Make Me Clean

Verse: Matthew 8:1-2
When he came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

Devotion
Matthew is making a transition from the Sermon on the Mount in chapters 5-7 to a documentation of Jesus healings and miracles. He chooses the first one to be the healing of the leper. Jesus is coming down the mountain after his long teaching and many of those who listened are following him.

A man with leprosy came before him. During that time, leprosy was a terrible disease that was uncurable and caused a wasting away of the body. It was a slow, painful death that took years. The people that had this illness were shunned and told that they were unclean and had to stay away from others. They were thought to be under harsh judgement from God. This man was desperate to find healing and was willing to risk further humiliation or worse by coming toward this crowd and to talk to Jesus.

The first thing he did was to kneel before him. This could also be translated “worshipped him.” Then he addresses Jesus as “Lord.” This is the first time that Jesus is called Lord and it is by the lowest person in their society.

Has our sinful nature made us realize that we are unclean? Isaiah 64:6 says “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.” Are there sins in our lives that we are desperate to be free from? Maybe it is time to throw ourselves down before Jesus and say “you can make me clean.”

He is willing. He died for yours and my sins so all we have to do is go to him and call him Lord. Acknowledge that he is God and that we want to follow him as Lord of our lives. Tell him that we want to be like him. Right then he will make us clean.

Prayer
Lord Jesus, we are sinners and we want to be made clean. We die to our old life and accept your new life, your gift of salvation for us. Help us to grow into your likeness.

PS. If this is the first time that you have said this prayer and asked Jesus into your life, let someone know like your small group leader or Christian. We want to celebrate and to walk with you on this journey.

Author: Brad Dunn