Unforgiveness: Leprosy Of The Heart
And it happened when He was in a certain city, that behold, a man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, 'Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.' Then He put out His Hand and touched him, saying, 'I am willing; be cleansed.' Immediately the leprosy left him.
Luke 5:12-13 (NKJV)
Surely, unforgiveness is a demon that ruins healthy lives– like leprosy! In Bible days, victims of leprosy were cut from families, isolated, and forced to call themselves, 'Unclean! Unclean!' (Leviticus 13:45).
Physically, leprosy is a germ, that’s called “Mycobacterium leprae.”
'The bacteria attack nerve endings and destroy the body's ability to feel pain and injury. Without feeling pain, people injure themselves and the injuries can become infected, resulting in tissue loss. Fingers and toes become shortened and deformed as the cartilage is absorbed into the body… Even today, 4 million people have disabilities as a result of leprosy. 200,000 new cases of leprosy are reported every year.’ (American Leprosy Missions).*
'A world without pain? Can such a place exist? It not only can--it does. But it's no utopia. It's a colony for leprosy patients: a world where people literally feel no pain, and reap horrifying consequences' (The Gift of Pain).**
I call the condition of unforgiveness… ‘leprosy of the heart’ – and it’s DEADLY! It’s like a perpetual heart attack. Its victims become:
Uncaring: 'Impudent and hard-hearted' (Ezekiel 3:7).
Unfeeling: 'Being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart' (Ephesians 4:18).
Unseeing: ‘Lest they should see with their eyes, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them' (John 12:40).
Heal them? Yes! Internally and externally. Surely healthy minds and healthy bodies come from spiritually healthy hearts. To that end, the condition of our hearts is of primary importance to God.
Those of us who harbor unforgiveness are harboring a terrible spirit. If so, we are indeed, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’
Unforgiveness: Leprosy Of The Heart (Part 1)
* American Leprosy Missions: https://leprosy.org/about-leprosy/
** The Gift of Pain is a critically acclaimed book by Dr. Paul Brand (renowned surgeon working with leprosy patients) and Philip Yancey (award-winning writer): http://www.philipyancey.com/the-gift-of-pain
NOTE: This is a 2023 update of a 2013 Carey Lewis Devotion. You may see notes to 'Actors, Models & Talent for Christ.' If you think you're not in show business, think again. Shakespeare said, 'All the world's a stage and all its men and women merely players. Mostly true. But you're not merely players. You are messengers and ambassadors for the King of kings.