Untouchables

The other day I decided to transplant some Sego Palm pups that were in my Garden. I did not really know what I was doing so I went in and as gently as possible I removed them from the mother plant to which they were still attached. I then went and dug three holes in the ground and put them in and replaced some of the sand added some water. I thought to myself, “well they look very nice there and once they have grown and gotten bigger it will add to the beauty of the garden. As time passed, I began to realize that the leaves were going brown and the one plant all the leaves had gone brown. I went to the Hoffman’s to enquire what might be the issue. They said that there were too many leaves on the plant. As there were no roots there was not sufficient nutrients being absorbed by the plant. What I need to do was to cut all the leaves off except two which was need for photosynthesis. This would not over tax the new plant for nutrients but would supply the every important properties needed from sunlight. I few days later I looked at the dead tree in the yard, which is a great land mark, and realized that when I cut it back, because of a pest that was growing in the tree, I did not leave any branches on with leaves. In doing this I prevented the process of photosynthesis from taking place. Sadly, the tree has died. Why? Well because it was not able to receive what it needed for life.

The other day I decided to transplant some Sego Palm pups that were in my Garden. I did not really know what I was doing so I went in and as gently as possible I removed them from the mother plant to which they were still attached. I then went and dug three holes in the ground and put them in and replaced some of the sand added some water. I though to myself, “well they look very nice there and once they have grown and gotten bigger it will add to the beauty of the garden. As time passed I began to realize that the leaves were going brown and the one plant all the leaves had gone brown. I went to the Hofman’s to enquire what might be the issue. They said that there were too many leaves on the plant. As there were no roots there was not sufficient nutrients being absorbed by the plant. What I need to do was to cut all the leaves off except two which was need for photosynthesis. This would not over tax the new plant for nutrients but would supply the every important properties needed from sunlight. I few days later I looked at the dead tree in the yard, which is a great land mark, and realized that when I cut it back, because of a pest that was growing in the tree, I did not leave any branches on with leaves. In doing this I prevented the process of photosynthesis from taking place. Sadly the tree has died. Why? Well because it was not able to receive what it needed for life.

In our scripture reading there is a man who is despised by society looking for hope. The reason why he was despised was because what he had was the most dreadful disease know in the East. I do not know of an equivalent in our times some researches says that 41% of those living in USA say they are scared of cancer but cancer is not contagious as was leprosy. Think of something you would want to avoid because if you touched it you could get infected. You did not even want to look at the person because of the way they looked. The bravest of people would not even dare go near a person with leprosy. In the time of Jesus it was called “the stroke,” “the finger of God.” This illness was deep-rooted and deadly and was described as a symbol of sin. So, a man who can be described as the embodiment of sin approaches Jesus. A man cast away from his village, lively hood, church, friends, family. Tries to find Jesus who he believes can help. This man had no access to people to know where and when Jesus would be in a particular area all he could do was to hope that in his search for Jesus he would stumble on Him while He was in the country side. If only he could cross the path of Jesus was this mans thought.

It is sad don’t you think that there were many that had easy access to Jesus. People did not need to go in search of Him hope to cross paths with Him. But yet even with the ease and proximity of Jesus so many did not see who He was and why He had come to earth. I wonder where you and I would fit into this picture. I wonder if we would see ourselves as those who have easy access to Jesus. We come to church or have access to it every week, we have our Bible under our arms and if it is not in our hand we can quickly swipe our finger and have it on a device. But I wander if we are not all this man. Hope by all hopes that we will stumble across the path of Jesus. I wonder if we see that even though we do not have any visible disfigurement from sin we are disfigured. I wonder if we see our selves as sent away from our home, living isolated from the home that God had originally planed for us.

In our scripture reading there is a man who is despised by society looking for hope. The reason why he was despised was because what he had was the most dreadful disease known in the East. I do not know of an equivalent in our times some researchers say that 41% of those living in USA say they are scared of cancer, but cancer is not contagious as was leprosy. Think of something you would want to avoid because if you touched it you could get infected. You did not even want to look at the person because of the way they looked. The bravest of people would not even dare go near a person with leprosy. In the time of Jesus, it was called “the stroke,” “the finger of God.” This illness was deep-rooted and deadly and was described as a symbol of sin. So, a man who can be described as the embodiment of sin approaches Jesus. A man cast away from his village, lively hood, church, friends, family. Tries to find Jesus who he believes can help. This man had no access to people to know where and when Jesus would be in a particular area all he could do was to hope that in his search for Jesus he would stumble on Him while He was in the country side. If only he could cross the path of Jesus was this man’s thought.

