From Rottenness To Righteousness

In Mark’s Gospel chapter, 1:40-45 we have an astounding account of Jesus healing a leper. Leprosy is a dreaded, loathsome, contagious, extremely painful, decease and only death is the final end to the one who gets it. God Jehovah gave very strict laws and instructions to Moses in the book of Leviticus of various kinds of leprosy, how to find it and how to cleanse it and how a leper should be sent out of the camp.

The Killer decease:

1. Everyone who gets it becomes unclean and looses the privilege of his

   family and community. He will never dare to enter the city lest he be

   stoned to death. Relationships are cut off. And no one will dare to

    have any contact with a leper, for the fear of getting it themselves.

2. One cannot conceal leprosy. It’s visible, with twisted nose, lips and other

    members of the body. Fingers in hands and legs are sore with fresh

    wounds and stink.

3.  With no medication, remedy and proper binding of wounds one will die in

     pain and isolated in shame are left beg from people for food and other

     needs, if people passed by  their way.

Some times every one of us find ourselves where these lepers live. We are isolated, and loathed by people. Our name and fame vanish instead people call us by different names. We become their gossip and song. All the comfort of home, husband, wife, children, church, society and community are gone. And we are looking for our basic needs, sometimes for a glass of water from strange people and we have to put out our hands. Sin also is a deadly and a killer decease! Watch out!

Out there, millions are dying with this deadly decease of “Spiritual, Contagious, and killer leprosy of sin. The temporary worldly remedy makes things seriously worst. Only Jesus who paid the penalty of sin on the Cross and rose again on the 3rd day can give a totally new and remarkable healing. Help us to Tell the World of JESUS THE SAVIOUR!

My Ministry with Lepers:

When Molly and I started our mission work, we came across an Old lady from a nearby village. She was the mother of our associate pastor Christudass in Karadiguri Village. She was over 72, and was in a very bad condition. Both the mother and son lived in a small hut. The finger on her hands and toes were raw and blood and rotten liquid were there. We prayed in faith and the Lord healed her leprosy. Slowly new fingers were on her hands and toes. She got baptized and part took in the communion table of the Lord. She lived over 20 years. She would walk 12 kilometers every Sunday from village to Bethel to attend the Sunday worship. 

The second experience was with hundreds of lepers in Rehabilitation Home 10 kilometers from our campus. I had a powerful ministry with them for more than 6 years. I have seen their suffering. Many believed in Jesus and there is a Lutheran Church for them now! These people possess “Telephone Directory”, of all the states of India. They write thousands of letters to the addresses found in these directories, asking for alms and donations. Molly and I had no supporters or resources for our family. We were asked to write letters for them. By writing 100 letters we received Rs.10/-from them. And by writing 1000 letters, we received 100 INR. It was a shameful—begging from beggars-painful job and we quit it after the very first assignment.

It was Compassion and not Condemnation:

This leper wanted to come out of this wretchedness. He heard of Jesus, power and authority in performing miracles. Even though Jesus Himself had not healed any leper, this man believed that “Every thing is Possible” for Jesus and Jesus was greater than his leprosy. He came to Jesus,  fell on his face and said, ““If you are willing, you can make me clean” Thousands were watching this and were hearing this.

Jesus was moved with Compassion and Touched him and said “I will and be thou healed” His daring step of faith and approach fetched him the compassion of Jesus. To-day, even to-day, there are people who think that only they have the right to approach God and do things for the Living God, just because they are well educated, or leaders of great churches and mission organizations, or that they are from a particular nation. This was the

grave mistake of Pharisees and Sadducees and the “Sanhedrin” had in Jesus days. They ignored “The Carpenters Son” and the “Twelve Mighty Fisher Men”.

The great commission Jesus taught us is full of love, compassion, meekness, gentleness, healing, forgiving, releasing, opening up of eyes, uplifting, forbearing etc..But today we pull down, knock out, punch, hate, lookdown and so official like authoritarians. None can approach us easily. People need to fix appointments and permissions to meet us. It is never with Jesus. You can call on him 24-hours and all 7 days. King David approached God 7times in a single day! DO NOT GO TO PEOPLE BUT GO TO JESUS. Men and women can never give to you what Christ gives to you, is just made for you! Healing Of the leper is a Biblical record! None in this world can give you this.

Even if there is prevention and healing, you will still miss a few parts of your body and look different in personal appearance. You will be caged and can only move around in smaller circles.

But the Healing Jesus brings to you is total, and complete. Your flesh will be like the flesh of a baby. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are past away, behold, all things are become new.(2Cor.5:17)Your old past is totally and ALL things become new!

Cautioned not commissioned.

⁴³ Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: ⁴⁴ “See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” ⁴⁵ Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.

Jesus sent this man only to the priest to show him that he was made whole that Messiah has already come! He was to give to God what belonged to God. His physical body was healed. There are spiritual issues of sin and cures that should be restituted by “Certain sacrifices”.

DON’T TELL ANY ONE”- was the commandment. But this man went declaring, proclaiming, showing and proving that JESUS healed….There is a healer! There is a life restorer!! was his message. The proclamation was so intense that JESUS could no more walk openly. We train and educate and pronounce degrees and doctorates for “Proclamations”. But for Jesus, It takes loathsome persons like me and you to send as His proclaimer.  All his life he lived outside the city. Now, He had free access to the temple, city, family and everywhere. Jesus will make you to walk tall, where you were denied access at one time. He will make people to listen to you! THIS WAS HIS MASTER PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE AND MINE. The ex-leper became a great crowed puller.

We now know why we were going through such a shame, pain and leper like experience. “….But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more”. (Ro.5;20)   His witness brought thousands to Jesus. YOU ARE A STAR attraction NOW!

Dear Friends, Bethel is pulling people to Jesus Christ and his Kingdom, with our humble witness. We praise the Lord for new churches and new believers.

Sustaining, supporting, outreaching, and training needs regular support. Hundreds are hungry for the living God.

Will you kindly pray for our mission and become an active partner?

We will be extremely grateful!

Rev.Dass.T

Director

www.bethelerc.org