Jesus' Promise to Wash Away Our Sins

While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy.

When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him,

“Lord, if you are willing you can make me clean.”

Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man.

“I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.

Luke 5:12-15

“Lord, if you are willing you can make me clean.”

You could smell a leper before you saw him. I can’t imagine the emotions a person with dying flesh feels. The disgust of their own bodies was made worse every time they called out, “unclean!”  to the terrified person who crossed their path.

I wonder what it must have been like for Jesus’ disciples as they watched this man fall at Jesus’ feet. I’m thinking that they did the same thing I would, just backed away. 

It seems weird that the leper doesn’t ask Jesus to heal him. Instead, he says, “Lord, if you are willing you can make me clean.” 

“Clean” meant that he was healed and that he could be accepted back into his community and the synagogue.

Leprosy is an outward glimpse of the dirtiness of our sin.  When I am honest about my own hurt of others and all the times I have not loved when I should have, I see the dirtiness of my sin. I know how it makes me feel isolated from other people and from God.

I feel like the leper falling at Jesus’ feet.

If you are willing you can make me clean.

Jesus is our only hope to be clean from sin. 

If you are willing. 

We know from his Word that he is as we see him in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before he was crucified. We watch as he pleas in utter, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

He shows us his cross. Where we see the true disgust of our sin on his tortured flesh as he declares, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” 

We see him suffer hell, the isolation from God our sin causes as he cries out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 

We see he is willing to make us clean as he declares, “It is finished!” God’s will to save us is completed.

Jesus is willing to clean us. It was done that day on the cross.

Only we can stand between being clean and at peace with God. For, if we refuse the gift, there is no healing.

A Daily Prayer:
O Jesus, the immensity of your patience and mercy are beyond our thoughts. You loved us even when we were born hating you and loving only ourselves. You chose us since before creation. You have made us holy and blameless in God’s sight. Thank you for being willing to clean us from the leprosy of sin. Increase our trust in you alone as our Savior. Give us opportunities and wisdom and passion to share this Good News with our families and friends. Amen.