I Am Willing

Matthew 8:3

Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared. Matthew 8:3

Jesus is willing.

Jesus is willing to do something about that thing that hurts, aches, burns, and humiliates.

These are some of the best words that Jesus speaks, “I am willing.”

The Will of God is a willingness to heal.

This story is exceptional, and so it’s worth looking at a little more closely:

Large crowds followed Jesus as he came down the mountainside.

Jesus just finished the Sermon on the Mount! He had to be exhausted. As a preacher, I know what I would want to do- nap! But Jesus is getting rushed by the crowd. Imagine all the needs, the questions, the hopes of people just getting close to Jesus after this sermon, and then…

Suddenly, a man with leprosy approached him and knelt before him.

Probably the only thing stronger than the attraction of Jesus was the repulsion of leprosy. Leprosy was this disgusting disease where your outward appearance is enormously impacted, and it was highly contagious. If a leper was near by and a crowd was coming, then they were supposed to shout “unclean, unclean.” So this crowd had to stop, probably some of them ran, and they all dispersed leaving Jesus and

“A man with leprosy…”

This is extraordinary, and unbelievably essential for how we look at ourselves and how we look at others. We often identify people by their challenge, their condition, and their circumstances: the homeless, the widow, the alcoholic, etc. And “leper” is a term that is used frequently in the scriptures, but this scripture makes and important point. This is a Man (with leprosy). This is a person. This is not someone who is primarily identified by their sickness, disease, or situation. This is a person who is identified by their humanity, not their infirmity.

Let me pause, and write to you. You are more than an identifier. You are a person-first. You are human. Your identity is not your weakness (alcohol) or your situation (widow). Your identity is a beloved child of God who has a condition or circumstances.

And the same goes for the people that you see. This is especially true as we identify people in our community without homes. They are not the homeless! They are people who don’t have homes.

OK, let’s move on…

“Lord,” the man said, “if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.”

When we ask Jesus to be healed, it begins with the acknowledgment of the Lordship, the authority, the rule, and the power of Jesus. By the man saying, “Lord,” he is putting himself under authority! Healing comes from surrendering our authority and leaning into the authority of Jesus.

He also believes in the power of Jesus to do 2 things.

1. Heal. He needs to be healed. He doesn’t want to have leprosy. You don’t want to have cancer/aching back/ etc. You want to be healed.

2. Clean. He wants the spiritual and communal impact of his disease to be wiped away as well. This is a big ask as well, but he is clear what he needs.

What he is seeking is a willingness from Jesus. Is God’s will to heal?

Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared.

Jesus is willing. Before he said the words, he did an extraordinary action. He reached out and touched him! He didn’t just use his words, he used his actions to show his commitment.

And this is who Jesus is. He’s willing to speak the words and do the messy work of healing, and I pray that you will have the courage to ask him to heal you!

If you are ready to ask the Lord to heal, you are invited this Sunday (February 23) at 6:00 p.m. at Christ Church on Harvard (35th and Harvard) in Tulsa, OK is a Healing Service, and I’d love to see you there. Have questions? Send me a message.

The Lord is willing!

Love,

Aaron

P.S. Thank you for reading this! As part of my Letters to a Weary Soul, on Fridays I send out “Red Letters to a Weary Soul,” which is our slow journey through the words of Jesus. I felt prompted to send this out to everyone today! If you are interested in supporting my writing and encouraging others, then I’d invite you to be a paid subscriber. In addition to my regular letters, you receive the Friday “Red Letters to a Weary Soul” and the “What I’m Learning” post that comes out at the end of each month. Plus, it makes my day when I get a new subscriber!