Daily Devotion

 With Pastor Ancel Presnell

“AND HE CALLED HIM LORD”

As Jesus made His way off the mountain where He delivered His astonishing “Sermon on the Mount,” the first record of Him being called Lord in Matthew’s Gospel is recorded. The leper addressed Him as Lord (Greek–Kyrios). The word means master, but the lepers address to Christ as such shows his belief in Christ’s authority and power. (Walvoord, Thy Kingdom Come, 1974)

There is no doubt that the crowd that was following Jesus off the mountain kept their distance from this leper. This was customary for them to do so because the leper was deemed unclean. This leper paid no regard to the people, he was zoned in on Jesus, the very master who preached like none other on the mountain.

The leper’s statement of healing was preceded by worship of the Lord. This is so significant because it demonstrates his sincerity. He was not merely looking for a quick fix from a miracle worker, he was looking for a Messiah to worship and to meet his every need. The leper declares to the Lord, “I know you can make me clean if you will.” Jesus replied: “I will.” Praise God, what a life changing moment for this leper, He demonstrates faith in Christ as Lord, and the icing on the cake is his physical healing too. His leprosy was immediately healed.

In keeping with the Law of God, Jesus commands the leper to go show himself to the priest for official recognition of his healing. This shows Christ’s continued adherence to the Law. Here He is, the Great High Priest, and yet He stays in keeping of God’s Law. He did so because He was, is, and always will be the perfect Lamb of God and our High Priest.

Do you call Him Lord? Better yet, do you worship Him as Lord? Talk is cheap, we can declare He is Lord with our lips and yet deny His Lordship with our lives and lack of worship. He is indeed Lord; may we always worship Him as such and enter His courts with thanksgiving and praise!

Matthew 8:1—4 “¹ When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. ² And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. ³ And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. ⁴ And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.”