“And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, “Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.” And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed” (Matt. 8:2-3).
This leper is the only person recorded in the New Testament to have questioned God’s will to heal. This man is also the first in the four Gospels whom Jesus heals. So the first thing God does through Jesus is to clear up this question: Is it God’s will to heal?
A major obstacle standing between Christians and miracles today is that they know God is able to heal, but they don’t know whether He’s willing. Many in the church world say, “Lord, heal this person, if it be Thy will.”
Under the Levitical law, a leper was unclean and had to live in the wilderness away from civilization. This particular leper, however, had apparently heard that Jesus was healing people. He wanted to be healed so much that he took risks to be well.
The leper fell before Jesus and said, “Lord, if it is Your will, You can make me clean.” He came to Jesus desiring to be healed. But desire wasn’t enough. The leper didn’t receive anything until Jesus cleared up his question, “Is it Your will to heal me?”
This is a guideline for the Church today. People say, “I saw people in the prayer lines who weren’t healed,” or “I prayed, and I wasn’t healed.” But so many of these people didn’t expect to be healed; they only hoped they would be. They couldn’t expect healing, because they didn’t confidently know that God’s will is healing every time.
One translation of Verse 3 says, “Jesus stretched out his hand and placed it on the leper saying, “Of course I want to. Be clean!” The man didn’t get healed until Jesus answered that question for him.
So we can see the importance of knowing God’s will. When Jesus answered the leper, He also gave that answer to all mankind – including you. God is able and willing to heal you!
With two words, “I will,” Jesus showed me beyond a doubt that
God’s will for me is divine health. If sickness shows up, God wants
me well. Therefore, according to Your will, Lord, I accept my healing!
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers
For over 40 years, Pastors Mark and Janet Brazee have traveled throughout the world sharing the Word of God and the Spirit of God. Together they've shared the powerful truths of faith and healing in more than 50 nations.
Today Mark and Janet pastor World Outreach Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where they base their ongoing outreach to the world. The Brazees still travel as the Lord leads, and they are raising up a congregation who share their passion to reach Tulsa and the world.