1420. Leprosy–Sin's Heinousness
Leprosy–Sin's Heinousness
"Behold, there came a leper and worshipped Him, saying, Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean. And Jesus put forth His hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean" (Mat_8:2-3).
Under leprosy we have a picture of the loathsomeness and the shame of sin. We have sin in its foulest and vilest aspects. We have sin as it brings forth its hideous and horrid prodigy.
1. A picture of the human heart. Leprosy is a disease too loathsome to describe, it pollutes the whole body. Sin is quite as loathsome, it pollutes the whole heart.
God has given us an X-ray of the human heart that presents a picture so pitiable, and yet so true, that every head must fall in shame and every mouth must be stopped.
God's picture may not be pleasing to the natural man, but it is true.
(1) "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked" (Jer_17:9). There is no need to seek to compare the deceitfulness of the human heart even to leprosy because the deceitfulness of the heart goes beyond all things–who can know it?
(2) "The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrefying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment" (Isa_1:5-6, \1911 Bible).
These words are not flattering to say the least. What comfort is there in false platitudes? If the human heart is foul, why not know it?
(3) "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy" (Psa_14:1, Psa_14:3)
Once more God pictures the heart in its true colors, not a good thing is said about it. So far as God is concerned, the heart is altogether bad.
(4) For "out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness (Mar_7:21-22).
Do we think it strange that Jesus Christ did not mention in all of this detail one thing that is good; one thing that is acceptable to God? Surely the whole man is denied.
(5) "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, * * * * and such like" (Gal_5:19-21).
Where do love and joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, and all the holy graces come in? Such come from the Spirit of God.
Surely the old man is, "Corrupted according to the deceitful desires" (Eph_4:22, \1911 Bible).
If anybody seeks to deny the outflow of the human heart, all that is necessary is to pick up the average daily paper. It will present everything that has been catalogued as the fruitage of sin. The press is filled with stories of murders, of all uncleanness, lasciviousness, hatred, wrath, strife, drunkenness, reveling, envyings, and such like.
It is only necessary to read the magazines to get a vision of sin with its outflow of unnatural affection, of unforgiveness, of false accusation.
The world is filled with men who are incontinent, savage, haters of good, traitors, heady, highminded, and lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.
The cities reek with those who creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with manifold desires.
What is the appeal of the movie? of the theater? of the dance? of the card table? of the prize fight? It is the appeal to the flesh. Everyone of these things are conducted upon the basis of the very descriptions of the heart which has just been given.
2. A picture of Christ's cleansing power. "And Jesus put forth His hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed" (Mat_8:3).
Yes, thank God, "The Blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin" (1Jn_1:7).
The Lord Jesus will present His Church washed and robed in beautiful garments without "spot or wrinkle or any such thing–a glorious Church" (see Eph_5:27).
These who came up out of the great tribulation were arrayed in garments clean and white, for their robes had been washed in the Blood of the Lamb (see Rev_7:14).
Thank God, Naaman the leper was cleansed (see 2 Kings 5); the ten lepers who came unto Christ were cleansed (Luk_17:12-14); and the Lord Jesus is able to cleanse the leprosy of sin, just as easily as He is the leprosy of the flesh.
Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR