Nov 25
9
Sitting at the leper’s
table!
(Horatius Bonar)
“Now when Jesus was in
Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper” Matthew 26:6
To this home Jesus had been invited—and He goes.
It seems to have been his leprosy, which first brought Simon to
Christ—and Christ to him. His disease was his link of connection with the Lord;
and had it not been for it, he might never have sought Him.
It is still so with us. Our sin, our moral leprosy—draws us to
Jesus. We go to Jesus, not about the good that is in us—but the evil. Our sense
of guilt draws us to Him as the Pardoner; and our consciousness of sin
constrains us to deal with Him as the Healer and Renewer. And as we began—so
also do we go on. Sin brought us to Him—and Him to us. Our sin keeps us
constantly at His side.
Simon finds that he has much more to do with Jesus than merely
for the cure of his leprosy; therefore he must have Him at his table. So is it
with us. We begin our relationship with Jesus by going to Him with our sins.
But we soon discover that it cannot be ended here. Our
relationship becomes a constant interchange of thought and sympathy. We invite
Him to our house—and He comes. We ask Him to dine with us—and He comes.
How great the honour enjoyed by Simon, of entertaining the Lord
of glory; sitting at his own table, with Jesus at his side as his guest! How
marvellous the condescension of Christ—in thus sitting at the leper’s table!
Here, then, is the Saviour that suits us—the healer of the
leper, and the guest of the healed one! We say to Jesus, “Heal
me”—and He heals! “Come in”—and He comes! “Sit down at my
table”—and He sits down immediately.
It is but little communion indeed, that we can taste here; for
the best of earthly feasts are but foretastes of the marriage-supper. But the
whole glad fullness we shall yet enjoy, when we shall meet a long absent Lord,
not at our table—but at His own! That day shall be the day of the Master’s joy,
as well as of ours—He feasting with us, and we with Him! He enjoying our
fellowship, and we His—forevermore!
This
sinner, not the Pharisee
(J. C. Philpot, “Spiritual Fruit”
1858)
“The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank
thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust,
adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give
tithes of all that I possess.” Luke 18:11-12
Man unites in himself, what at first sight seem to
be completely opposite things. He is the greatest
of sinners–and yet the greatest of Pharisees.
Now, what two things can be so opposed to each
other as sin and self-righteousness?
Yet the very
same man who is a sinner from top to toe, with
the
whole head sick and the whole heart faint–who is
spiritually nothing else but a leper throughout–how
contradictory it appears that the same man has in
his own heart a most stubborn self-righteousness!
Now, against these two evils God, so to speak, directs
His whole artillery–He spares neither one nor the other.
But it is hard to say which is the greatest rebellion
against God–the existence of sin in man and
what he
is as a fallen sinner–or his Pharisaism, the
lifting up
his head in pride of self-righteousness.
It is not easy to decide which is the more obnoxious
to God–the drunkard who sins without shame–or the
Pharisee puffed up with how pleasing he is
to God.
The one is abhorrent to our feelings–and, as
far as
decency and morality are concerned, we would
rather
see the Pharisee. But when we come to matters of
true religion, the Pharisee seems the worst! At
least
our Lord intimated as much when He said the publicans
and harlots would enter the kingdom of God before them.
“And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much
as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying,
God be merciful to me a sinner. 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than
the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that
humbleth himself shall be exalted.” Luke
18:13-14
The Deadly Danger of Moralism!
(C.H.Spurgeon)
Proverbs 14:12, “There is a way that seemeth right to a
man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”
One of Satan’s most subtle and damning deceptions is
“moralism”–the idea that man, by his own supposed goodness, can
commend himself to God.
Moralism substitutes external reform, for internal regeneration.
It preaches behaviour change, apart from the new birth.
It is content with polished external conduct, while the heart
remains unwashed.
And it is leading multitudes to Hell!
Moralism often dresses itself in religious acts.
It promotes virtue, and applauds kindness.
It speaks of honesty, and decency.
But its fatal flaw is this:
It offers these things apart from Christ.
It seeks to be right with God, without the righteousness of God.
It promotes “virtue” without the power of the Holy
Spirit.
It promotes morality–but despises the Saviour.
The Pharisees of old were moral men. They fasted, prayed, and
gave alms. Yet Jesus said to them, “Woe
unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited
sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of
dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. 28 Even
so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of
hypocrisy and iniquity.” (Matthew 23:27-28).
Moralism is deadly because it convinces the sinner that he needs
no Savior. It flatters human pride. It whispers, “You are not that bad!
God will surely accept you–look at all your good deeds.” It blinds the heart to man’s true condition: “dead
in trespasses and sins,” utterly depraved, and without hope apart from the
saving grace of God. No amount of morality can change the leper’s spots, or
cleanse the defiled soul.
What then is the remedy? It is not to be better, but to be born again. It is not to do more, but to despair of doing anything that could be acceptable to God–and to cast oneself wholly upon the mercy of God in Christ. “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us…” (Titus 3:5). Salvation is not earned by morality–it is a gift from God to undeserving sinners. Salvation is not achieved–but received. Salvation is not by merit–but by grace.
Dear reader, have you been trusting in your morality, instead of Christ? Flee from every false refuge! Cast away your pride. Confess your utter sinfulness. Cling to the Savior who alone can wash away your sin, and robe you in His perfect righteousness. Every form of moralism leads to damnation! Only the Gospel leads to eternal life. “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” (Romans 4:5). Hallelujah! What a Saviour!
