In the Bible, the word leprosy is mentioned upwards of 40 times. Leprosy is a painful and infectious disease that is seen on the skin. The symptoms range from white patches on the skin to running sores to the loss of digits on the fingers and toes. Incurable by man, many believed God inflicted the curse of leprosy upon people for the sins they committed. A leper wasn’t allowed to come within six feet of any other human, including his own family. The disease was considered so revolting that the leper wasn’t permitted to come within 150 feet of anyone when the wind was blowing. Lepers lived in a community with other lepers until they either got better or died. This was the only way the people knew to contain the spread of the contagious forms of leprosy.

The Miracle

Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed.Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: “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.”