Read: Matthew 8:1–4
Bible in a Year: 1 Kings 12–13; Luke 22:1–20
Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. Matthew 8:3
Kiley leaped at the chance to go to a remote area of East Africa
to assist a medical mission, yet she felt uneasy. She didn’t have any
medical experience. Still, she could provide basic care.
While there, she met a woman with a horrible but treatable
disease. The woman’s distorted leg repulsed her, but Kiley knew she had
to do something. As she cleaned and bandaged the leg, her patient began
crying. Concerned, Kiley asked if she was hurting her. “No,” she
replied. “It’s the first time anyone has touched me in nine years.”
Leprosy is another disease that can render
its victims repulsive to others, and ancient Jewish culture had strict
guidelines to prevent its spread: “They must live alone,” the law
declared. “They must live outside the camp” (Lev. 13:46).
That’s why it’s so remarkable that a leper approached Jesus to say,
“Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean” (Matt. 8:2). “Jesus
reached out his hand and touched the man. ‘I am willing,’ he said. ‘Be
clean!’ ” (v. 3).
In touching a lonely woman’s diseased leg, Kiley began to show the
fearless, bridge-building love of Jesus. A single touch made a
difference.
Lord, we want to show the fearless love You showed when You walked this earth.
What difference might we make if we overcome our fears and trust God to use us?
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© 2017 Our Daily Bread Ministries
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