Jesus Can Change Even This

​Matt 8:1-3 - When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed Him. 2 And a leper came to Him and bowed down before Him, and said, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean." 3 Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed." And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. NASU 

• What Just Happened On Top Of That Mountain

Jesus had preached His Sermon on the Mount, which is recorded for us in Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7. He is now coming down off the mountain and He is met by a leper and the leper asks to be cleansed.
 
It is now time for Jesus not to preach anymore but to put into action what He has preached. 

• Lessons Taught By Jesus 

He has been teaching His followers to help those who are in need and do good works.
 
Jesus taught His followers that they were to be the light of the world and to let their lights shine.
 
Matt. 5:14-16 - "You are the light of the world.... Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." 
 
When Jesus heals this leper He will have displayed His good works, let His light shine and glorified His Heavenly Father exactly like He told the followers to do in His sermon on the mount.
 
The leper is asking, seeking and knocking on the Lord's door, and He has already said if you will do those three things, the door will be opened to you.
 
Matt. 7:7-8 - Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  8 "For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 
 
Jesus teaches a lesson on how we are to treat people. We are to treat them the same way we want to be treated. Matt. 7:12 - "In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets." 
 
Can you hear the followers murmuring in the background? "It's a leper. Is He going to help a leper?"
 
It was believed by many that you were cursed with leprosy from God because of something evil you had done.  When Miriam sinned against her brother, Moses, God struck her with leprosy.
 
Numbers 12:9-10 - "So the anger of the LORD burned against them and He departed. 10 But when the cloud had withdrawn from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, as white as snow…."
 
Now a leper is coming to Jesus to be healed.
 
Jesus taught them to treat people the way you want to be treated. He didn't say unless they are Babylonians, Moabites, or lepers.
 
When Jesus heals this leper He is letting the Israelites know the leper is a human and is in need of some kindness.

• So How Do We Pray For Results? 

We come to Jesus no matter what society thinks of us. They can think we are foolish and wasting our time.
 
The leper knew enough to come to Jesus for help. When you pray you need to be like this leper. You need to come to Jesus and inform Him that He can heal you from whatever problem you are carrying in life, if He so desires.
 
You don't want to miss what the leper said to Jesus. "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean."
 
The leper had faith in Jesus. He knew Jesus could heal him and he wasn't afraid to ask for it.
 
Hebrews 11:6 - And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. 

If you want results in your prayer life come with faith believing that if it is the Lord's will you will be healed.
 
Think About These:
 
Prayer doesn't need proof, it needs practice.
 
If you are too busy to pray, you are too busy.
 
Nothing lies outside the reach of prayer except that which is outside the will of God.

Stay Pumped,
 
Gary A. Serago

​Minister of God's Word