AND WHY NOT ME? – Charles Spurgeon
AND WHY NOT ME?
“Behold, there came a leper and worshipped Him, saying, Lord, if You will, You can make me clean. And Jesus put forth His hand and touched him, saying, I will, be you clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” Matthew 8:2, 3.
Introduction to the Miracle
Matthew has placed this miracle immediately after the sermon on the mount. In all probability, some time intervened in which our Lord had preached at Capernaum and had also healed the people in the street, as we read just now in the first chapter of Mark. It was not the object of Matthew to arrange his facts precisely in the order of time—he had another end in view. After the sermon on the mount, he gives us remarkable miracles, as if to teach us that our Lord’s words were confirmed by His works. Our Lord was mighty both in word and deed. His kingdom comes not only with truth, but with power. He worked miracles that men might see with their eyes that the power of God was upon Him and might know that He spoke with divine authority.
Power in the Preaching of the Gospel
At this day, Beloved, it is even so. Power goes forth with the preaching of the Gospel. The words of the Lord Jesus are spirit and life—they are in themselves full of authority and we ought to accept them with ready faith—but since we are slow to believe, the Lord continues to work as well as speak. The “signs following” are still to be perceived—blind eyes are opened, deaf ears are unstopped, hearts of stone are turned to flesh, and the dead in sin are quickened. Conversion by divine grace follows the proclamation of the doctrines of grace, for the word of God is with power. Beloved, we have beheld wonders of regenerating power in our own midst, and therefore we are bound to believe in Jesus more and more. Blessed be the divine power which confirms the word!
Jesus and the Authority of His Words
Jesus is never known in the full authority of His word until the Holy Spirit makes us feel the glory of His work within our hearts. We have the word, and we pray for more of the work. The Lord speaks to us graciously in the Gospel ministry. Oh, that He would now work with us, also, to His own glory! When our Lord spoke, His words were winged in such a way that they flew far afield. He was heard, not only by the nearer company of His disciples and by a great multitude who gathered about Him, but His words were carried home by the people as they returned to their cottages among the hills or to their dwellings by the sea. They flew abroad as doves whose wings were covered with silver, and they lighted in strange places. His words had so much pungency about them that they could not be forgotten. They had so much force in them that they worked mightily on the minds of men and were repeated by those who heard them.
The Leper’s Hope
Among the rest, the words of the Lord Jesus came to a poor leper who dwelt alone outside a city wall. We know little about him—even his name is not mentioned—but to him, also, the glad tidings of a Savior came. He spent much of his time in solitude or in begging, for he could not follow the pursuits of men, nor earn his bread like other men. The disease of despair was upon him, and none could help him in his trouble. He had heard of Jesus and, perhaps, on the edge of the crowd had heard Him speak. He felt that there was something divine about the preacher who spoke as never man spoke—this aroused hope within him—he came to Jesus and was healed. What was his name, or his descent, or previous history, we do not know. He ranks among the notable anonymous of earth whose names are written in Heaven. No one among you knows where God’s word will fly this day—it may be blessed to some outcast in the bush who will read it and find mercy of the Lord.
God’s Word Can Reach Anyone
Our congregation is a singular one—made up of persons of every condition of life—from almost every country under Heaven! And in it there are specialties of character unknown to the preacher, but the Lord can bless all who hear it. God has brought them here, and since the word that shall be spoken is a repetition of Christ’s own word and is the same Gospel which Jesus preached, we expect that it will fly far and wide and will call many a sin-sick soul to the great Physician’s feet. The Lord grant it!
The Leper Comes on His Own
As I have often preached upon this leper, you are well acquainted with the story and must almost wonder that I should speak upon him again. I do so that I may dwell upon one single point of it which, I trust, may encourage souls to come to Jesus. I have a burning thirst upon me for the salvation of souls! Where is the man or woman who will give me drink by coming to my Lord?
The Leper Came of Himself
Note the special object of observation—“Behold, there came a leper.” Upon this, I have to say, in the first place, that he came of himself. Secondly, that he came by himself, having no comrade to cheer him in the venture. And thirdly, that he was in himself regarded for coming.
He Came of Himself
First, then—and this is the main point of this morning’s discourse—HE CAME OF HIMSELF. Read in Scripture concerning the miracles of Christ, and you will be struck with the way in which many were led to Him. A friendly hand conducted the blind or conducted the little children. Some were bodily brought to Christ. We read of a paralyzed man who was “borne of four” and they let him down by ropes through the ceiling to the place where Jesus stood. Others could not come or be brought, but the Lord went to them where they were, on their beds or waiting at the pool. But here is a case of a man who came by himself, on his own account.
