Wisconsin offers numerous opportunities for hikes with incredible views. Devil’s Lake State Park features a natural quartzite arch and panoramic views of Devil’s Lake. The trails at High Cliff State Park lead you to a 40-foot observation tower showing off expansive views of Lake Winnebago. The trail at Lion’s Den Gorge Nature Preserve walks through forests and wetlands and ends with a 100-foot bluff overlooking lake Michigan. Willow River State Park features a trail that descends to the base of a multi-tiered waterfall called Willow Falls. There are more options with more beautiful views, but I think you get the picture.
Let’s imagine we are taking a hike. A seasoned guide gives us a map, but instead of starting the climb, we stand at the base analyzing every twist and turn on the map. We start working through questions among ourselves. What’s the weather forecast? Do we have enough equipment? Are we strong enough for the climb? Are the trail conditions safe and clear? Do we have enough time for the climb? The questions seem to continue on endlessly.
Meanwhile, a different hiking group that arrived at the base the same time we did are now at the summit. They are already enjoying the breathtaking views, fresh air, and resting in peace. We, on the other hand, are just starting our climb! We will now arrive at the summit much later in the day causing the sun to be lower and nightfall to be dangerously close to our return trip to the base.
When we delay trusting God, we are like the hikers who waste precious time with fear and doubt because our view of God is out of focus. We cannot see if He truly is good, ever-present, and full of compassion because our doubt and fear blur our view. Our delays cause us to see delay in some blessings, minimize other blessings, and yet still miss some blessings altogether.
God has proven Himself faithful – we can trust Him! However, we must sharpen our focus on God Proverbs 3:5-6). Believers, respond to the temptation of delayed trust in God with a proper view of God.
The Leper- Mark 1:40-45
The Lord had an undesirable person (a leper) come to Him. In fact, Luke 5:12 says the man was “full of leprosy.” This was a loathsome disease. It is believed this is the first leper the Lord heals – actually, in the gospel of Matthew, it was the first miracle of healing the Lord performed.
Imagine with me a first-time visitor entering the doors of our church. They are dressed differently from the culture of the community and come off slightly odd. Maybe they smell bad because they haven’t showered in days (or longer). As they enter the sanctuary, if you stand off to the side, you can watch it happen. People adjust their pathways to avoid contact, quietly change their seating, and those “knowing glances” are in the same direction. No one says it out loud, but the unspoken message is distinct: “You do not belong here" …or worse, “We don’t want you here!” So, they sit by themselves, and no one greets them or attempts to show kindness towards them. At the end of the service, they leave the same way they came in the church: unseen, untouched, and unwanted.
This is the life of one with leprosy, or as in today’s world, the life of the outcast.
The Physical Realities of Leprosy:
The Bible refers to numerous skin diseases with the term leprosy. Leprosy was painful and would disfigure a person in a progressive manner. The unfortunate victims of leprosy could experience various struggles like extremities losing their feeling, their skin could decay, and the person would have to yield to increased isolation as the disease progressed. The real heartache to this disease was that there was no known cure (aside from Divine intervention).
The Cultural and Religious Impact of Leprosy:
Leviticus 13-14 reveals that a leprous person would be declared ritually unclean. This would be devastating! They would then have to live outside the camp or city and also yell, “Unclean! Unclean!” to those in their proximity (Lev. 13:45-46). This would also mean they would be barred from temple worship and other parts of religious life. So, leprosy was a health issue that required social isolation and removal from religious life.
The Relational Struggle of Leprosy:
The scriptures show us that the devastation of leprosy goes deeper than these things. Many families who genuinely loved a leprous relative would most likely be tempted to contact them and show them they were not forgotten, and they are loved. However, Numbers 5:2-3 declared that anyone who touched a leper would also become unclean – and the same isolation rules would then be applied to them.
The leper asked for the Lord to “make me clean.” This was more than healing. This was restoration to social and religious opportunities. This was the whole package! Now look at the radical choice of Jesus…Jesus touches the leper! This choice puts Jesus in danger of ritual impurity according to Jewish law. But this is Jesus! Instead of becoming impure, a touch from Jesus heals the leper!!
This is a striking faith on the part of the leper! The leper communicates faith in the authority and willingness of Jesus – and this Divine healing shows Jesus Christ’s power over disease, power to restore in every way (physically, socially, relationally, culturally, religiously), and power over the limitations of rituals.
The leper represents the outcasts of society, and he doesn’t waste time doubting the Lord’s power. He doesn’t waste time ignoring the Lord’s presence. He doesn’t even waste time pursuing a pity party…He goes to the Lord – not certain what outcome he will receive, but VERY certain of the Lord’s power (“if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean”).
We would all be thrilled with someone handing us a free airline ticket to a new life. Plane tickets can be pretty pricy these days – this would be amazing! There is one catch: you have to board the plane right now. Unfortunately, you stand at the gate and start second guessing everything:
What if the seats are uncomfortable?
What if the pilot isn’t trained well enough?
What if there is a storm in our path?
What if I don’t like the destination once I arrive?!
You end up hesitating too long, the gate doors close, the plane pulls away, and the tickets in your hands ignite into flames! It’s too late!
Sometimes we waste so much time deciding if we will trust God or not that we lose out on blessing!
Believer, stop wasting time with doubts
Gen. 3:1; Matt. 21:22; II Cor. 5:7
Believer, stop wasting time with ignorance
II Tim. 2:15; Jn. 13:17; II Pet. 3:17
Believer, stop wasting time pursing self-pity
Prov. 16:18-19; James 4:6, 10; I Peter 5:6
Invest your time in trusting the Lord – “If thou wilt, thou canst…” May we sharpen our focus on the Bible view of God and move forward trusting Him!