Luke 5:13 And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him
We often wonder, “What is faith?” Some people say that faith is not believing that God can, but believing that God will. Those are two different kinds of faith. Sometimes I don’t know what God wills, but I do know that God can. So, I pray to find that out what He will do. I pray to express my will, which should be in submission to God, but my submission happens as I ask in prayer. Prayer is always a matter of mercy and not merit. It is not what we deserve.
Luke 5:12 says, “And it came to pass, when he [Jesus] was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy…” He didn’t just have leprosy; he was full of leprosy. People with leprosy were untouchable and unapproachable, yet this man approached Jesus. This man “who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.” He was asking Jesus to heal him, but he didn’t really frame it as a question. He was making a statement. “You can heal me if you wish to. I know I’m untouchable and not worthy to be asking, but I know that if you want to, you could heal me.” Verse 13 says, “And he [Jesus] put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him.”
This man knew Jesus could, but he didn’t know if Jesus would. Jesus said, “I will. Be clean and go your way.” This man wasn’t deserving. In a companion passage this story happened just after a centurion, a man of great authority and means, said to Jesus, “I’m not worthy.” If a centurion wasn’t worthy, then this leper wasn’t worthy. If the leper wasn’t worthy, then I am not worthy. I ask not because I am deserving, but because Jesus is merciful.
Phillips Brooks said, “Prayer is not conquering God’s reluctance, but taking hold of God’s willingness.” God can; the question is if God will. Sometimes we struggle with that. Usually when I pray all I know is what I want. I don’t know if I am praying what God wants, but prayer is not conquering God’s reluctance; it is taking hold of His willingness.
What defines the Lord’s power and will? First, the Lord knows more. When I pray, I am praying in a vacuum of knowledge, but the Lord is hearing that prayer with complete knowledge. His answer is based on what He knows, not on what I know. Earlier in chapter 5 we read the story of Jesus in a ship with Simon Peter. He tells Peter, “Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.” In verse 5 Simon answered him, “Master, we have toiled all night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.” Then they took in so many fish that the boat could scarcely stay afloat. Peter thought they had tried everything, but “nevertheless at thy word.” You have the Lord’s word and the Lord’s will.
Sometimes you have the Lord’s word that speaks specifically. So, we know what God’s will is and we can pray that way. Oftentimes we don’t have a word like Peter had from the Lord Jesus. So, we are praying with the lack of knowledge, but God knows more. Peter said, “We have tried, but nevertheless if you want me to do it, I will.” God knows more than we do.
Second, God sees more. Even in the Jesus’ earthly ministry this was obvious. In verses 18 and following we read of a man sick of the palsy brought by his friends to Jesus because they wanted Jesus to save the man. Jesus also healed the man. Verse 20 says, “He saw their faith.” That is a galloping statement; it is on the run. When He saw their faith, then He said to the man, “Thy sins are forgiven thee.”
Verses 21-22 say, “And then the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone? But when Jesus perceived their thoughts…” Then there is another galloping statement. On the way to Jesus’ reply, we are informed that Jesus saw their thoughts. He saw faith and perceived thoughts. I can’t see faith, but I can see the actions produced by faith and the evidence of faith. I can’t see faith the way the Lord does, but God sees faith. He sees more.
When Jesus perceived the thoughts of the scribes and Pharisees, He didn’t just read their faces, He knew their thoughts. I don’t know what your feelings are, but you want to live by faith and not by feelings. While the two are connected, they are not the same thing. Maybe you are praying, but you feel timid or scared. You can’t change your feelings, but you can choose to do the right thing and feelings may well follow. Asking is “faithing.” Faith is asking. It doesn’t matter how you feel; it matters what you are choosing. Are you choosing to rely on the Lord Jesus by asking Him to do what only He can do? The Lord knows more; the Lord sees more.
The Lord does more. The story of the men bringing their sick friend to Jesus is preceded by the Bible telling us the power of the Lord was present and followed by saying that Jesus saw their faith. So, you have power and faith, and then you have means right in the middle. They sought means to bring their friend to Jesus. They tore off the roof and let their friend down through the roof to reach Jesus in the crowd. The Lord can do more than you can do. Someone has said, “You can do more after you pray, but you cannot do more until you pray.” I have responsibilities and should take them seriously, but I can’t do more than pray until I pray and leave it in the Lord’s hand. The Lord had the power and they had the faith, but they sought the means.
So, prayer is not conquering God’s reluctance, it is taking hold of God’s willingness. God knows more, sees more, does more. That is why I should come to Him for His mercy every day.