Encouraging the Unsought Soul
I want you to note this because I am persuaded that we have around us those who have nobody to lead them to Christ. Nobody to pray for them. Nobody to persuade, exhort, or entreat them—and these may come through the direct operations of the Holy Spirit upon their souls. These are left outside the pale, dwelling on the other side of the line of Christian effort—but they are not beyond the grace of God! This leper came of himself. Though none called him, he plucked up courage, and it is written as a wonder—“Behold, there came a leper and worshipped Him.”
The Leper’s Condition
Note well that this man knew in himself that his case was a terrible one. I do not intend to describe the dreadful disease of leprosy. We have, on other occasions, viewed it as God’s appointed picture of sin. It was a living death, a source of misery, a center of defilement—and such is sin. Medical men are not clear as to whether the leprosy was ordinarily infectious. It is now believed that it is contagious to a certain degree, but there was no pressing sanitary reason why lepers should have been shut out from all society. The Lord, who intended leprosy under the old theocracy to be the picture of sin, ordained that when once a man was a leper, he should be regarded as unclean in himself and so polluting that every person and thing that he touched became unclean. Hence the leper was dreaded in his every approach to his fellows. He was looked upon as dead while he lived, and his case was viewed as beyond human help.
The Leper’s Despair
Remember how the king of Israel cried out, “Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man does send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy?” If a leper did recover it was regarded as a making alive, a resurrection from death. This man knew, even better than anybody else, in what a wretched and loathsome state he was. His disease was ever before him. Leprosy is awful to look upon—what must it be to feel? Leprosy is terrible in description—what must it be in actual endurance? He knew that now, at last, he had come to the last stage of his malady, for Luke describes him as “full of leprosy.” He had come to the final stage and the disease was conspicuous upon him. His skin was foul and his joints were rotting. Very likely his fingers, his teeth, and hair were gone and soon he must die. Such was the mass of moving death of which we read, “Behold, there came a leper to Him.”
Approaching Jesus Despite the Disease
But he was not kept back by the fact that he was hopelessly and loathsomely diseased. Let us learn the lesson well. I earnestly pray that some poor guilty one, conscious of sin, horrified of himself, may now venture to come to Jesus! Though he feels the foul disease within him and fears that it has come to its worst, yet may he be emboldened to approach Him who can at once make him clean!
No One Helped the Leper
If you feel yourself to be a mass of loathsomeness and corruption, or, worse still, hardened and insensible in conscience, yet come to Jesus for healing! Even though you are truly described in our hymn as “self-abhorred,” yet come to Him who will not abhor you! Come at once, saying, “Lord, if You will, You can make me clean.” Let desperate cases come! Let hopeless cases come! I am imploring the Lord to let it be so. O my Brothers and Sisters in the Lord, I entreat you, plead with me!
Being Left Out of Society
Note with regard to this man, that others gave him up as hopeless. Persons hurried past him if he stood near the city gate. He was bound, himself, to warn them off by crying, “Unclean, unclean.” To him, the sweets of friendship and all the comforts of domestic life were unknown—he was a castoff and a castaway. The rulers of his people had looked upon him and pronounced him unclean and, therefore, he was banished from among men!
God’s Mercy for the Castaway
Is there such a one before me? Do your relatives shun you? Do people in decent society avoid you? Oh, that you had divine grace and faith to come to Jesus just as you are and fall at His feet and worship Him, for, rest assured, He can make you clean and give you a name and a place among His people! The hopeless are the very people that Jesus loves to save!
No One Would Take Him to Jesus
No one could or would take him to Jesus. He was too foul to be touched, too far gone to be the subject of hope. Here and there we meet with persons who have so often disappointed their friends that it is small wonder that they now keep them at a distance. Even an affectionate mother has said, “We have tried him many times, Sir, but it is of no use. We cannot help him anymore for he has drained the family.” The father almost prays to forget the prodigal, and the elder brother wishes never to see him again. It is a hard case when it comes to that—but such hard cases there are.
Coming to Jesus Alone
The world has in it men of whom society is sick. The profligate has been to this charitable person and to the other benevolent individual until everyone is weary of the peter-do-well, and no one feels that he could associate with him without becoming himself suspected of vice. By common consent, he is judged to be unfit for a reformatory, but well worthy of a prison. No one reasons with him, entreats him, or prays for him. He floats over the ocean of life as an abandoned wreck. He has turned infidel lately, and even his loving sister, who used to plead with him with tears in her eyes, now shudders when he comes near because his language has grown so sarcastic and blasphemous that the dear girl cannot bear it.
