We have been washing our hands a bunch more lately, right? I was washing my hands at work the other day for the umpteenth time with soap and water and had an interesting discovery…as I stood in front of the white basin with hot water running, massaging the antibacterial soap into my hands while singing Country Roads or Stayin’ Alive, hmmm, I noticed that no matter how many times I wash my hands in a day, they are always dirty. When I rinse my hands after scrubbing them, the water is always brown, every time, even just a tinge. Now I’m not a dirtaphobe, I mean I can eat breakfast while mucking a stall, but the dirty basin was striking to me. You see, I have been washing my hands in the sink about 15 times a day, they shouldn’t be that dirty, right?
Here’s another observation in hand washing – in between hand washings, I use hand sanitizer at least every hour, that’s supposed to clean hands too, but when I put my hands under the faucet and turn on the hot water and lather up with soap, the water is always brown, even just a tinge. The hand sanitizer might kill the germs but it doesn’t remove the dirt, sanitizing doesn’t mean you’re clean.
Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, “When a man shall have a rising in his body’s skin, or a scab, or a bright spot, and it becomes in the skin of his body the plague of leprosy, then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest, or to one of his sons, the priests: and the priest shall examine the plague in the skin of the body: and if the hair in the plague has turned white, and the appearance of the plague is deeper than the body’s skin, it is the plague of leprosy; and the priest shall examine him, and pronounce him unclean. Leviticus 13:1-3
Unclean. Sounds harsh, doesn’t it? I mean who can help the diseases the body contracts? Leprosy in Biblical times was a word used for many different contagious conditions and was quite alarming. Lepers were separated from their communities until they were considered by the community Priest to be healed, or clean. It sounds so harsh and unloving but those actions were for the protection and health of the entire community. Reasonable but disturbing. Those diseases for which there was no cure could not be brought into their communities.
One of the diseases which requires one to be made clean, you know, one of those diseases that is contagious and has no cure, one of those diseases synonymous with leprosy in the Bible, is sin. Ouch! I’m a leper. How about you? It may not look the same today as it did in Biblical times although it is always active, causes great illness and symptoms, and is more deadly than any earthbound leprosy. Unclean is unclean. No amount of washing or sanitizing on our part can rid us of the leprosy of sin. But my friends, there is a cure!
It happened as he was on his way to Jerusalem, that he was passing along the borders of Samaria and Galilee. As he entered into a certain village, ten men who were lepers met him, who stood at a distance. They lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” Luke 17:11-12
Oh, couldn’t we all use the mercy of Jesus? What is mercy? Mercy is God’s attitude toward those in distress. Who’s in distress? Because we live in a fallen world, because we are sinful, because we are lepers, we are in distress. The skin disease of leprosy actually destroys the nerve endings in a body. People with leprosy would often times unknowingly damage their fingers and toes. Again, sin is not so different. Oft times our sin causes damage in our lives and the lives of others and we don’t even realize it. The only cure for our distress is God’s mercy. God’s mercy upon us that came through the grace of His Son. Grace that can only come from Jesus. His mercy makes the basin clean and by His abundant grace our sins are washed away, there’s no dirt in the sink, not even a tinge.
Wednesday Read Luke 17:11-19. The lepers stood at a distance because they were unclean. Do we stand at a distance from Jesus because we feel unclean? Do we fail to approach Him? Do we cry out for mercy? Why don’t we? Maybe it’s because we don’t believe? Maybe it’s because we don’t feel like we need mercy? Maybe it’s because we don’t feel like we deserve mercy?
Thursday Read Luke 17:11-19. With a look from Jesus the lepers were freed. Freed from the disease. Free to reenter society. Free to get back to life. Free from the power of the disease. The same is true for us. With a look from Jesus we can be freed of our leprosy. Free from the power of sin in our lives.
Friday Read Luke 17:11-19. Jesus told the lepers to go show themselves to the priest, the only one who could declare them clean. Look at Hebrews 4:14-16. Who’s our great high priest. When will we receive his mercy and his grace…when we need it. He’s always there.
Saturday Read Leviticus Chapter 13. The diagnosis of leprosy. Read about leprosy in Biblical times. How is this applied to spiritual leprosy?
Sunday Read Leviticus Chapter 14. The cleansing of leprosy. How is the cleansing of leprosy applied to our spiritual cleansing?
Monday Read Luke 17:11-19. It’s interesting, check out when the lepers were healed. Jesus healed the lepers “as they went.” He didn’t heal them and then send them to the priest. He didn’t make them wait until they were healed. Jesus healed them along the way. In what ways does He heal us as we go? Are the effects of His healing always instantaneous in our lives?
Tuesday Read Luke 17:11-19. Praise God, I’m healed! Is that ever our response? When Jesus has shown us mercy and grace and broken us from the bondage of sin and it’s consequences? Do we then go to Him, fall at His feet, and praise Him? What happened when the leper did so? Jesus told Him he was not only healed from leprosy but He was healed from sin! Praise always strengthens our faith!