June 21, 2026 - The Gospel of Luke - Week 8 - Willing to Restore

Highland Christian Church - Asheville, NC

Communicator - Jason Garris

Luke 5:12-16 - Jesus says, "I am willing." Jesus doesn’t hesitate – He moves toward the unclean with compassion.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:16

As always, if you're in the Nashville area, whether you live here or you're visiting, we'd love for you to come join us at the corner of Livingston and Depot Street in person at the Dr. Wesley Grant Senior South Side Center. Our prayer is that God's words would equip you for every good work that He's prepared for you to do today. Um, but I wanted to ask you a question first. Um, there's a picture I'm gonna show you, and a generation may know what this is, and maybe you will know what this is if you're an informed parent. Uh, but this visual right here not this one. There we go. Who knows what this is? What is it? It's the cheese touch. How many of you know what the cheese touch is? Does anyone in here know what the cheese touch is? Okay, good. I'm just I'm just making sure. But here's the game rule uh on the middle school campus, if you touch it, nobody wants anything to do with you. That's the rule. If you have the cheese touch, nobody wants to be around you. It's hilarious in middle school, uh, but it's brutal in real life. And this may be kind of a barbaric or funny way to look at something, but to remember it as we approach the life of the man that Jesus is going to encounter in Luke chapter 5 this morning. In Jesus' world, this was not fiction and it wasn't a game. This was what it meant to be unclean. If you've been around church life for a long time, or maybe you haven't, you've heard the phrases clean or unclean. And if you had opened wounds covering your body, very much like leprosy would, life was incredibly difficult for you. So in verse 12, this is what we read. In one of the villages, Jesus met a man with an advanced case of leprosy. As a first century Jewish person, to hear Jesus was about to encounter someone with leprosy, uh, with a skin disease, it would have actually freaked you out. Not just because of leprosy as a skin condition, of suffering physically, it was also a social death. Skin diseases affected the rich, the poor, anyone could contract this disease. And we don't know this man's history, but his condition would have spoken volumes to the readers or those hearing Luke's gospel read. This man was an outcast and essentially had been erased from society. Leviticus chapter 13 and 14, which I'm sure you love for your devotional time, was details on clean and unclean skin. But skin diseases were so serious that God gave Moses some rules on how to handle disease, mainly to prevent the spread. Very practical. Leviticus 13 says, Those who suffer from a serious skin disease must tear their clothing and leave their hair uncombed. They must cover their mouth and call out, unclean, unclean, as long as the serious disease lasts. They will be ceremonially unclean. They must live in isolation in their place outside the camp. This was separation, and it was awful for the individual. It was harsh, but it was necessary to protect the community. And here we are in Jesus' day, and this man has been feeling the full weight of being unclean. Unclean is not just dirty. Like I think sometimes we hear unclean in our context, and we're like, well, that's just filthy. The reality was if you were unclean, you were separated. You were not apart. You were outside the camp, whether it was in relationship to people or to God. He had to have shout out publicly, unclean. Can you imagine walking around in society announcing your issues before anyone ever meets you? I mean, imagine that. How embarrassing would that be to have to go around publicly before anyone gets to meet you? They know you are a disease. That's the situation we're looking at. This man was unclean. First century Jewish historian Josephus describes a leper as no different from a corpse. Was literally the walking dead, because there was no cure for these skin diseases. This man was unclean, but Jesus is willing. Luke is introducing us to a desperate man. To many of us, we believe desperate people run to do evil. We're like, man, if they're desperate, they'll do anything. We often think, well, they're evil or they're wrong or they're broken and they don't care about right and wrong. The truth is, desperate people run to do whatever they think will save them. When you are desperate, you will run to whatever you think will save you. It's just the nature of the beast. And here we have in verse 12 when the man saw Jesus, he bowed down with his face to the ground, begging to be healed. Lord, he said, if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean. This man breaks all the social laws because he believed there was something different about Jesus. He didn't care about his appearance. In fact, the only thing this man might have feared more than rejection was the fear of actually remaining the same. He had heard the stories of Jesus. Jesus' fame and popularity was growing. This man knew of all the power that Jesus had. That kind of desperation stirred up an authentic faith. I believe this can save. In this instance, Jesus is who he happens to be throwing himself at. This man throws himself at Jesus. That face down is a worship posture. He's begging Jesus. He's emptying himself. He's done with all the appearance and he's