Let us open our Bibles together
today to Matthew chapter eight. Matthew chapter eight and reading
the first four verses. When he was come down from the
mountain, you know, chapter five and verse one, begins telling
us, if you look back, seeing the multitudes, he went up into
a mountain. And then from there to the end
of chapter 7, chapters 5, 6, and 7, we have the longest recorded
sermon of our Lord in the scripture, the Sermon on the Mount. And
now we are told, when he was come down from the mountain,
great multitudes followed him. And behold, there came a leper
and worshiped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make
me clean. And Jesus put forth his hand
and touched him, saying, I will, be thou clean. and immediately
his leprosy was cleansed. The title of my message is Jesus
Touched Him. Verse three tells us, he put
forth his hand and touched him, saying, I will be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was
cleansed. I'm sure that we've all heard
the poem touched by the master's hand, three dollars once, three
dollars twice, going for three. But no, from the room far back,
a gray-haired man came forward and picked up the bow. Then wiping
the dust from the old violin and tightening the loosened strings,
he played a melody pure and sweet as a caroling angel sings. The music ceased and the auctioneer,
with a voice that was quiet and low, said, what am I bid for
the old violin? and he held it up with a bow.
A thousand dollars, and who'll make it two? Two thousand, and
who'll make it three? Three thousand once, three thousand
twice, and going and gone, said he. The people cheered, but some
of them cried. We do not quite understand what
changed its worth. Swift came the reply, the touch
of the master's hand. And many a man with life out
of tune and battered and scarred with sin is auctioned cheap to
the thoughtless crowd, much like the old violin. That's a beautiful
poem, but I want us to consider These verses of scripture would
speak of this man who was truly touched by the master's hand. First, the man in our text who
was touched by the master's hand had a problem much greater than
a little dust and some loose strings. He was a leper. He was a leper. And I would just remind all of
us here today that this man with his leprosy, he may serve as
a pitcher or as a type of you and me of all of Adam's fallen
race as we come into this world. You see, and I know this will
not be new to many of you, most of you today, but the Bible teaches
what men have come to call the fall. the fall of Adam. Adam was created in the image
of God, and he was a representative man. He was the head of all mankind,
and he stood in the place of you and I. And men may argue about what
is meant by the fall, the depravity of man, But I want to share with
you first of all today what God declares about the heart of every
man and every woman as we come into this world. And let me just
try to emphasize this as personally as I may. You were not excluded. You were not excluded. Each and
every one of us were represented by Adam, and the Bible says,
by one man, and that one man is Adam. By one man, sin entered
into the world. The Fall. Before the flood, let's
hear what God had to say about the heart of man, fallen man
before the flood. In Genesis chapter 6 and verse
5, we read, God saw that the wickedness of man was great in
the earth and that every, every imagination and thoughts of his
heart was only evil continually. And so God in judgment swept
away all men and women except those eight souls inside the
ark. Well, did the flood erase the
evil, the wicked heart of men? God gave His law later. What
does God say now after the law has been given? In Jeremiah chapter
17 and verse 9, God said, the heart is deceitful above all
things. Now let me tell you something,
that's your heart. That's my heart. as we came into
this world. You were not exempt. I was not
exempt. We all received from our father
Adam a heart that is deceitful above all things and desperately
wicked. But what about the heart after
the Lord Jesus Christ came into this world? Well, let me tell
you what he said when he was here in the flesh. Those things
that proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart, and
they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed
evil thoughts. Have you ever had an evil thought?
