“There came a man full of leprosy; and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” And he stretched out his hand, and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him.
Excerpt, Gospel Reading, Friday 10th January 2025 – LUKE 5:12-16.
So, when one is at any of our markets in Nigeria, it is common sight to see wheel barrow pushers carrying goods that ordinarily will be the capacity of a van.
Sometimes the pile of goods will be so high that they would have to be piping intermittently at the edge of that pile to have a glimpse of their front.
Often, while pushing such pile of load, depending on the city in Nigeria, they usually call the attention of the people in front to clear the road for them.
Therefore, one normally would hear expressions like, ‘hanya baro!’ Others are ‘uzo!’ Then my our brothers from the south-south would simply say, ‘clear road’!
Now, that, too, was the lot of a leprous person until Jesus’ time in Israel. – “The leprous person who has the disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head hang loose, and he shall cover his upper lip and cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean.” – LEVITICUS 13:45.
Ordinarily, the society at that time do not even permit certain level of grooming and self-care to such people.
The Holy Bible says, their hair must hang loose and unkempt and their clothes should be torn.
Now, here is one who should be announcing his uncleanness to avoid people getting closer to him going close enough to speak to and be touched and healed by Jesus Christ.
Dear friend, no matter how much diseased, dirty and possibly also stinking that that leprous man was, Christ Jesus went ahead and touched him.
Dear friend, does anyone ever think that Christ wouldn’t have just said, “Be clean” and the man would be cleansed of his leprosy?
Of course, it is possible, the examples of such pronouncements and subsequent miracles are rife. So, there’s no doubting it.
However, Christ wanted to prove a point and send a message. And, my dear friend, that message is reverberating till this day.
Dear friend, no matter how much stingingly dirty, sordid and miserably appalling our sins and lives may be, once we come to Jesus Christ, he is still willing to welcome and embrace us and make us clean.
Dear friend, you too, brave the odds and go to Jesus Christ. Certainly, your story will change for better.
Have a fantastic day folks.
#Blessed_Carlo_Acutis! #Pray_for_us!
– Akase F. Agabo
10th Jan. 2025