throwing himself at Jesus. It makes you wonder about all the stuff you throw yourself at. What are you throwing yourself at? Begging you to make you clean. Begging you to give that feeling of acceptance and approval. What are you tossing yourself onto? It's dangerous when you think of it that way. That's what desperate people do. Desperate people aren't sitting there going, I just want to do the most evil thing I possibly can. No, desperate people go, whatever's gonna save me, I'm gonna chuck myself at it. If it's a drug, if it's a drink, if it's a relationship, if it's money, if it's education, if it's family, if it's all the things, whatever is gonna save me, I throw myself before you. And the question is, can it? When you're desperate, you're gonna throw yourself at whatever you believe has the power to save. What are you tossing yourself at because you think it will heal you? This approach reveals that this man has faith in Jesus' power, but his question or his statement makes it known that he is still uncertain about Jesus' heart. He knows Jesus has power. He just doesn't know if Jesus has mercy. Will Jesus say no? Will Jesus point out that he's unclean and he shouldn't be in the same space that he is? This man was desperate, but Jesus is willing. We're really good at pointing out other people's uncleanness. Would Jesus do that to this man? You're unclean. Back up, everybody. Here comes an unclean guy. We're really good at pointing things out like that. He doesn't look at the man and say, Well, well, well, you're down to your last resort. Oh, I didn't think you'd show up. You've tried everything else, and now you're gonna turn to me. Jesus doesn't do that. Jesus knows this man has no other option. So why wouldn't he be glad he showed up? Verse 13, Jesus reached out and touched him. Now, fully aware because of all Luke has already told us about Jesus' healings. We know Jesus could have healed with a word. We do know that Jesus has done that before. Jesus has healed with be healed and they're healed. Because gross skin diseases, right? Yo, that's too much. I'm God, I can heal you from over there. Stay, stay over there. I got you. I got you, right? But he doesn't do that. Jesus chose to touch. I've always wondered about this encounter. This man hasn't been touched by anyone in years. I wonder if Jesus' approach was too much for the guy. Like, did he kind of do this? Was he like, what are you doing? Why why don't? Did he push back? Was Jesus' move toward him too much? Because the word touch here doesn't assume touch. It doesn't assume the pinky, the barely touch. This word here is a Greek word that's much stronger. It means to fasten oneself to or to cling to. There is a good chance that Jesus could have hugged this man to heal this man. Jesus' power could have stayed at arm's length, but he chose arms open. Remember, this man has probably not been touched by anyone for a long time because of his disease. And we now know what they knew then. Loneliness is a killer. One of the great needs this man had was for someone to love him, to touch him, to demonstrate concern or affection. And Jesus met this need by firmly embracing this man. The touch of Jesus says to the leper, I'm with you. I understand. I get you. I'm with you. Even greater than a physical healing, Jesus was restoring this man's humanity. This man was untouchable, but Jesus is willing. So it's really important to note that before Jesus heals this man, Jesus touches this man, and that order matters. This could have been an extreme form of skin disease, deadly skin disease, social outcast disease. Jesus could have been all those things based on his encounter with this man, but Jesus' touch punched through the numbness that this man felt. I mean, can you imagine if you had that skin disease? And typically they say that numbness is a part of when you have an extreme skin disease like leprosy, which in the Bible times everything was leprosy because they were like, it's a skin disease, it's covering you, you're unclean according to Leviticus. So yeah, you need to take your place outside the camp. But to not feel any of those things, as your body is literally falling apart. Limbs are falling off, numbness can't be touched. And I wonder if in that moment when Jesus put his arms around that man, if for the first time in a really long time, like that electricity of touch, I think we take touch for granted. But the ability to feel it, to know it, to experience it. Could it have been one of the first moments that he would have felt anything in years? Not only was Jesus the man touching this diseased man, but according to Luke's gospel, God was touching this man. So not only was he good in relationship with people, but God as well. We're used to the unclean making the clean unclean. That's the way sickness travels, right? We're used to that. If you're sick and you touch a healthy person, the healthy person's health does not transfer to the sick person. We wish it did, but that is not how it works. Sickness travels to health, and then healthy people get sick. But this is not what happened. Just like in the cheese touch, right? If you remember the way the cheese touch legend goes, there's a foreign exchange student who accidentally gets the cheese touch, he doesn't understand the language, he doesn't understand the game, and then he moves back to Dusseldorf. And as he moves back to Dusseldorf, he takes the cheese touch with him, thereby