I am the Leper
Based on Matthew 8:2-3
“And a man with leprosy came to Him and bowed down before Him, and said, 'Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.' Jesus reached out with His hand and touched him, saying, 'I am willing; be cleansed.' And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.”
I am the Leper
By Chelsea Chatterton
It swirled around him,
The contagion, the filth.
It filled him with pain,
Overwhelmed him with guilt.
Everyone could see,
Everyone knew,
He was dirty on the outside,
The inside too.
But Christ came along,
He cried out with hope.
He just couldn’t imagine
How he was to cope.
“Lord, if You are willing,
I could be cleansed.
I could return to my family,
My suffering would end.”
All he did was cry out,
He simply asked with belief.
Simple words for redemption,
An end to his grief.
Jesus looked at him,
Not staying away,
But touched a man others avoided.
No one would stay.
Christ covered the gap.
He came to the man.
He knew Christ was able.
“Surely, He can.”
The man was tired of suffering,
Tired of pain,
The look down their noses
Again and again.
As he lay on the ground,
Turned out by them all,
He encountered the Christ
Whom, in love, conquered all.
Jesus knew then, the price to be paid.
He could have come down,
In perfect love, though,
He stayed.
He said, “I am willing.”
He said, “I will stay.”
None could imagine
The pain and anguish that day.
As the blood trickled down,
Son and Father were parted.
The sky went black
And fearful eyes darted.
The price paid.
The body laid.
“I am willing,” He said.
“We’ll be killing.” They said.
He knew what they’d do.
Knew the suffering to come,
But He did it for His children.
Paid for every one.
The joy set before Him,
To be with us in communion.
The perfect love kept Him there;
The Father’s will to be done.
The heart of the Father,
Willingness of the Son.
I was set free that day.
It is finished. It’s done.
Thinking back to the leper.
Thinking back to the cross.
“I am willing, be cleansed.”
And oh, what a cost!
Glory, Hallelujah!
He was willing to be
The recipient of God’s wrath,
Full payment on that tree.
Now the work has been done.
There is no more to do.
He laid it out, paid it out.
For me and for you.
And I sit alone filthy,
Turned away from this world,
Calling out to my Lord
While insults are hurled.
“Christ, if You are willing,
I know I can be clean.
Your love’s never ending…
This world’s so mean.”
And He looks at me now,
Not in judgment or shame,
Says, “you never pick this up.
No, never again.”
“I paid the full price,
Perfect and true.
I bled on the cross,
Blood ran out for you.”
“For all that you’ve done
All that you’ve thought.
I bought you, My child
And now you’ve been taught…”
“You can’t do this alone.
You can’t muscle through sin.
But I can my Love,
Just let Me in.”
“I did it already.
Stop looking for a new way,
The gift’s been delivered.
Receive it today!”
“Receive all the healing,
Receive all the peace,
Throw off the burden.
The payment’s complete.”
“For I wrote your new chapter,
Wrote with blood on the wood.
No one else would ever do it.
No one else ever could.”
“You are Mine now, My child.
Adoption complete.
You belong to Me now.
Every breath, every beat.”
“Beloved, begin living!
Though you’re still on this earth,
I am with you now always,
Ever since your rebirth.”
“You called out to Me,
And I knew you would cry.
I knew you would fail,
And I knew I would die.”
“‘Cause I loved you so much,
More than you could imagine.
Suffering in love,
More than you could ever fathom.”
“You’ve grieved Me to be sure,
Sometimes you don’t call,
But I am waiting for you.
I’m the Healer of all.”
“I’ll be watching and waiting.
I’ll be anticipating,” you sigh,
“Lord, please be willing,
Please hear my cry.”
I’ll tell you, “of course.
This is why I had to die.”
So we could be together,
So we could be one.
So We could live in you,
Father, Spirit and Son.”
“So, I tell you My child,
You’ll fail and you’ll fall…
Remember, I’m willing,
BE CLEANSED FROM IT ALL.”