I know you have. That's a rhetorical question,
isn't it? I know you have. Why? Because you have a heart,
you were born with a heart that is desperately wicked and deceitful
above all things. We all were. For out of the heart,
the Lord Jesus Christ said, proceed evil thoughts, murders. You ever hated someone? The law is spiritual, my friends. Saul of Tarsus, he was able to
look at the Ten Commandments, if you consider that the moral
law, and say, I've kept every one of these. until God, by the
power of the Holy Spirit, showed him that the law is spiritual. It's not just what we do, our
actions, but it also involves our thoughts. The heart is deceitful
above all things. For out of the heart proceed
evil thoughts, murders, adulteries. Fornication. Ever had lust in your heart? Adulteries. Fornication. Thefts. False witness. Have you ever
told a lie? To be guilty at one point is
to be guilty of the whole law, the Apostle James tells us. Blasphemies. These are the things
which defile a man. What about after the Lord Jesus
Christ ascended back to the Father, after He had died upon the cross
and been raised? Was man's heart changed? Well,
listen to the Apostle Paul in Romans chapter 8 and verse 7,
for the carnal mind, and that's that nature, that heart with
which we come into this world, The carnal mind is enmity with
God. It is not subject to the law
of God, neither indeed can be. Enmity. You know, that doesn't
say enemy, it says enmity. An enemy may be reconciled, but
enmity, there's no cure for that. Enmity. The carnal mind, the
heart, with which we come into this world. Man's sinfulness,
his defilement. As you see, this leper, the scripture
says the Lord touched him. Doesn't say healed him, does
it? Doesn't say healed him. Leprosy
was a disease, a physical disease. There's no question about that.
Now he healed men who were, one man was born blind. He healed
him. He gave him sight. He opened
the ears of many people. He gave strength to the lame
to walk. He healed them. But to the leper,
he didn't heal. He cleansed. Why? Why does it
read like that if it is an infirmity, a sickness? Because of all the
infirmities and there are thousands of them that men may have, that
you may have had in your life, but there was one that God chose
to picture and to be a type of sin. And that was leprosy. Leprosy. Man's sinfulness. His defilement has two parts,
guilt and pollution. Guilt and pollution. We come into this world with
a deceitful heart, with a fallen nature, and we are guilty before
God. We are guilty before God's justice,
but not only are we guilty, But we are also polluted, polluted
before God's holiness. A man's guilt means that he is
punishable. A man's pollution makes him offensive
to God. Now, both the truth of man's
guilt and pollution were brought out in God's law concerning leprosy. There's two chapters in the book
of Leviticus, chapters 13 and 14, where God deals with the
matter of leprosy. And both bring out guilt and
pollution. His guilt, the man's guilt is
pictured when he went to the priest, and that is what the
law commanded, to go to the priest, and the priest would examine
him, wherever the leprosy might be on his body, and the priest
would determine, yes, it's leprosy. It's leprosy. In other words,
his guilt was determined. And your guilt and my guilt has
been determined by God. We're all guilty before God. That's serious, isn't it? That's
you. You're guilty before God. And
don't you think, my friend, that you're going to escape the
judgment of God unless someone somehow takes away your guilt. And then his pollution, the leper's
pollution, was pictured in the fact that he was put out of the
camp. He's found guilty. He's examined. He's found guilty. The priest
says, yes, that's leprosy. What's the punishment? Out of the camp. Put out of the
camp. He can no longer. Why? Because
he's polluted. He's out of the camp. He can
no longer live in the same tent with his family, in the same
camp with the nation of Israel. He's outside the camp. Why? He's
polluted. He's polluted. Well, I know this
this morning, as in that poem, Touched by the Master's Hand,
religion tells people, well, just pick yourself off and dust
yourself off a little bit. Just dust off the dust, you know.
Just tighten the strings a little bit. Make a change, a reformation. Start going to church. Get baptized. Whatever. That's what religion tells me. Why? Because religion looks at
fallen man like the old violin. Just a little dusty. Just a few
strings that need to be screwed and put back into order. But the problem is, my friends,
man, his problem is on the inside. And religion always deals with
the outside. Have you noticed that? It always
deals with the outside. It tells you to clean up your
life. It tells you to start dressing a certain way. It tells you to
comb your hair a certain way. Tells you to walk a certain way.
I mean, religion has all kinds of rules and regulations to make
you a better citizen, no doubt. But for you to be reconciled
unto God, God has to do something. Just like this man. If you had
told this man, this leper, well, just pick yourself up. Just stop
going to the places where you go. Don't do the things you've
been doing. Do you think that would have
cleansed his leprosy? Of course not. Of course not. Man's problem is on the inside. What he needs is a new heart. You've heard this illustration
before. It's still good. A pig loves to get in the mud,
don't they? They just love to get in the
mud. They don't have any sweat glands, I'm told. And so it's
natural for them to want to get in the mud and just wallow around.
