A man with leprosy came and knelt before Him and said,”Lord, if you are willing, ,you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said.
The leper’s separation from everyone, including his family, offered nothing but pain and rejection. He was considered unclean, and no one dared to come near him because of his condition. Family members would bring food to a leper, but would not go near him, for fear of being infected themselves. But to this leper Jesus seems different. Grasping at his last thread of hope, the leper humbly kneels (which is a token of respect and reverence) before the healer in faith.
We learn several lessos from his prayer. First the leper knows Jesus is Lord. Second he makes no demands. His humble prayer placed priority on the will of God, and not his own. This is the confidence we as Christians should have when approaching God in prayer: that is we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us– whatever we ask, we know that we have the petition that we disired of him. 1 John 5:14-15 kjv.
This type of surrender is precious to the Lord. It usually occurs when we realize He is our only hope. The leper trusted Jesus to heal his disease, and God honered his faith. Separation from his family endedd with the cleansing of his body, but better yet, ended witha new relationship with His Savior and Lord.