The online KPPI (Praise and Divine Healing Service) was held again on Thursday, October 15, 2020. The service was a live-streaming program aired through Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. The Word of God was delivered by Rev. Jacob B. Sumbayak, taken from Matthew 8: 1-4 about Jesus healing a man with leprosy.

Jesus Came for the Unworthy and Sinful People

At that time, there were great multitudes followed Jesus. Then, there was a leper who came to Jesus, bowed down, and worshiped Jesus. This leper was very sure and had such great faith that if Jesus was willing, He was surely able to heal him.

The problem for him was whether Jesus wanted to heal him or not? The leper was a person who was excluded from society and must be separated from the society because his contagious illness could transmit to other people. They must be expelled from the city and live outside the city gates. They usually gathered among the lepers.

The leper knew that he could not get close to a healthy person because according to the law, he must stay away from someone who was healthy and must cry, “Unclean! Unclean!” to inform people that he was leprosy and unclean. What a very uncomfortable condition.

We can imagine if we have a disease that is contagious, incurable, and is considered as “public trash.” Wherever we go, we must say “Unclean! Unclean!” Will we dare to break through the crowd like this leper to come to Jesus? Indeed he had heard that Jesus could heal other people and he was sure that Jesus could definitely heal him. But the problem was whether Jesus wanted to heal him? Because the leper knew that he was an unworthy person, considered as sinner, and deserved to be excluded. However, his faith made him dare to come to the Lord Jesus even in the midst of the large crowd that followed Jesus. He even came to worship Jesus and he really showed his faith.

Perhaps we are currently in a position like this leper who have heard that Jesus is able to heal people, perform miracles, and raise up the dead. But will Jesus, as we have heard, want to heal us? Maybe we feel that we are unworthy because we have been far away from God. We feel that we don’t deserve to be healed because we have many sins.

Brothers and sisters, Jesus wants to come for unworthy people like this leper. Jesus said that He did not come for the healthy, but for the sick. Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Jesus came for people who feel unworthy and sinful.

“I Am Willing; Be Cleansed.”

Matthew 8:3, “Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.”

You may also have heard about Jesus, but you are wondering whether you deserve to be healed by Jesus. This is the same situation as the ten lepers who met Jesus (Luke 17: 11-19). The ten lepers did not deserve to get near to Jesus, so from far off they shouted “Jesus, master have mercy on us”. Then Jesus ordered the ten lepers to show themselves before the priests and the priest confirmed their healing. While they have not been healed yet, they were told to go to the priest, this was a step of faith and they were all healed from their leprosy.

One of the ten lepers realized that the healing had occurred, then he returned to Jesus and glorify God. Who was this man? This man was a Samaritan who probably felt more unworthy than the other nine lepers, to come to the Lord Jesus. Because the Samaritans were enemies of the Jews and were not Jews.

Did Jesus discriminate people? No, this Samaritan was also healed by Jesus because Jesus counted all humans. Jesus did not discriminate people, whether male or female, rich or poor, and whatever their conditions are. Why? John 3:16 says: For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Jesus loves all humans and He wants us all to know that He loves all of us. For Jesus, we are close to Him because we are in His heart and He loves us very much. Will you believe in Jesus for He loves us so much?

The Lord Jesus came down to earth to redeem us, paid all our debt of sins by laying down His own life. No one can pay for their sin, only the blood of a Holy and blameless person can atone for and pay for our sins. Jesus came and proved that He was sinless so that when He went up to the cross He was holy and blameless. He was the spotless Lamb who was slain, who was worthy to be sacrificd to atone for the sins of all of us.

Galatians 3:26 “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”

If we believe in Jesus Christ, we are called as God’s children. Our God becomes our Father, we are not strangers, but we are known as His children.

John 1:12 “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:”

Whoever receives Him receives the power to become the children of God. As the children of God, the Father in heaven will give us many things. You don’t have to worry about what to eat and drink, the birds in the air are fed by God, but seek first the Kingdom of God and they shall be added unto us.

“By His stripes We Are Healed”

If we are sick, then this is the time for us to receive healing. Like this leper, he believed that if God was willing to heal him, he would be healed. Learn to have faith like this leper, surely God will heal us because the Lord Jesus is good. If our sins are forgiven, more over He will surely be able to heal us.

Isaiah 53: 5, “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.

Jesus was stabbed for our rebellion. Jesus was bruised and crushed for our iniquities. Jesus bore it on the cross so that we might be saved. And by Jesus’ stripes we are healed. When Jesus was scourged many times, it became stripes so that by Jesus’ stripes we are healed. It is not we may be healed.

Maybe our sicknesses cannot be cured medically and nothing else can help us, but Jesus is able to heal us. Whatever our illnesses, it can be Covid-19, heart disease, hernia, kidney disease, leg problem, headache, or earache. Lay your hands on the part of the body that is sick and believe that Jesus is able to heal you.

Hebrews 13: 8, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

If lepers were healed in the past, He is also able to heal all our diseases. [YF/HN/EM]