Different but the Same

Matthew 8:3 “And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.”

This chapter in the book of Matthew is one of comparison and contrast. The first two stories we see involve very different men: and leper and a centurion. The leper was a man ostracized by all around him. He was used to being held at arm’s length. I don’t think we fully grasp how repulsive his disease was. It completely disfigured the body and was contagious to anyone who would come near. This leper was forced to be a beggar, and he had no resources of his own.

On the other hand, the next story tells of a centurion. This man was respected and wealthy. He enjoyed the admiration and respect of many, but he also had authority over many. He was used to giving commands, not receiving them. Resources? Humanly speaking, this man had everything at his disposal. He owned servants and lived very comfortably. The leper would have been the one knocking at the back door, asking for a crumb of bread, while the centurion would have been the one sitting at the table buttering his biscuit!

Interestingly enough, though they were very different, these men both found themselves in desperate need. The same is true in life today-no matter what social ranking you have, the trials of life put us all on equal footing. We all come to the place where we realize we need help!

What I love about these two stories is the response of our Lord to these two men. Though the men were very different, Christ’s response to them was the same! He responded to their need immediately and willingly.

Let’s look at the leper first: The leper approached Jesus saying, “Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.” (verse 2) He believed that the Lord had the power to heal him, but he wasn’t sure that the Lord would be willing to do it. What would he have to give in return? Wouldn’t he be repulsive to the Messiah?

Yet the leper had the courage to ask. Jesus response was immediate: without hesitation, He “put forth His hand and touched him.” And His response was willing: without fanfare, Christ simply says, “I will; be thou clean.” I love that!

Now let’s look at the centurion’s story: the centurion approached Christ “beseeching” Him to heal one of his sick servants. Though Christ immediately offered to come to his house to heal the servant, the centurion responds, “Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof….” (verse 8 ) Like the leper, the centurion realized how unworthy he was of any help from God! But the Lord’s response was one of willingness, and He healed the servant “in the selfsame hour.” (verse 13) What a wonderful Savior we have!