Many similarities can be seen between leprosy and our fall. The fall separated us from God, and leprosy separates us from the worship of God in His temple and from society. Leprosy is a terrible disease, but sin is much worse. Leprosy makes man unclean before God and men. Leprosy is incurable from man’s side, but so is also the cure of sin impossible from our side. Leprosy leads to death, but does not Romans 6:23 read, “The wages of sin is death”?

In the light of Matthew 8, we find this miracle recorded immediately after Christ’s sermon on the mount Whether or not this leper heard that sermon is not certain, but one thing he knew was that he was an incurable leper. On the other hand, he also knew that Jesus was the great Physician who could heal to the uttermost.

The question which comes to each of us is: Do we realize what the leper realized, namely, that from his side there was no hope and no expectation, but also no reason or value in himself that the Lord should heal him? Does not the Lord clearly proclaim in these verses the importance of the work of the Holy Spirit in regeneration in order for one to realize something of the awful state of our misery?

The leper was thoroughly convinced that he was an incurable leper, without God and without hope in the world. Because of this he was cast out of the presence of God’s public worship and outside of the society of other men. When meeting another person, he must cry out, “Unclean! Unclean!” It is something to experience in a person’s life that once he was created in the image of God, and now is an image of the prince of darkness.

The Lord Himself drew this leper unto Himself. He declares in these texts that He was not only the great Preacher of righteousness, but also declares His heavenly power by healing this leper. Also with the many other examples of healing in the Bible He reveals Himself as the great Physician who can heal both soul and body. Here this man, full of leprosy, fell on his face, saying, “Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean.”

Our second particular to consider was what this leper did. He came to Jesus, the fountain of living waters. For him there was no other name given under heaven than Christ Jesus and Him crucified. He came unashamedly in the presence of the crowd; he might become what he was, an unworthy one, and he came contrary to the law regarding lepers. He came, worshipping Him in deep, unfeigned reverence, falling on his face, saying, “Lord.”

What a blessed place to be, at the feet of the great Physician, with all our misery and guilt! Here faith is clearly manifest and sovereignty acknowledged, “If Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean.” We find here no bold taking of something, nor a demanding on the basis of rights, but one who may fall unconditionally into the hands of God. We see faith embracing the ability and power of the true Messiah, declaring therein that all power is given unto Him. Love in the heart of the leper becomes manifest in deep humility, saying “Not my will, but Thy will be done.” Was that not the prayer which the Lord Jesus purchased in the Garden of Gethsemane, falling on the side of God’s sovereign good pleasure?

From the side of man there is total impossibility, but by the gift of God there is a way so free and so easy. It is such a glorious salvation — to sink away outside of man in the eternal good pleasure of a triune God. That is a God-glorifying, man-abasing, and soul-satisfying experience, a place where man will not come of himself. However, it is a place which the Lord purchased for that people who may receive true repentance. Oh, blessed repentance that brings us to that place! One once said, “There is no virtue in our repentance if it does not bring us at the feet of the Lord.”

Mere sorrow for sin cannot lessen the guilt. There may be vexation and yet no repentance. Biblical repentance is a great necessity (Acts 17:30). We find it joined, first, with turning from iniquity (Ezek. 18:30, 31); secondly, with turning to God (Acts 26:20); thirdly, with faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 20:21); fourthly, with forgiveness of sin (Acts 3:19); fifthly, with salvation (2 Cor. 7:10); sixthly, with receiving the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:38); and seventhly, with joy in heaven (Luke 15:10). This is the repentance which needs not to be repented of.

The third particular to be observed was what the leper received, namely, the touch of Jesus. “He put forth His hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him.” Here we may see the eternal wonder. The great Mediator between God and man, the holy, perfect, and clean King of kings and Lord of lords, descended so low in His prophetical, priestly and kingly offices, to hear and answer the suppliant cry of the repenting sinner. He proclaimed the way of deliverance in His holy touching of the unclean leper, declaring the cleansing, “I will: be thou clean.”

Christ took over for him his sin and misery; Christ went without the camp to bear the reproach of His people for the glory of the attributes of His holy Father. He set forth His kingly office in giving the leper the victory over his deadly disease within and without, over sin, Satan, and death, declaring, “I will: be thou clean.” In it there is the forgiveness of all sin, actual and original, past and present, and the application of the assurance of faith.

Then the sinner may embrace what Christ has done for him. In it there is declared a willingness to be saved by a work outside of man, but also the ability of Christ to save to the uttermost all that come unto Him, drawn by the Father through the powerful operation of the Holy Spirit. Then the soul may experience something of that humiliating expression, “Why me, while thousands make a wretched choice and perish in their sins?” It was personally experienced. He had stood alone in his misery, and he personally felt the touch and heard the words, “I will: be thou clean.” It was an experience never to be forgotten in the truest sense of the word.

See here — misery, deliverance, and gratitude. For in verse 14 we read, “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.” It was a blessed thanksgiving day in the life of the leper. A true deliverance shall have true gratitude. The Lord provides them both, but there shall also be a testimony. It testified that not the earthly priest can give cleansing by self-righteous demands or self-righteous sacrifices, but the eternal High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ alone, gives healing and cleansing, based upon His active and passive obedience which restores the sinner in the worship of God and in the society of man.

We may hear the leper sing in the temple from Psalter 311, “What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits to me? How shall my soul by grace restored give worthy thanks, O Lord, to Thee?” Were you ever privileged to sing it?

Young and old, one thing is necessary, and that is that we may know Him whom to know is eternal life. How far can we follow the experience of the leper? It is a blessing if we may by the grace of God hear something of our experience in it, but also a blessing if we may hear what we miss. May we with holy jealousy seek to hear it out of His own mouth, “I will: be thou clean.” It will be an eternal wonder of free, sovereign, unmerited grace. Not unto us, but unto Him be all the glory, now and forever.

Rev. J. Spaans is pastor of the Netherlands Reformed Congregation of Norwich, Ontario.

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