“Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” (Luke 5:12 NAS95)
The simplicity of this prayer captures the imagination. No flowery language to camouflage intent. The man speaking appears desperate, yet he carries a subtle doubt: “If you are willing”? He wonders could Jesus want to restore me to health? Does Jesus desire my wholeness? The man after all lives as an outcast, a leper, and maybe one in the final stages of the disease. At times, we can carry this same question even though our heart issues may differ. Is God, and in this case, Jesus, willing, willing to bring wholeness and peace into my life and circumstance? This question can lie deep within our own souls, especially when the going gets rough.
Jesus doesn’t simply say, “be cleansed.” He answers the leper’s doubt about the goodness of God’s desires, love and heart toward him. Jesus says, “I am willing.” He, as the one who most perfectly represents the Father, reveals God’s heart toward us. He is willing and wants to act within us so that we can enjoy the wholeness in life He’s always desired for us. We just have to ask. Jesus’ reply reflected zero reluctance and He desired to cure both the doubt and the disease for this man. The shape of God’s answers to our requests may differ from what we’d thought, but His willingness to form us toward wholeness can never be doubted. He is willing. He desires our shalom. Jesus’ response dispels all doubt about the goodness of God’s desires for us. Just ask. You’ll see.
For Reflection:
“He brought me forth also into a broad place; He rescued me, because He delighted in me.” (Psalms 18:19 NAS95)
- What kinds of situations or sorts of things cause you to doubt the goodness of God’s desires for you?
- In what ways has God’s goodness surprised you in the recent past?