This man as he approached Jesus thought to himself, “would be rejected by Him as he had been by the rest of society?” Would Jesus really heal him? I wonder if we have the same thoughts? I wonder if we feel that in order to be touched by Jesus we need to achieve certain standards to be acceptable to Him? The searching for Jesus was fraught with difficulties great difficulties but He was his only hope. The man sees Jesus and approaches what would your response be as he approached.

He is a loathsome spectacle. The disease has made frightful inroads, and his decaying body is horrible to look upon. At sight of him the people fall back in terror. They crowd upon one another in their eagerness to escape from contact with him. Some try to prevent him from approaching Jesus, but in vain. He neither sees nor hears them. His eyes are fixed on Jesus. Falling at the feet of Jesus he cries out, Lord, if thou will, You can make me clean. Jesus replies I will. Then reaches out and touches the man with His hand. At the very words of Jesus healing takes place. His skin is renewed to that of a young healthy child.

It is sad don’t you think that there were many that had easy access to Jesus. People did not need to go in search of Him hope to cross paths with Him. But yet even with the ease and proximity of Jesus so many did not see who He was and why He had come to earth. I wonder where you and I would fit into this picture. I wonder if we would see ourselves as those who have easy access to Jesus. We come to church or have access to it every week, we have our Bible under our arms and if it is not in our hand, we can quickly swipe our finger and have it on a device. But I wander if we are not all this man. Hope by all hopes that we will stumble across the path of Jesus. I wonder if we see that even though we do not have any visible disfigurement from sin we are disfigured. I wonder if we see ourselves as sent away from our home, living isolated from the home that God had originally planned for us.

Are you searching for Jesus? Do you feel that you are untouchable like this man? Has society, work, family, friends cut you off? Do you desire to be touched by Jesus to be made whole. Jesus is eagerly waiting for you to call upon Him. “Lord, if you desire cleans me.” If you call upon Him, He will touch you, He will cleans you by giving to you His righteousness. Let Jesus touch us and clothe us with His righteousness.

Amen

This man as he approached Jesus thought to himself, “would be rejected by Him as he had been by the rest of society?” Would Jesus really heal him? I wonder if we have the same thoughts. I wonder if we feel that in order to be touched by Jesus, we need to achieve certain standards to be acceptable to Him? The searching for Jesus was fraught with difficulties great difficulties but He was his only hope. The man sees Jesus and approaches. What would your response be as he approached?

He is a loathsome spectacle. The disease has made frightful inroads, and his decaying body is horrible to look upon. At sight of him the people fall back in terror. They crowd upon one another in their eagerness to escape from contact with him. Some try to prevent him from approaching Jesus, but in vain. He neither sees nor hears them. His eyes are fixed on Jesus. Falling at the feet of Jesus he cries out, Lord, if thou will, You can make me clean. Jesus replies I will. Then reaches out and touches the man with His hand. At the very words of Jesus healing takes place. His skin is renewed to that of a young healthy child.

It was only in the willingness of this man to search for Jesus that he could be healed. It was only in the presence of Jesus that this could take place. Like the tree and the sego plants the tree was in the sun but did not have the leave to grow where the sego plants have the leaves. For me the leaves stand for the willingness to receive that which the sun gives for life. It is the same with us we can be in the presence of Jesus and not be healed. There needs to be a willingness to receive from Jesus.

Are you searching for Jesus? Do you feel that you are untouchable like this man? Has society, work, family, friends cut you off? Do you desire to be touched by Jesus to be made whole? Jesus is eagerly waiting for you to call upon Him. “Lord, if you desire cleans me.” If you call upon Him, He will touch you, He will cleanse you by giving to you His righteousness. Let Jesus touch us and heal us as He did for the leper.

Amen