UPSIDE DOWN

Inside & Out

So you know I substitute teach at middle school A LOT.  Wow, the other day, I walked by and 6^th grade boy and inhaled at the same time!  BAD MOVE!  Holy moly, that boy put the stink in stinky.  I think the air around him was a little darker.  Ok, so you get drift.  There are some people you just do not want to be around.

Well, there were those kind in Jesus’ day too.  I don’t know about 6^th graders in Israel 2000 years ago, but I do know they didn’t want to be around lepers.  Lepers were cast out from the rest of society.  (For the record, I did allow the 6^th grader to stay in class!)  Lepers were untouchable, outcast, not wanted.

Grab Your Bible:   Read Matthew 8:1-4 in your Bible.  If you got one at the Christmas party, it is on page 738.

Large crowds followed Jesus as he came down the mountainside. ² Suddenly, a man with leprosy approached him and knelt before him. “Lord,” the man said, “if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.”

³ Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared. ⁴ Then Jesus said to him, “Don’t tell anyone about this. Instead, go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy.^[a] This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.”

Jesus was not afraid of the leper.  He allowed him to come close.  And then see this, Jesus TOUCHED the leper.  I wonder how long it had been since the leper felt someone else’s touch, someone’s hug, someone’s embrace.  Jesus touched him and healed him.  His disease was gone.

Jesus touched him and healed him his skin, the outside.  Jesus offers a lot more than that for you and me today.  Remember, sin does not make you bad, it makes you dead.  Yet, Jesus paid the price for our sin.  He exchanges His right for our wrong.  He gives brand new life to those who put their belief in Him.  He does not ask you to believe about Him, but to believe in Him.  Then He exchanges death for life.  Life!  Life!

Jesus is real.  The life He offers is real.  He came to turn the world UPSIDE DOWN not to make it more comfortable!

Prayer:  God, I love you.  Thank you for loving me so much that you died for me, but you didn’t stop there.  You came back to life.  Show me more about who you are and how good you are.  I want to know you more and more.