rescuing and freeing the school in a very barbaric way. Jesus took the cheese touch with him. I mean, it's it is what it is. Now, Christ's touch is what is known in Bible nerd speak as imputation. The word impute means to credit to a person or cause. Jesus touched this head-to-toe diseased man, cleansed him, and gave him his own purity, taking away his disease forever. This is what he does for the sinner that puts their faith in Christ. Christ forgives and cleanses, and we receive his purity or righteousness. When God looks at us, we're declared to be righteous. Because the Father sees the righteousness of Christ, when he looks at us, we are covered. This is what 2 Corinthians 5 teaches. For Christ, for God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. He takes from us our sin and sickness and covers us with his righteousness. This is why Colossians, Colossians 1 22, as a result, he has brought you into his own presence and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. How that is possible is not through your righteousness. It is possible through Christ's righteousness. Every single one of us has a problem hearing that we are pure and blameless, standing before God without a single fault. You know why? Because you think of you, you think of your righteousness. We all know that we're not righteous. But that's not humility when you're thinking of yourself. That's pride. That's saying, God, I can't be pure and blameless and righteous before you because I know me. Well, God's saying, Do you know my son? Because if you know Jesus, if you know my son, if you know what I gave up through his life, death, and resurrection, then you know that he's righteous enough to cover you and allow you to stand before me without, without ever blemish or fault. Perfect in every way. See, we don't like to think of ourselves the way the scriptures declare. But this is what they tell us. This is the good news. Luke's imagery with Jesus and the man with the skin disease reveals wholeness, not just being made healthy. So, first with his touch, Jesus says the words this man had been dying to hear. Verse 13 I am willing to be healed. And instantly the leprosy disappeared. This statement is a game changer. What is your understanding of God? As it's revealed in Christ. Power, just power, compassion, no power, compassion with power? Where are you at? God is not reluctant in extending his mercy. This man was uncertain, but Jesus is willing. This impacts us a little more than I'd like to think it does. I know for me, I often believe that God is able, but I often doubt that he's interested. I think maybe he's not really concerned with what I'm going through. Typically, I'm probably one of those people who's like, man, God's really powerful, and I watch it done in somebody else's life, and then I get to my prayer closet or I'm having prayer or I'm walking and I'm trusting God for something. My brain goes, I don't just, I just don't know if he's interested in what I'm going through. Sure, I see his power over there and his care over there, but man, I'm doubting that he's willing to care for me. What if the greatest wall between you and God is not your trust in God's ability, but maybe your belief in his willingness? You hear Psalm 34, the Lord is close to the brokenhearted, he rescues those whose spirits are crushed, and your immediate response is, yeah, but that's for other people, not me. You hear Romans 8:32, since he did not spare even his own son, but gave up him, gave him up for us all, won't he also give us everything else? Yeah, God, you may have given Jesus for the world, but does he actually care about me, my family, my struggle, my hurt, my rejection? It's weird, but your brain can go there as soon as you hear a promise like this. This man's faith mixed with doubt is our story. Are there times when you simultaneously experience faith and doubt? Yes. They can both exist in the same spot. Man, I believe God is powerful, but man, I struggle with his willingness. Man, I believe God is willing. I just don't know if he's powerful, right? Like you go back and forth. Where have you quietly assumed that God can help you, but God won't help you? It might be time to surrender some of those thoughts based on what Luke is telling us. What does this passage tell us about that kind of a view? Jesus isn't done restoring him. There's actually another level to restoration. That is a beautiful picture in Luke verse 14. Jesus tells the man after he's been healed, go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed. Jesus healing this man was immediate, but for him to be fully restored, it had to be communal. It had to be community. Full restoration isn't just personal, it is deeply community driven. That's the powerful work of Christ, not just skin level, but heart level. Total identity restoration involves the community. He was not just going to be clean, he was gonna be clean, clean. Every part that the enemy had tried to shame or steal away, grace poured out and restored. And that means getting back together. Leprosy was often tied with divine judgment, and people knew if divine judgment was involved, you were cut off from God and from God's people. Jesus sends the man to the priest, not because the priests were like doctors and could diagnose sickness. The priest was the way back into community. And if the priest was able to examine a once unclean person who was now clean, they had all the public