Do you know what it’s like to be kept at arm’s length? Out of the reach of loved ones? Ignored by others? In biblical times, lepers knew what that was like. The word “Leprosy” in the Bible is believed to be a catchall term for a variety of skin diseases. According to the Old Testament book of Leviticus, “The leprous person who has the disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head hang loose, and he shall cover his upper lip and cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean.’ He shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease. He is unclean. He shall live alone. His dwelling shall be outside the camp.” Those whose ailment persisted had to live outside of society only among other lepers.

In biblical times, lepers were physically ostracized, socially ostracized, and (as strange as it might sound) religiously ostracized. To have leprosy meant that you were essentially cut off from life as you knew it. “Unclean!” “Unclean!” If anyone made contact with a leprous person, they would be unclean, too! The general conclusion was that lepers must have done something bad to get this disease. Furthermore, people would go a step further. They used their worry about not wanting to be unclean as an excuse to be uncompassionate to the needy.

Then we run into this man in tonight’s Gospel reading. To make contact with this man would make anyone unclean. No one would want to come near to this man, much less touch him. 

Now make no mistake: Jesus was able to heal the man in any way He saw fit. In our Old Testament Reading, leprous Naaman (a mighty commander of the army of the king of Syria), travels to Elisha’s house. Though he isn’t concerned with Mosaic Law, leprosy was still a great problem for him. Elisha didn’t even come out to meet him. He just sent a servant with a command to wash in the Jordan River. Such an action wounded Naaman’s pride. When he finally listened to the word given to him, God healed him. Naaman received what Naaman needed. His pride was broken in order for him to simply believe the Word of God.

Jesus could’ve responded like Elisha. If He wanted, He could just say the word and the leprous man would’ve been healed. Even in the event recorded right after this, Jesus healed the centurion’s servant just by speaking His word alone. Likewise, Jesus cleansed ten lepers simply by speaking the Word: “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” The Lord is able to heal in whatever manner He sees fit.

In this evening’s Gospel, the man first asks if the Lord is willing to heal him. Does Jesus want to cleanse him? The question gets right to the heart of the Lord. What does the Lord desire? Well… what does He do? He reaches out and touches the man! He has no concern about being unclean. So, He says, “I will; be clean.” Just like the healing of the ten lepers, the power is in the command. The power is in the Word. But here the Lord combines it with His touch. He doesn’t need to, but He willingly and compassionately reaches out and touches the unclean man. Under the Law, people with leprosy are unclean and need to keep their distance, but Jesus’s action reveals that He is the source of what makes one clean. The amazing thing is that when Jesus touches the unclean, it doesn’t make Jesus unclean. No! The unclean become clean! 

Jesus isn’t deterred by any uncleanliness, disease, or condition. To Jesus, there’s no person that’s untouchable or unreachable. Jesus doesn’t keep people at arm’s length! He reaches out to touch them! He comes right up to the sick, the outcast, and the sinner. He isn’t worried about Himself or His reputation among those who would distort the Old Testament Law into justification for their uncompassionate inaction and deeds. Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament Law and shows us what it truly means to be clean before God.

 All over Scripture, the hand of our healing Lord shows His compassion. He willingly takes the hand of Peter’s mother-in-law, and the fever leaves her; and He goes on to heal many others. St. Matthew echoes Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.”

In France, there stands a medieval monastery that served as a hospital for people with skin diseases. An artist was commissioned to create an altarpiece for the monastery. When the leaves of this altarpiece are closed, a famous central scene of Jesus contorted upon the cross is revealed. While many are familiar with this work of art, it’s not often pointed out that the artist added a unique feature to this portrayal of Christ as a reminder for the patients under the monastery’s care. He depicts Christ’s body covered with many skin sores as a visual reminder for them that “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.” When the people looked upon this depiction of Christ, they were reminded that the Lord was with them in the midst of afflictions.

Jesus doesn’t stay far removed from us. We are never too far from Jesus’ touch. Jesus is the great Suffering Servant, who has come to us in our lowly estate. He bore the effects of our fallen world. The fallenness of this world is the cause of all infirmity and disease in this world. Our sin has caused a separation between us and the holy and righteous God. But the Father is compassionate to us in sending Jesus. Jesus willingly reached out to us in our sinful condition. “For our sake [God] made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”

When Jesus healed the leprous man, He demonstrated His compassion even for all those who are far off. The highpoint of His compassion is made known in Christ’s elevation upon the cross, where He took on the disease of our sin. In fact, all the healings in Scripture point to Christ’s identity and ultimate mission—which is to defeat sin, taking it all to the cross and rising on the third day “to never die again.”

Indeed, the Lord can and still does work miracles of healing in this world. The Lord hasn’t promised that healing in this life will always come. However, He does promise eternal healing that has begun in the cleansing waters of Baptism to heal sinners. So, we hold fast to what He promises and entrust the rest into His compassionate care. Just as someone who is ill has need of a physician, the sinner needs a Savior. Christ Jesus is the Savior. He’s your Savior. He’s the one who has taken your sin to the cross and left it there.

It doesn’t matter the depth of your sin. You may be a persona non grata to the world. That can’t keep your Lord’s outstretched hand from your life. There’s no place that you can go where He can’t reach. King David says, “Where shall I go from Your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, You are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.” No matter where you go, how far away you are, or how unhealthy you may be (physically, socially, emotionally, or spiritually) your Lord’s outstretched hand reaches out to you today and freely offers His words of eternal healing. Amen.