Luke 5 (3)

Pray Psalm 40.1-3.
I waited patiently for the LORD;
And He inclined to me,
And heard my cry.
He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,
Out of the miry clay,
And set my feet upon a rock,
And established my steps.
He has put a new song in my mouth—
Praise to our God;
Many will see it and fear,
And will trust in the LORD.

Sing Psalm 40.1-3.
(Dix: For the Beauty of the Earth)
I waited patiently for God; He inclined and heard my cry,
lifted me up above the sod, set me on a Rock on high!
New songs in my mouth He gave; may He through me many save.

Read Luke 5.1-16; meditate on verses 12-16.

Preparation
1. What did the leper want to see happen?

2. What did Jesus tell him to do?

Meditation
The leper had obviously heard of Jesus. But that didn’t mean he would presume on Him in any way. “Lord, if you are willing…” The leper wanted what God wants, and what we’re taught to pray, that His will would be done on earth as it is in heaven. The leper knew Jesus had the power (v. 12: “You can…”). But he did not know whether it was His will to heal him, though he (1) earnestly hoped so and (2) sought the Lord boldly.

Happily, it was Jesus’ will, as He testified before He touched and healed the man (v. 13). Then notice what Jesus did. Having cleansed (and symbolically, saved) the man, Jesus commanded Him to keep the Law (v. 14). Didn’t Jesus understand what so many pastors today are telling the people they serve, that keeping the Law no longer matters now that we are saved? Or is it that Jesus knew better than these pastors, who are misleading their people into a false understanding of what it means to follow Jesus? We’ll see Jesus do the same thing in the case of Zacchaeus (Lk. 19.1-10). We are healed and saved so that, keeping the Law of God we might find full and abundant life in Jesus (Lev. 18.1-5; Jn. 10.10).

Jesus would often retire alone for prayer, leaving His work to wait before the Father alone for an extended season. If His prayer in the garden, as enlarged in John 17, is any guide, He communed with the Father about the priorities they shared and the work set before Him during His earthly sojourn. How often did He do this? It isn’t clear, and there does not seem to be anything like a pattern or regular schedule. But it was a practice that characterized Him, and that those who knew Him expected of Him from time to time, as is indicated by the verbal construction (“often withdrew”).

This, too, must be part of His will for us.

Treasures Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
Jesus, the beloved, tender Savior, brought Lazarus back to life with only words, “Lazarus, come forth!” (Jn. 11.43).

Jesus, the powerful Redeemer, stopped a raging storm with only words, “Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace, be still!’ And the wind ceased and there was great calm” (Mk. 4.39).

So many times Jesus used only words to accomplish miracles. “Fill the waterpots with water. Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast” (Jn. 2.7, 8), and with those words He, without a touch, changed the chemical components of water into the best wine anyone had ever tasted.

But in this case, a man “full of leprosy” (Lk. 5.12), no doubt covered in disfiguring skin lesions, received the gentle touch of the loving, healing Good Shepherd. “Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, ‘I am willing; be cleansed.’ Immediately the leprosy left him” (Lk. 5.13).

Lazarus, and the storm, and the water didn’t need to be touched. But this untouchable man needed physical contact with the Great Physician (Matt. 9.12, 13). Jesus’ touch of unflinching compassion demonstrated His love and healing and forgiveness to a man that desperately needed to experience it.

The prophet Isaiah pointed out to all humanity that we, each one, are similarly afflicted. “But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away” (Is. 64.6). We also were in desperate need of the Savior’s love. And then, He touched us (Rom. 5.8).

Shackled by a heavy burden, ‘neath a load of guilt and shame
Then the hand of Jesus touched me, and now I am no longer the same.

Since I met this blessed Savior, since He cleansed and made me whole,
I will never cease to praise Him, I’ll shout it while eternity rolls.

He touched me, oh He touched me, and oh the joy that floods my soul!
Something happened and now I know He touched me and made me whole.
(William Gaither)

For reflection
1. What do we learn about doing the will of God from this passage?

2. How does reading and meditating on Scripture help us in knowing the will of God?

3. If we are consistent in doing the will of God, what should we expect from Jesus?

“If you will,” it says, “you can make me clean.” He conceded the power to the Lord’s will. But he doubted concerning the Lord’s will, not as if unbelieving in piety, but as if aware of his own impurity, he did not presume. The Lord replies to him with a certain holiness. “I will: be clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him.” For there is nothing between God’s command and his work, because the work is in the command. Ambrose of Milan (333-397), Exposition of the Gospel of Luke 5.2-3

Pray Psalm 40.4-10.
It is the will of Jesus that we be His witnesses (Acts 1.8). Pray that the Lord will help you do is will by words and deeds throughout your Personal Mission Field today.

Sing Psalm 40.4-10.
(Dix: For the Beauty of the Earth)
Blessed are all who trust in You, turning both from lies and pride.
Countless wonders, Lord, You do, and Your thoughts with us abide.
Lord, Your worth who can declare? None with You can e’er compare.

Off’rings You do not require – open now my ears, O Lord!
What from me do You desire? Firm delight to do Your Word.
Take my life in ev’ry part; write Your Law upon my heart.

Lord, Your truth will I proclaim to Your people gathered ‘round,
nor will I my lips restrain – let Your precious ways resound!
Of Your saving grace and Word I would speak, most loving Lord.

T. M. and Susie Moore

You can listen to a summary of last week’s Scriptorium study by going to our website, www.ailbe.org, and clicking the Scriptorium tab for last Sunday. You can download all the studies in our Luke series by clicking here.

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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter (Williston: Waxed Tablet Publications, 2006), available by clicking here.