They're at home. They love it. If it were possible somehow to
take the heart out of that swine and put the heart of a lamb there,
it wouldn't go back to the hog pen anymore, would it? It wouldn't
seek out the mud. Why? Because it would have a
new heart, a new nature. And it's not the nature of a
lamb to wallow in the mud. Man, he needs God to do something
for him, just like this leper. Well, that was my first point. The man in our text. who was
touched by the master's hand had a problem much greater than
a little dust and some loose strings. My second point is this. The master in our text is much
greater than a gray-haired man far back in the room. That's the way the poem reads,
isn't it? An old man, gray-haired man,
far back in the room. Well, all the gray-haired men
in the world could not help this leper. All the gray-haired men in the
world could not help you. The master in our text is much
greater than a gray-haired man far back in the room. So I thought
about that. the gray-haired man, I thought
about what the scripture says about the hair of the Lord Jesus
Christ. In Revelation chapter one, when
the Lord appeared to John on the Isle of Patmos, the apostle
John, and he saw him, he said this about him, his hairs were
white like wool, as white as snow. not gray-haired, white
as snow. Turn back with me to the book
of Daniel just a moment. Daniel chapter 7. Daniel chapter 7. In verse 9, I beheld to the thrones
were cast down, and the ancient of days did sit, whose garment
was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool. His throne was like the fiery
flame, and his wills as burning fire. Down to verse 13, I saw
in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man came
with the clouds of heaven and came to the Ancient of Days,
and they brought Him near before Him. And verse 22, until the Ancient
of Days came and judgment was given to the saints of the Most
High, and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. When John saw the Lord Jesus
Christ with hair as white as snow, this reminds us that the
master in our text, the master who touched this man is more
than just a man. His hair was white, the ancient
of days. In other words, it pictures to
us that he is God himself, God manifest in the flesh. So one
verse tells us his hair was white, but let me give you another verse
in the song of Solomon that tells us his hair was bushy and black. He said, well, how do you explain
that? How can a man have both white hair, completely white
hair like white wool, but at the same time have black hair,
bushy and black. How is that possible? Because
we know that this man was unlike all other men, and that he is
both God and man. And the white pictured the fact
that he is God, the Ancient of Days, the Eternal God, and the
black hair pictures that he is born of a woman. that he is a
man, not two persons, one person, but he has two natures. He's
both God and he's man. He's man that he might be touched
with the feelings of our infirmities, the scripture says. You go through tragedies and
trials and temptations and you think, well, nobody understands
me. Nobody's ever gone this way before. Listen, the Lord Jesus
Christ was tested or tempted in all points like as we are,
yet without sin. Why? That he might be a merciful
and faithful high priest. As having black hair as man,
he knows he's been here with the exception of sin. He knows
what it is to be tired from a journey. He knows what it is to be hungry.
And yes, He even knows what it is to grow in wisdom and stature. And yet, He's God Almighty. God Almighty. He came sent by
God the Father, and He effectively Effectively. Effectively. He didn't just try. He got the
job done. He came sent by the Father to
effectively deal with man's guilt and pollution. The work of Christ in removing
man's guilt meant that at the cross The sins of His people
were charged to Him. The sins of His people, as the
prophet Isaiah said, were laid upon Him and He bore them in
His own body on the tree. He became guilty before God Almighty
when our sin was charged to Him and He became responsible for
the sins of His people You say, well, how did he remove the guilt?
He paid the debt, he was buried, and he rose from the dead. The
guilt, the guilt is paid. But what about the pollution? Thank God at the cross, at the
cross. When those nails were driven
through his hands, And that spear was plunged into his side. God
was opening up a fountain. A fountain that he had told about
in the prophecy of Zachariah over 400 years before Christ
came. In that day, what day? The day
that Christ stood in the stead and in the place of his people. God opened up a fountain for
sin. and for uncleanness. And like
the hymn writer says, sinners plunge beneath that flood, lose
all their guilty stains. You say, all? Yes, all. Thank God, all. You mean there's
not just a little tint of a stain left? No, no. This fountain removes
all sin. I want you to look back to Zechariah
with me a moment. Turn back there, it's I think
the second from the last book, isn't it? Zechariah in the Old
Testament. Zechariah chapter 3. Here we have a man named Joshua,
the high priest, but he's a type He's a type, he's a picture of
all who are made kings and priests unto God by Christ. He's a type. We read, and he
showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of
the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.
