I am willing, Be clean!

Daily Scripture Threshing for Today, Friday, May 16, 2025

Today's Text: Matthew 8:1-4

Key Verse: Matthew 8:3 (NIV): "Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. 'I am willing,' he said. 'Be clean!' Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy."

Imagine a potter working with clay, shaping and molding it with intention and care. In today's scripture, we witness Jesus, the ultimate Potter, reaching out to a man afflicted with leprosy, a disease that not only isolated and stigmatized the man, but also spiritually incapacitated him. But Jesus's act of physical touch, not just broke societal norms, it broke religious and spiritual barriers. This is a spiritual portrait of Christ's willingness to bridge our separation from God and others. But even more profound are the words he said: "I am willing, be clean!" This reveals not only the power of Jesus to heal and deliver but also His deep desire to restore us to wholeness.

Just as it is in the will of a potter to shape the clay according to his desire, Jesus willed our healing and deliverance. His "I am willing" in this text is not just to one, but to us all. It underscores His compassionate heart for us. From His heart, he sees beyond our outward affliction to our inherent worth as individuals. Leprosy, in Jesus's days, was not just a physical ailment; it symbolized spiritual defilement and social exclusion. So, His willingness to touch and heal this man is a demonstration of God's desire to cleanse us from any/every thing that separates us – our sins, our fears, and feelings of unworthiness. The instancy of the cleansing should be enough to show us that the power and authority in thecword and name of Jesus. When He speaks, healing and restoration happen.

Are we willing to come to Jesus, who is willing to help us? How much do we acknowledge our need for His touch and cleansing like that leper did? We may not suffer from physical leprosy, but we all carry burdens, wounds, and impurities that hinder our relationship with God and others; and Jesus' "I am willing" remains constant. He is always ready to meet us where we are, to extend His hand of grace, and to speak words of healing and wholeness into our lives. However, just as the clay must be yielded to the potter's hand, we must be willing to surrender our brokenness and allow Jesus to work His will in us.

Action Steps: Reflect on areas in your life where you need cleansing and healing, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual. Approach Jesus with humility. Acknowledge your need for His touch. Believe in His power and desire to bring wholeness to your life. Consider how you can extend this same willingness and compassion to others in your sphere of influence, and in reaching out to those who feel marginalized or unclean.

Quote for the Day: "Jesus is always willing to touch and heal the brokenness in our lives. But our willingness to come to Him is the first step towards wholeness." (Simon Olatunji #quotablequote)

Let Us Pray: Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the powerful example of Jesus' willingness to heal and cleanse. I acknowledge my need for Your touch in the areas of my life that feel unclean or broken. Grant me the courage to come to You with humility and faith, believing in Your desire and power to make me whole. Help me also to extend that same willingness and compassion to others, reflecting Your love to those around me — in Jesus's precious name. Amen.

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Thank you for being part of this journey. For additional reading on today's meditation, read: Leviticus 13:45-46, Mark 1:40-42, and Luke 5:12-13.

With all my love and prayers,

Rev Simon Wale Olatunji, Ph.D.

Your Darling Bishop (DaBishop)

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