What Happens When the Beautiful Touches the Ugly
God did not wait for us to become right with Him before stepping into our messes and redeeming us
“A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”
Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy.” (Matthew 8:2–3, NIV)
I read this a few days ago during my quiet time and verse 3 really stuck out to me this time reading it — “Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man.”
Why did Jesus do that?
He didn’t have to touch him to heal him; read just a few verses down and you have the story of Jesus healing the centurion’s servant from afar with just a word. And that’s the most striking point:
Jesus didn’t have to touch the man with leprosy, but he did.
The man with leprosy was ‘unclean’; he probably had some sort of noticeable skin disease. It didn’t make Jesus distance himself. Instead, Jesus touched him first and then healed him.
And that touch probably meant everything to this man, used to others distancing themselves from him. I recall how big-news it was when the pope hugged, kissed, and prayed for a disfigured man.
There is something about the beautiful touching the ugly that strikes at the core of our hearts and fills us with wonder.
My lack of love
I think about the people I shy away from, the ones I think twice about shaking hands with, the ones I wouldn’t hug. It’s not so much an indication that they are too dirty or smelly or ugly, but it’s more an indication of the lack of love within me. I know this because, when it comes to my loved ones they could never be too dirty, smelly, ugly, sick, or old for me to sit with them, have a relationship with them, and hug them.
Touch of love
I think that’s also why Jesus touched the man with leprosy. He wanted to show him dignity, but also let the man know He loved him, truly loved him. And it is a reminder to all of us that He is willing to touch us where we are most ashamed, sinful, ugly, and dirty.
God’s love surpasses all of this; He heals and redeems us.
Often the ugliest parts of us are the unseen parts of our hearts. However, God did not wait for us to become beautiful and right with Him before stepping into our messes and redeeming us. God did not have to become a man, die, suffer in our stead, and offer us redemption, but He did.
How great is His love for you and me!
“Anyone could be attracted by the beautiful and the charming. But could such attraction be called love? True love was to accept humanity when wasted like rags and tatters.” — Endo Shusaku, Silence
This serves as a reminder to me to not be so quick to ‘heal’ from afar. Instead, build relationships with people, especially those who are used to being distanced from and isolated by the religious.
Stepping into the mess
It’s easy to say to people from afar “You shall not lust!” But it’s messy to step into their struggles with them, to understand them, to see them as more than their struggles, and walk with them through life.
There is much messiness in our world today with politics, with moral issues, with religion. It’s so easy to talk about theoretical ideals from afar without getting into the mess, the hurt, and the brokenness.
As disciples of Christ, we are called into the mess.
As disciples, we go where our Master goes. When He steps into people’s messy lives, into the ugliness and brokenness within all of us, we follow. We learn to love people with a love that looks past the ugliness. A love that sees the beauty and worth of a people that Jesus was willing to die for.
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8, NIV)
Originally published at http://www.theimmeasurablymore.com
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