And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan. Even the Lord that hath chosen
Jerusalem rebuke thee. Is not this a bran plucked out
of the fire? And did you know that's what
I am? And that's what you are? If you're saved, you're a bran
plucked out of the fire. Is this not a bran plucked out
of the fire? Why, sure. Every believer is
a bran plucked out of the fire. We were children of wrath, Paul
says, even as others. In other words, we deserve the
wrath of God. We merited the wrath of God because
of our sin. And yet, he reached down. Just
like the Lord Jesus touched this man, he reached down. and plucked us as it ran from
the burning. Now Joshua was clothed with filthy
garments, there we are, polluted in our own blood, filthy garments,
and stood before the angel. And he answered and spake unto
those that stood before him saying, take away, take away the filthy
garments. Oh, all that sin, all that pollution,
take it away. Take it away. There's only one
thing that will take it away, and that's the blood of Christ. Take it away. Take away the filthy
garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold,
I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee. Bless God,
He doesn't just take away the filthy garments. He doesn't just
wash us clean from our pollution, but He clothes us. You say, what are we clothed
with? The righteousness of Christ. You remember when that prodigal
came home in our Lord's parable? The older brother, he was a religious
man, He didn't know much about the grace of God, and he didn't
have any mercy, any pity on his brother. He'd gone off and spent
all of his money on harlots and everything else, and here he
comes back, you know, he's all beaten up and battered up. The
world has mistreated him, and he brought it all on himself
by his sin. Well, I would imagine the father's
going to say, well, look at you. You wanted your way. You knew
what was right. Look at you, how you've come
back. Get back in one of the servants'
quarters. That's where you're going to
live. Oh, no. That's what the prodigal thought,
right? He said, I'm going to tell my
father, I'm not worthy to be one of your sons, but make me
like a servant. Ah, but the father would hear
none of it, would he? Bring forth the best robe. That robe that's been in the
closet and it's been prepared for just this time. The best
robe. Put that on him. And put a ring
on his finger. and put shoes on his feet. This
my son who was dead is alive. This my son who was polluted
is washed clean. Take away the filthy garments and clothe him with a change of raiment. And
I said, let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a
fair mitre upon his head and clothed him with garments. You
know what that fair mitre was? Remember the high priest of old
had the beautiful garments. He had that mitre, that plate
of gold on his head, which said, holiness to the Lord, holiness
to the Lord. And that's what he's made each
and every one of us, our sanctification, cleansed, dressed in that perfect
robe, and sanctified. Now, go back to our text just
a moment. Who can read this? and not love the Lord Jesus Christ. I tell you, I've seen some people
that I'd hate to touch. We were in Missouri two years
ago, and down on the Mississippi River, they've got this wall
to keep the river from coming into the town of St. Gerardo. And it's painted murals all along
the wall for several miles, I guess, all of the famous people that
are from Missouri. And we were walking along there,
my wife and I, you remember this. And this guy came, he looked
like that demoniac of Godera. I mean, he looked like he had
been living among the tombs. I would have hated to even touch
him. And here's the spotless, holy,
immaculate, sinless Son of God touching. Lord, if you will,
you can make me clean. I will. I will. Someone described salvation like
a house. God the Father is the architect. He designed the house. God the
Son is the constructor. He built the house. And God the
Holy Spirit is the mover. He domiciles people into the
house. Scripture says, thy people shall
be willing in the day of thy power. This was one of his people,
one who was given to him by the Father, one he came and represented
and died for. And now he's made willing. He's
willing to prostrate himself before the Lord God. Lord, recognizing
that he had the right, he had the power, he had the right,
he had the ability, to cleanse him or to leave him in his leprosy. Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst
make me whole. Thou canst make me clean. Well,
what did this leper find? I'll tell you what he found.
You see it, you read it. He found what every sinner finds
who comes to Christ On these terms, Lord, if you will, you
can save me if you will. What did he find? He found the Lord was willing.
And that's what every sinner finds who comes to Christ on
his terms. Now don't, well, I came to Christ
and I told him, Lord, if you'll do this, I'll do that. If you'll
do this, I'll, you're trying to bargain. That's not the way
to come to Christ. No, you come like this man. