// Reach Out//

Matthew 8:1-4 “¹ When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. ² And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”

³ Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 

⁴ And Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.””

In Matthew 8, Jesus healed a leper, but before He did, check out the actions of the leper that evoked the response of Jesus.

#1 He worshipped Jesus.

#2 He knew Jesus could heal him and made it vocal

#3 He was desperate; thirsty, hungry for a touch from God.

And Jesus did all of what he had desired - He reached out His hand and touched the leper, spoke to his physical body and brought about physical, emotional and spiritual healing.

In the act of Jesus responding to this leper’s cry, He acknowledged the worship of this one leper who needed His touch, bringing affirmation and assurance not only to the leper but to those who were with Him to know that Jesus is the Son of God. It brought spiritual healing to this leper.

In the act of Jesus stretching our His hand, He approved and accepted the leper in His world. Something that would never happen in the leper’s world. Thus breaking the hurt and doing an emotional healing in the leper’s life.

In the act of Jesus speaking healing and cleansing into the leper’s body, He ridded the leprosy, bringing physical healing.

Our attitude towards God everyday could quite often use the elements of what the leper had - a desire or desperation to want a touch from God, act upon it by vocalising it and worshipping Him only.

Ps Andrew shared on this message yesterday but those weren’t exactly the points he emphasized.. It just spoke to me in a different way.