validation they needed to re-enter into society and no longer shout about themselves unclean. Jesus' restoration is total. And even after Jesus said for the man not to tell anyone what had happened except the priests, people that were all once outcasts were flocking to Jesus. The crowds continued to come, and because the crowds came, Luke tells us Jesus often withdrew to pray. As the crowds got louder, Jesus gets quieter. And as the band comes, we close our time this morning. Maybe your life doesn't look like a body covering disease. But maybe it feels like it. Some of us have gotten used to living in isolation. Some of you have gotten used to living and carrying your shame. You're carrying numbness. You're used to cutting people off before they can cut you off. You're used to carrying what Jesus is absolutely willing to remove. Um, I want to show you a picture. A couple years ago, well, actually in 1999, I had a chance to visit the Calapapa Peninsula. And in 1866, everybody looks at these giant sea cliffs and loves the picture of the sea cliffs. It's amazing. And so this is the island of Molokai, it's on the north shore of Molokai. Um, but those cliffs are right around 3,000 foot sea cliffs, some of the tallest in the world. And around this coastal edge is some of the roughest water known to man. And in 1866, off that north shore, there was a place that was established to forcibly quarantine people who contracted leprosy or better known as Hansen's disease. The 3,000 foot high rock cliffs and rough surrounding waters made it inescapable. In fact, if you could swim through this, it was about eight miles to place of land to be able to go to and get to. In fact, in the history that this leper colony exists, not one person ever was able to escape it. There were 1,800-foot trail drop. So you would go for 18, I mean, your elevation in your hike out to try and get out was 1,800 feet, and there was an armed guard at the top of it. And so in 1866, they began sending people who contracted in the outbreak of this Hansen's disease. It was a place where society threw you when they were done with you. It was brutal. There were families that were torn apart. If they heard that you had contracted a skin disease, they would come and take you out of school, come and take you out of your workplace. They would arrest you. And if you were found guilty of having a skin disease, this little area was going to be your home for the foreseeable future, ultimately, until you died. But in 1873, a man named Father Damien, a Catholic missionary priest, volunteered to serve in that community. One of the phrases Father Damien used all the time was, Here I am, Lord, send me, here I am, Lord, send me, here I am, Lord, send me. And he answered the call to go and live with these people who were outcasts for about seven years. There was nothing for them. For seven years, given minimal supplies to survive, there are people just dying left and right, nobody's being buried, a town of bodies until Father Damien walks in. When he walks in, he builds homes, he builds schools, he builds coffins, and he buried the dead properly. He dressed wounds and he embraced the dying. After 16 years of work bringing dignity to tossed aside people, Damien died of Hansen's disease. At his bedside, ready to continue the work, was Marianne Cope. That woman to his right, she continued the work. And in 1969, they officially lifted the ban of people with leprosy having to stay in this place. But many of the people chose to stay. In fact, in 99, when we went, there were actually still people with Hansen's disease living in the space on the island. It's now a national park, kind of a hiking trail. You can go and learn Father Damien's story. Damien refused distance, and for years his sermons would always begin the same way. My dear brothers. But after he contracted leprosy himself, he reportedly began saying, We lepers. It was not you, it was we. Father Damien had truly entered into their suffering. Luke's gospel through Jesus shows us that God does not remain safely distant from the exile. Our isolation, our mess. He enters into it, he takes it, he bears it, and he gives us his wholeness. This is what Luke is trying to communicate to a whole nother generation about who God is. You may feel unclean, you may feel desperate, you may feel untouchable, you may feel uncertain, you may feel alone. But maybe the question for you this morning isn't whether God can heal. Maybe your question is whether God wants to heal. Jesus is willing. The question is: will you come? Will you throw yourself at the mercy of Christ? Let's pray. Father, you are the only one who can clean, who can restore, who can reconcile, who can make new, and it starts with desperation. It doesn't end in strength, it remains desperation. We are a people who need your touch, and we need to know that you are powerful and you are willing. Father, forgive us for our pride for saying, Well, you're not willing when the scriptures say you are. For us denying you the opportunity to bring healing. So, Lord, would you wake up our hearts to both the power and the willingness of God to heal and to restore. We just wanted to say thank you for listening to the Hindly Christian Church podcast today. And if you ever want to connect with us, send prayer requests, ask questions, or for any other reason, you can visit our website at www.hindchhristian.com. Or you can send us an email at infinitechristian.com.