The Willing Christ
Scripture Reading: Luke 5:12-26
Meditation
Two men, a leper and a paralytic, desperately desire to get close to Jesus. The first shouldn’t, the second can’t. One is unclean and the other is unable. Whether unclean or unable, both are unwilling to stop until they are at the feet of Jesus.
Both decide to take a risk. They do what is socially unacceptable. They dare to do the unthinkable. They’re undaunted. They will get to Jesus’ feet!
The leper is an “untouchable”. He is isolated and separated because of his disease. Everywhere he goes he has to yell out,
“Unclean! Unclean!”
Leprosy has made him ceremonially unacceptable, socially unapproachable, physically undesirable, and emotionally unloved. He’s a man who has to stay away and say to others as they pass by,
“Danger! Don’t touch!”
Levitical law demanded distance.
“The person with such an infectious disease must wear torn clothes, let his hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of his face and cry out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ As long as he has the infection, he remains unclean. He must live alone; he must live outside the camp.” (Leviticus 13:45-46)
But when the leper sees Jesus coming, he takes a risk. He can’t stay away from him. Instead, he runs toward him. When he reaches Jesus, he falls with his face to the ground and begs him over and over again,
“Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”
The tone of his prayer isn’t that of a demand,
“Make me clean!”
Nor is it an expectation,
“I’m believing that you will make me clean!”
Rather, it’s a plea of surrender,
“If you are willing, you can make me clean.”
The leper knows what Jesus is able to do; yet he doesn’t claim or demand anything. Instead, he makes his plea known, surrenders the outcome, and lets Jesus decide.
Before Jesus says he’s willing to heal him, he shows he’s willing. He reaches out his hand, touches the “untouchable”, and draws him close to himself. After the touch he says,
“I’m willing. Be clean!”
Immediately, the leprosy leaves him.
The paralytic isn’t unclean but he is unable. However, unlike the leper, the paralytic has some friends. They carry him on his mat and try to get him into the house where Jesus is teaching. When they arrive and can’t find a way to see Jesus because of the crowd, they, too, decide to take a risk. They go up on the roof of the house, tear off the ceiling tiles, and lower their friend on his mat into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.
The man’s lips don’t move. Neither do his legs. But in the stillness and the silence, there is a prayer,
“Lord, if you are willing …”
When Jesus sees this, he says to the man lying helplessly at his feet,
“Friend, your sins are forgiven.”
But what’s good news for one constitutes blasphemy for others.
“The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, ‘Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?’”
Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked,
“‘Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, Your sins are forgiven, or to say, Get up and walk? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins …’
He said to the paralyzed man, ‘I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.’ ”
Which is easier: to heal a cripple or to cleanse a heart?
Both are impossible for any mere man. But Jesus shows those in the house that he isn’t just a man; he’s also the Son of God. And so he does both—he heals the paralytic to show that he has power to heal as well as authority to forgive.
In his humanity, Jesus is ready and willing to help; in his divinity, he’s able.
As the paralyzed man takes up his mat and runs home— jumping and praising God—those in the house sit still, stunned, and dazed by what has just happened.
“Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, ‘We have seen remarkable things today.’”
Healing and forgiveness—these are the Willing Christ’s “remarkable things”.
Prayer
Father,
When a leper saw your Son, he ran to him, fell to his feet, and begged,
“Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”
Your Son stretched out his hand, touched him, and said,
“I’m willing. Be clean!”
Through miracles, your Son demonstrated that he was not only able but also willing to help. He touched the untouchable, embraced the unacceptable, healed the incurable, did the unbelievable, and gave the unimaginable.
He was the man who was God. As the Son of Man, his heart was ready and willing. As the Son of God, his hand was ready and able.
During this day, give me a faith bold enough to run toward the Willing Christ so that I might plead,
“Lord, if you are willing, you can …”.
Make the words that I say a prayer and not a demand, a supplication and not an expectation, an appeal and not a claim. And as I ask for these things, may your will be done.
It’s in the Willing name of your Son that I pray. Amen.
Reflection
In what areas of your life are you like the leper— unclean? In what areas of your life are you like the paralytic—unable?
Personalize and finish the prayer, “Lord, if you are willing you can …”
How has the Willing Christ said to you, “Friend, your sins are forgiven!”?
In what ways has he said, “Get up. Take your mat and go home.”?
All Scripture references in the meditation are marked by italics and are taken from the Gospel reading for the day (Luke 5:12-26). Those verses quoted outside of the chosen reading for the day are noted in parenthesis. All Scripture quoted on this site is taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.