God has appointed all Christians to be humble disciples and not only be hearers of the Word but also be doers. Call it “Power Evangelism” where you share the gospel, and the Living Word but also do as Jesus did and cast out demons, heal the sick, resurrect the dead, and “cleanse the lepers.” Your words are supported by these miraculous actions which helps the blind see. In Matthew 10:7-8, these actions are revealed–” And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give,” Not only are we called to put God’s love into action (charity), but we are also called to help all sinners. Leprosy is a highly contagious skin disease leading to deformities, characterized by swelling and painful ulcers. It is caused by Mycobacterium leprae; a bacterium that targets the peripheral nerves and skin, replicating itself at a rapid rate once it has infiltrated the nerve cells. Leprosy also represents sin because if someone were deemed unclean, they were banned from worshipping in a temple which kept them from the presence of the Great I Am. When we sin, we are being disobedient to God and turning from him. God cannot look upon sin, and we are all sinners. It is through Jesus Christ as the mediator that we can have a relationship with Yahweh. When Jesus was crucified, he was the innocent lamb being sacrificed to pay the debt of our sins and death. This is a blood covenant, and we are “washed in the blood of the lamb” to be redeemed. When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we invite the Holy Spirit to dwell within us. Through that oneness as we are transformed and made new, we develop an aversion to sin.
Although Leprosy is a disease, healing the sick covers a broad spectrum of sickness and disease both physically and mentally. When Matthew says to “cleanse the lepers,” he is saying this in the context of sin. Although we are not Jesus, we can still be Christ-like and lead others. We should hold our brothers and sisters in Christ accountable, we should also watch our own words and actions as Christians because we are representing Christianity when we witness to the lost, we should also not be afraid to “offend” with the Truth. All Christians should be cutting down the enemy’s lies with the “Sword of Truth.” We should not come into agreement with things just to appease someone or avoid conflict, and we should never agree to “unspoken prayers” because we do not know what we are saying Amen to. In fact, if it cannot be said aloud, should it even be said at all? We all reap what we sow; that means there is a consequence to every action, especially sin. Galatians 6:7–” Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.”
I am not going to come into agreement with your sin and you should not come into agreement with someone else’s sin, instead you should rebuke it and plant a seed. Just be sure to not drown the soil, I have been guilty of being overbearing at times. In Mark 4:26-28 it is explained as a parable–” And He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, for he himself does not know how.” God wants us all to plant seeds of His wisdom, and although we can water the seeds with edifying words, we can also hinder the plant with too much sunlight or water, so there is a time to step away and let God work while we pray in intercession for growth and renewal. He wants us to just do it and live our lives like any other day without becoming distracted.
