Luke 5:12-16 Jesus Heals a Man With Leprosy
12 While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”
13 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.
14 Then Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”
15 Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. 16 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
When this man approached Jesus inside a town, he was desperate enough to ignore several laws regarding lepers, even though he was “covered with leprosy.” Anyone glancing at this man could immediately tell that he was a leper, so he risked being attacked and driven out of town before Jesus could see him. The man threw himself at Jesus’ feet both because he was begging Jesus for help and also to protect himself from being removed swiftly.
Ancient Jewish regulations concerning lepers were primarily outlined in the books of Leviticus and Numbers. These laws served both religious and practical purposes, focusing on the diagnosis, treatment, and social implications of leprosy. The primary texts for these regulations are found in Leviticus chapters 13 and 14. They provide detailed instructions on how to identify leprosy in individuals and even in objects like clothing and houses. The process involved priests who acted as health inspectors, determining whether a person was clean or unclean based on visible symptoms. Lepers were often isolated from the community to prevent the spread of the disease. They were required to live outside the camp and announce their condition to others. If a leper was deemed healed, a specific ritual involving sacrifices and offerings was required for reintegration into the community. This included the use of birds and other elements symbolizing purification. (AI Summary)
These days, the disease of leprosy is well-defined; however, in Biblical times, a number of different problems were tagged as leprosy, including fungal infections in people or mold and mildew in garments and houses. One thing is certain: lepers were social outcasts, forced to live outside towns and forbidden to have physical contact with anyone else. In a close-knit society, this ostracization must have been excruciatingly painful. As this man approached Jesus, he risked being driven out of town; however, he tried anyway. And even though Jesus ordered him to quietly show himself to the priests and offer necessary sacrifices, the word got out. Everyone in the crowd who had witnessed the healing immediately told as many others as possible, for this story was phenomenal.
Having been the conduit for such a miracle, many of us might have stayed around basking in the praise of the crowd. Jesus reacted much differently. “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Jesus knew that the only way to continue to perform miracles was for God the Father to work through him and for God to receive all the glory. The only way to avoid blocking God’s power was to remain humble, to pray, and to remain in close contact with the Father. And the only way to have uninterrupted communion with the Father was to withdraw to some lonely place where the crowds wouldn’t follow. This meant that Jesus spent many nights or early mornings in prayer.
Personally, some of the best and most meaningful prayer times I have had have been in the middle of the night. Sometimes I am up because I have returned from the hospital after dealing with an emergency. Sometimes God wakes me up. If I wake up in the middle of the night and cannot sleep, I don’t blame insomnia; I assume God wants to tell me something. Nighttime is the time when the noise of the day quiets sufficiently to hear God most effectively.
Nighttime is also helpful for another reason: we can critically analyze a day’s events in the light of God’s Word. For me, it takes time and space to be able to reflect honestly on events and to see them as God does, rather than as I would like to see them. I need distance, quiet, and breathing room for reflection.
These days, there are many evangelists advertising “seasons of miracles” or “days and nights of miracles.” The advertising for these events always includes a large photo of the pastor in action…but where does the power for these miracles come from? If miracle-working power is coming from God, why aren’t we advertising God rather than a particular pastor? Notice that when Jesus was ministering, social media and advertising did not exist. News about Jesus spread by word of mouth; yet, thousands of people traveled long distances over poor roads to listen to him teach for hours. How much time does an evangelist spend in prayer before he/she gets up to minister?
Oral Roberts was one of the most successful Pentecostal evangelists of the twentieth century. Roberts once estimated that he had prayed for more than 1.5 million people during his ministry, with thousands of them receiving healing. One missionary friend who knew Roberts once asked Mr. Roberts what his ministry had cost him personally. Roberts answered that he had to drastically limit his social life apart from ministry, for without spending large amounts of time in prayer and fasting, God could not use him.
“Great,” you say, “so Jesus had plenty of places to which he could retreat for prayer. I don’t have any of that available.” True. But remember the example of John Wesley’s mother, Susanna. Susanna bore nineteen children, nine of whom lived to adulthood. When Susanna wanted to pray, she would sit down and throw her apron over her head. Susanna’s children knew that when Susanna covered her head in this fashion, she was talking to God, and they were trained to wait until she uncovered her head to gain her attention.
In the movie The War Room, one of the central characters has turned a closet into a prayer warfare room, with photos, maps, and other reminders so that she can pray for people properly. Even if all you have is a laptop computer or a quiet corner, you can still create prayer lists and reminders for yourself. One of the big keys to effective prayer is constancy, continuing even when things are uncomfortable or time is limited. Years ago, while commuting 90 minutes to a job as an ER doc, I used my commuting time to pray. My car became a prayer closet. Sometimes I settled for praying in hospital corridors.
There is no wrong way to pray. God knows your heart and He loves it when you come to Him anytime and anywhere. Find some means of retreating from the noise of the world and wait for God to speak to your heart.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, please help all those who read these words to find quiet places where they can pray. Help them to listen more than to speak. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
