May 6, 2021 — Luke 5:12 – 26

“Once, when he was in one of the cities, there was a man covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean.” Then Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, “I do choose. Be made clean.” Immediately the leprosy left him. And he ordered him to tell no one. “Go,” he said, “and show yourself to the priest, and, as Moses commanded, make an offering for your cleansing, for a testimony to them.” But now more than ever the word about Jesus spread abroad; many crowds would gather to hear him and to be cured of their diseases. But he would withdraw to deserted places and pray.” (Luke 5:12-16)

“The most terrible poverty is loneliness, and the feeling of being unloved.” (Mother Teresa)

Jesus reaches out to touch the unclean man – without hesitation, without fear, without concern for what others thought. It was culturally and medically repulsive to touch someone with leprosy. But Jesus was not constrained to such practices – to ignore people just because they were sick, or an outsider, or a stranger.

Can we do the same to those in our communities who are “unclean?”  How often are we concerned with the cleanliness of our homes, our clothes, our eating utensils, our hands, so much so that it interferes with doing other things? I am not saying that cleanliness is not next to G-dliness, but cleanliness should not keep us from being G-dly, from being witnesses to G-d and the ministry of Jesus Christ who touched the unclean and showed no concern for risking his own cleanliness. Are we willing to make others clean, to reach out and offer a hand and risk our own cleanliness? 

Pastor Dave