He Walked into My Leper Colony
We call it Leprosy! The Hebrews call it tzara’at! The Jewish sages believed that tzara’at was more than a skin disease.They believed that it was a physical manifestation of a spiritual sickness. After all, the infected person (KJV calls a “leper”; the Hebrew calls a “metzora”) was not sent to a doctor, per se, but to the priest to be examined.
The Jewish sages believed that the causes of tzara’at stemmed from sin: more specifically “sexual immorality, gossip, murder, perjury, forbidden sexual relationships, arrogance, theft, and envy” (Avakhin 16a).
In Matthew 15:18-20, Yeshua even corroborates this belief when he says, “But the words you speak come from the heart—that’s what defiles you. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. These are what defile you (nlt).” These are the same defiling sins that the rabbis believed were the cause of tzara’at!
After examining the skin of the metzora, the priest by one word would determine the metzora’s immediate future: “Clean” or Unclean.”
If unclean, he had to face quarantine for at least seven days. Forced to wear rags with his whole body covered except his mouth, he had to cry “Unclean! Unclean!” in the presence of others. Whether deemed clean or unclean, the metzora ultimately had to undergo a purification ritual.
Matthew 8, Mark 1, and Luke 5 tell the story of Yeshua being approached by a metzora. Yeshua did for him what no one else had done or would do: He looked at him, He examined him, He touched him, and told him, “Be Clean.”
That’s what he did for me. He walked into my leper colony. He examined me and saw me riddled with everything that defiles. He touched me and showed me that he was more than able to cleanse me, but he was also willing. My tzara’at? Cleansed! Metzora? No more! He gave me back that which I had lost–His image in me.
Have you allowed Him to do that for you? If so, “Be Clean.” If not, He’s walking into your colony today . . . looking for you.
PRAYER: Abba, thank you for walking into my leper colony and removing the curse and penalty of my sins.You came, you found me, and now I am clean…forever. No longer am I clothed in the filthy rags of my self-righteousness . . . BUT clothed in the garments of salvation and a robe of righteousness! Hallelujah! Amen!
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