Jesus chooses (Luke 5:12-13)

Luke 5:12-16 ¹² Once, when Jesus was in one of the cities, there was a man covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground and begged him, "Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean." ¹³ Then Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, "I do choose. Be made clean." Immediately the leprosy left him. 

The man who approaches Jesus looks horrific - he is covered with leprosy.  The man is considered unclean by Jewish law.  He is not supposed to get close to anyone.  This is how they kept diseases at bay. 

But imagine what life would be like if your family put you out of the house - if the town made you live outside the city limits - if no one ever got close enough to even hug you? 

The man breaks the law by coming to Jesus.  Jesus breaks the law by touching him. 

Who do you need to touch today?  Who might not have been touched in a long long time?  Reach out like Jesus did!

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Perspectives of the other gospels:

Matthew 8:1-4 When Jesus had come down from the mountain, great crowds followed him; ² and there was a leper who came to him and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean." ³ He stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, "I do choose. Be made clean!" Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

Mark 1:40-45 ⁴⁰ A leper came to him begging him, and kneeling he said to him, "If you choose, you can make me clean." ⁴¹ Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, "I do choose. Be made clean!" ⁴² Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.