Jaw-dropping Jewels about Jesus
Rarely does Jesus, God the Son, do exactly what we expect of Him. It seems odd that He so frequently surprises us, given that He never changes. Hebrews 13:8 makes this absolute statement: “Jesus the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Still, though He is blessedly consistent in His goodness, Jesus does unforeseen things. Even when He does what is expected, He does not always do it in the way that we anticipate. Let us join with Jesus on a jaw-dropping journey. (I will be using this opening paragraph for each of the brief messages in this series. The following material will change daily.)
Jesus is personal, with a sterling personality that always presents a personal touch. In Matthew 8:1-3, He heals a leper. Jesus could have simply spoken to provide this ailing man instant relief. However, the Scripture is clear: “Jesus put forth His hand, and touched him” (verse 3). Under Jewish law, this man was ceremonially unclean and could not worship at the Temple; anyone who came into contact with a leper was likewise considered unclean. There was also a medical reason not to touch this man, for leprosy is contagious. However, Jesus, being wholly holy, could not become legally unclean, and He could not contract leprosy because His healing hand “immediately…cleansed” the leper. We do not know how long this man had been without physical contact, but even a few months of such isolation was damaging. The touch of Jesus provided both healing and inclusion for this suffering man. Truly, that is a personal touch.