THE LORD AND THE LEPER
“Behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.” Matthew 8:2
The cleansing of this leper is recorded by Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Surely the Holy Spirit intends for us to learn some specific lesson from it. This leper is held up as an example of the way in which a sinner must approach the Lord in order to obtain mercy. Let me show you how this man came to Christ.
1. This Leper Came To Christ With A Deep Sense of His Personal Need. He was a leper. According to the law, he was unclean, corrupt, and defiled. He was an outcast of society. Luke tells us that he was “full of leprosy”. There was no covering for his disease. From head to toe, he was defiled. The sure result of his disease was death. He could not help himself; and no one else could or would help him. Do you need Christ?
2. This Leper Came To The Lord In Great Humiliation. Mark says, he came “kneeling”. Luke tells us that he fell on his face at the Saviour’s feet. He saw who and what he was. He saw who and what Christ is. And he was humbled. The way to Christ is the road of humiliation. If you would go up to heaven, you must come down in repentance.
3. This Leper Came To Christ Confessing True Faith. He called Jesus Lord. He knew that Christ is what he claims to be, LORD and KING. And he knew that Christ could do what he claimed. He worshipped the man Christ Jesus as God – “Lord, thou canst make me clean” – Jesus Christ is God. He is Lord and King. He has power sufficient to save your soul.
4. This Leper Came To Christ In Total Submission. “Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst.” He knew that the sovereign power of Christ is dispensed according to the sovereign will of Christ. He has mercy on whom he will have mercy. He ventured himself upon the sovereign mercy of Christ, saying, Lord, I know you have all power, do for me what you will according to your own great mercy. If he turns me away, I cannot be worse off than I am now. But he can make me whole. I must sue for mercy.
5. This Leper Obtained Mercy, And So May You. The Lord said, “I will, be thou clean.” His healing was immediate and complete. God never has turned away one who came to Christ like this.
Don Fortner
One
mass of moral corruption!
(Winslow, “The Inner Life in its Relapsed Influence”)
Where divine grace does not exist in the heart, there
is nothing to stunt the growth, or to check the progress,
or to restrain the power of the soul’s depravity.
The fountain pours out its streams of corruption and death,
bidding defiance to all human efforts either to purify or
restrain.
Education can’t restrain the power of the soul’s depravity.
Public sentiment can’t restrain the power of the soul’s
depravity.
Human law can’t restrain the power of the soul’s depravity.
Moral persuasion can’t restrain the power of the soul’s
depravity.
‘Self love’ can’t restrain the power of the soul’s depravity.
All these instruments fail in the attempt.
There is going on in the soul a process of moral decay,
which, if not averted by divine grace, must terminate in
the intolerable and interminable pangs of the second
death; the soul departing into eternity, one mass of
moral corruption!
But let one grain of God’s grace fall into this corrupt
fountain, and there is deposited a counteracting and
transforming element, which at once commences a
healing, purifying, and saving process. And, what
parental restraint, and the long years of study,
and human law, had failed to do, one hour’s deep
repentance of sin, one believing glance at a crucified
Saviour, one moment’s realisation of the love of God,
have effectually accomplished.
O the intrinsic preciousness, the priceless value, the
sovereign efficacy of God’s converting, sanctifying grace!
Effecting a lodgement in the most debased and corrupt
heart, grace revolutionises the whole soul, changing its
principles, purifying its affections, ennobling its sentiments,
and assimilating it to the Divine holiness.
The Cleansing Of Naaman Or God’s Method Of Grace
“Many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.” Luke 4:27
The cleansing of Naaman was a famous story of the Old Testament scriptures, with which the Jews of our Lord’s day were very familiar. But, when our Lord recalled it to their attention, “they were filled with wrath.” Those men understood perfectly well what Christ was saying, and they greatly resented it. That which our Lord was teaching is just as violently opposed by our modern religionists as it was by the Jews. But, for those who are taught of the Spirit, this is a most delightful and comforting doctrine – salvation is accomplished by the sovereign prerogative of God. This little story plainly sets forth God’s method of grace.
The sovereignty of God’s grace Was clearly displayed in cleansing of? It is evident that Naaman was the object of sovereign grace, because he was the most unlikely candidate for mercy. Naaman was a heathen, Gentile idolater. He was a sworn enemy of Israel, the people of God. Besides, Naaman lived a long way from the prophet’s home. Yet, the grace of God passed by many lepers in Israel. Going far afield; it found this Syrian soldier. Blessed be God, he still operates in this same sovereign manner! Those whom men consider the least likely candidates for mercy are the objects of God as free-grace. Many others were passed by, more noble, more excellent than he; but God chose Naaman.
But, mark this also – The grace of God always operates in a definite manner. God has not only ordained who will be saved. He has ordained the method by which they will be saved as well. First, Naaman had to hear the good news that healing was possible. Whenever God intends to save a sinner, he will send someone to tell him the gospel, It may be a little Hebrew maid, or it may be an old man. But always, “Faith cometh by hearing”. For another thing, it was imperative for Naaman to heed the message and obey the command. Even men must hear the gospel and in humble faith wash in the blood of Christ.
Don Fortner