Matthew 8:1-4

8 When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. 2 A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”3 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. 4 Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

I just love how Matthew tells this story.  Just after the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is asked very kindly if he may heal this sick and possibly contagious person.   Jesus does something humbling in return!  Jesus touches the man to show love, and heals the man.  Unlike similar stories in the other gospels, Matthew tells this story as a cliff hanger.  Does the man with leprecy go to the Temple to be examined as commanded in the law?  Or does this leper go back home, possibly getting the disease again, and sending Jesus into the Wilderness because he touched an unclean person?  Let us not answer this question, but instead think of a time when:

1. We have heard Jesus speak to us

2. We ask a favor in return

3. He shows us love

Are we obedient after this love is shown to us?

I suggest we stop our work, or whatever we are doing right now and spend a moment with God to answer this question.