Matthew 8:1-4 The Miraculous Healing of a Leper

Introduction: In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus astonished the people with His preaching. In chapters 8 and 9 He astonishes them even more with His miracles.

I. The setting

A. Jesus had come down from the mount where He had preached the Sermon on the Mount. Vs. 1

B. The people were on fire from that sermon and great crowds thronged around Jesus everywhere

He went. (They wanted to hear whatever He had to say and wanted to see in event He

performed another miracle. See Matthew 4:23.)

C. They were not to be disappointed: a leper came to the healed, Vs. 2

1. Jesus did not heal just to entertain the crowd.

2. He did not heal just to make the sick whole.

3. He healed because He was interested in saving souls and He must first convince men that

He is God.

II. A better understanding of leprosy

A. I confess that what little I know about leprosy, I read.

1. I have never seen a leper.

2. Comparatively few lepers exist in America. (Good)

3. In Palestine almost every community had lepers.

B. It is an infectious disease, affecting the inward parts long before any outward symptoms.

1. The first symptom is tiny pinpoint spots on the face. (Red, Black or white.)

2. The spots gradually increase in size and number, gradually spreading over the body.

3. The spots at first are hard to distinguish from harmless spots and the priest must

examine everyone with spots for a diagnosis.

4. In event it is leprosy, the leper is immediately isolated from all non-lepers and sent to live

with the other lepers (for the protection of his family, friends, and the general public).

5. Lepers could come into public gatherings (except the temple) but could not touch the people.

C. It is a slow killer. (From 5 to 50 years to kill. Average 20 to 25 years.)

D. It was a horrible killer.

1. It always afflicted its victims with great pain.

2. It would sometimes start at the extremities with joints separating, flesh rotting and fingers or

toes falling off. (Then it would work toward the vital organs. Ears may also fall off.)

3. Ankles may swell until they look like elephant feet.

E. There was no medical cure.

1. I understand that now there is a possible cure or an arrest for it, if discovered early enough.)

2. In those days there was no medical cure.

3. In some cases, however, it would mysteriously disappear. (And in Old Testament times some

were miraculously healed by a prophet.)

4. In the event one was healed he was to go to a priest to be examined and if pronounced whole

would make certain offerings for ceremonial cleansing.

D. Jesus used leprosy to picture the horribleness of sin.

1. Sin slowly but surely brings one down to the terrible pit of hell. (Excruciating pain)

2. Sin separates and isolates to the imprisonment of hell.

3. Only the grace of God can heal. (through Jesus).

III. The leper in our text.

A. The stage that his leprosy was in is not revealed.

B. He had heard much about Jesus and already decided that Jesus could heal him. Vs. 2

1. He bowed before Jesus. (Worshipped and kneeled)

2. He expressed his faith that Jesus could heal him

C. Jesus did an astonishing thing: He touched him.

1. People just did not touch lepers.

2. To do so placed them in danger of taking it.

3. But there was no danger in Jesus taking it. (He was demonstrating His power over the

disease.)

4. By the time He touched the man, he was clean.

D. This demonstrates how one is made clean from sin.

1. It takes Jesus Christ to cleanse from sin.

2. It takes a personal trusting faith in Jesus to save.

3. By the time one makes contact with Jesus in trusting faith he is already saved.

Conclusion:

1. It looks as if all the lepers would want to come to Jesus and be healed.

2. Yes and it looks like all sinners would want to come to Jesus and be saved.

3. There is one thing worse than leprosy. (sin)

4. There is another thing worse that leprosy. (hell)

5. It also looks like all saved sinners would want to serve the Lord Jesus Christ.

Preached at Pleasant Hill 1-2-83 A.M.