The Appeal to Come to Jesus
Now that no man cares for your soul, how earnestly do I wish that you would care for it yourself! Oh that you would form the singular and saving resolve that you will go to the Lord Jesus on your own account and so frustrate all the evil prophecies which have been uttered concerning you! Why will you perish, poor Soul? Why will you die? If there is such a person now before me, I pray from the bottom of my soul that he or she may now, with fixed determination, come to Jesus! O you angels, may you now have cause to cry out again, “Behold, there came a leper and worshipped Him!” There is one hand which would gladly lead you to Jesus—I stretch it out to you this morning. There is yet one heart that would plead with you to seek salvation—and if there is not another in the world, yet come along with you, come just as you are—and show your misery to the Lord of Mercy!
Coming Alone, Not for Others
Men have written out your death warrant, but the Lord Jesus has not signed it and therefore it cannot be executed. They call you a castaway, but the Lord gathers together the outcasts of Israel. His longsuffering in sparing your life means your salvation—“While the lamp holds out to burn, The vilest sinner may return.” Come, then, with all your sin about you! Repent of your transgressions and believe in Jesus, and you shall be clean!
No Precedents, No Promise, Yet Hope in Christ
In this man’s case, there was no precedent to encourage him. I do not find that our Lord had healed a leper up to that time. I do not think there was a case of the sort. Many diseases He had dealt with, but the Blessed One had not yet encountered “a man full of leprosy.” When there are plenty of precedents, there is a kind of paved way for us to travel—but this man had to make his own track. We can reason—“My father and my brother came to Jesus and were saved—why should not I?” This man could use no such argument.
Taking Bold Steps in the Face of Uncertainty
I wonder whether the poor creature had heard what Jesus said in the synagogue at Capernaum—it could not have been long before—“Many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the Prophet, and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.” I wonder whether he drew any kind of comfort from that utterance? Perhaps not. In any case, he must boldly lead the way and be the first leper that came to Jesus. O my Hearer, if never such a sinner as you are has been saved, make bold to lead the way! Dare to approach the living Lord who can make you clean!
Precedents and the Power of Christ’s Healing
Do not despair, even though you may not have heard of another sinner of your sort that ever was forgiven. As to most of you, my dear Hearers, you and the leper must part company on this point. He had no precedents, but you have very many. You know that Christ has saved sinners all around you. Some of you have at home a brother who was as bad as yourself, but he is now converted. You have heard your father tell how far he went astray, and yet the Lord brought him to Himself. Many of us now present can assure you that, “This Man receives sinners,” for He received us. We can witness, assuredly, that He is abundantly able to save, for He has manifested that power in our cases. With these precedents, wherein the Lord Jesus has saved persons like yourself, come to Him, I pray you, and prove that He is the same now, as ever.
No Promise, But Hope in Christ’s Will
Furthermore, this man had no promise. I do not find that Jesus ever said, “Come unto Me, you lepers, and I will heal you.” I do not know that any of His Apostles had been sent forth to preach, saying, “Come to Jesus, all you lepers, and He will cleanse you.” There was no promise to that effect, save that our Lord Himself is a consolidated promise. The very fact of His being here below is a mountain range of promises to our fallen race! Without any verbal promise, this man came and said, “Lord, if You will, You can.” My dear Hearers, I cannot say to any of you that you may not come to Jesus because there is no promise for you. Far from it! If there were no promise, I would exhort you to seek mercy as the Ninevites did when they said, “Who can tell?” But the promises are plentiful as the stars.
Jesus Will Not Turn Away Anyone
“Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” “Whoever confesses and forsakes his sins shall find mercy.” “He that believes and is baptized shall be saved.” “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.” Will you not be drawn by these promises and will you not come when such a promise as this stands before you—“Him that comes to Me I will in no wise cast out”?
The Leper’s Faith and Submission
The blessed doctrine of election does not hinder you, for all who come are elect! The sacred truth of the new birth does not bar you, for he that believes is born again! I pray you, come and show yourself to the great Healer and He will not turn you away. Again, this man had no invitation. Our Lord had not called him. He had never said, “Come, you lepers; come, and be healed.” There was nobody to command or persuade him to come. There was nobody to cheer him in coming, much less any to compel him to come! Of himself, constrained by a divine impulse unknown to anybody else, this leper resolved to come and found himself welcome though he had not been expressly bidden.
Come to Jesus Alone, Without Excuse
To you, my dear Hearers, I cannot say that you have no invitation, for we are always crying to you, Come, you weary and heavy-laden. Come, for Jesus calls. “The Spirit and the Bride say, Come. Whoever will, let him come and take of the Water of Life freely.” The invitations of mercy are sent out on a broad scale since we are bid to “preach the Gospel to every creature.” “Whoever will, let him come.” Yes, they of the hedges and the highways are to be compelled to come in! What shall I say? If you are lost, it will not be for lack of an invitation! If you turn your back on Christ, you shall not say in Hell that you were not entreated to come to Him! I implore you to come to Jesus even as this leper came and I pray the Holy Spirit to make my entreaties effectual with you.