"Lord, if You are willing..."

In Luke 5:12-15 Dr. Luke describes the time when Jesus healed a man of leprosy.  When the man saw Jesus the scripture says, "He fell on his face and implored Him, saying, 'Lord, if you are willing,  You can make me clean.'"  If I remember correctly, Jewish tradition said that only the Messiah would have the power to heal a person of leprosy.  This was the kind of healing that no person could conjure up. To heal a person of leprosy required a certain kind of authority that only the Messiah would have.  The man who came to Jesus seems to have assumed that Jesus had the authority, Jesus had the power to accomplish this for him. Jesus was his only hope for a restored life!  Yet he realized that Jesus' actions had far more to do with  God's plans which were far greater than himself, his life, and his comforts.  And so, he asks Jesus, "If you will." The greek word for will is, thelo.  It carries the meaning of purpose.  This man was saying if effect, 'Lord, I know that you have the authority and power to heal me. If it is part of your purpose and plan, heal me?'  Then Jesus, the teacher, the Pure and Hoy Son of God did something amazing.  He touched this unclean man!  Immediately the man was made clean.  The Holy reached out to touch the unholy and make it clean. His answer was a resounding, "YES! I am willing to make you clean."  I am so grateful that it was the purpose of God to reach out to me, unclean, hopeless, powerless, a reject of filthiness of sin. He came to touch humanity to make us clean if we would but fall on our face before Him. Like the man with leprosy, we need to acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God, the only one with the power and authority to save us from our sin. Accept the touch of His holy forgiveness, and be made clean! By His love, it is His purpose for you.