Friday, May 08, 2020

2020.05.08 Hopewell @Home ▫ Luke 5:12–15

Questions from the Scripture text: What kind of man sees Jesus in Luke 5:12? How does he respond to Him? What does he say? How does Jesus respond (Luke 5:13)? What is the result? What does Jesus tell him not to do (Luke 5:14)? What does He tell him to do? Just as what? But what happens anyway (Luke 5:15)? For what two things did the multitudes come together?  
In a few, short verses here, we see many glorious characteristics of our Lord Jesus. And to these we may rightly respond with the leper by falling upon our faces before Him (Luke 5:12), and rightly respond with the great multitudes by coming to Him to hear Him and coming to Him to be healed of our infirmities (Luke 5:15).

First, we see Christ’s saving ability. Of this the leper was sure, “You can make me clean.” His expectation is well-grounded. The Lord who rebukes fevers and directs fish into nets commands, “be cleansed,” and “immediately the leprosy left him.” There is nothing in our lives that cannot be immediately resolved by the word or even the whim of our Redeemer. How great is His saving power!

Second, we see Christ’s compassionate willingness. Of this the leper was less sure, “Lord, if you are willing.” In Mark, the Holy Spirit tells us that this willingness was moved by Jesus’s compassion. We too have need of that compassion, because we too are more likely to balk at Christ’s willingness. Often, our doubting in prayer comes from too-small a view of the compassionate willingness of our Redeemer. How differently our hearts would approach, if we were absolutely confident that He always operates out of a willingness to do and give every possible good and perfect thing for us!

Third, we see Christ’s perfect righteousness. He came to keep the law in our place, which we could never have done. Even in His instruction in Luke 5:14, Jesus honors the commandments of God. He prioritizes the display of God’s glory unto the priests in this “testimony to them,” while not looking for immediate praise for Himself in charging the healed man “to tell no one.” Behold, Christ our righteousness, as He keeps both the letter and the spirit of the law of God in our place! How perfect is that obedience of His that is counted for us before God!

Fourth, we see Christ’s literally self-sacrificial love. Part of the reason for His charging the healed leper to tell no one is that He has not come at this time to enter into the fullness of His glory. When Peter spoke against Christ dying, Jesus called him “Satan” and told him that he had in mind the things of men rather than the things of God. By contrast, Jesus “came to seek and save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10), for which purpose He had “set His face toward Jerusalem” (cf. Luke 9:51–53). Behold, the Redeemer who had a right to glory, but charged the cleansed leper not to give it, because He came to give Himself to die on the cross for our sins (cf. Philippians 2:5–11).

The saving ability of Christ, the compassionate willingness of Christ, the perfect righteousness of Christ, and the atoning/self-sacrificial love of Christ are all on display here. Shall we not rightly respond with the leper by falling upon our faces before Him (Luke 5:12), and rightly respond with the great multitudes by coming to Him to hear Him and coming to Him to be healed of our infirmities (Luke 5:15)?
Which attributes of Christ do you seem to forget the most? How/when will you remind yourself?
Suggested songs: ARP45A “My Heart Is Greatly Stirred” or TPH280 “Wondrous King, All Glorious”

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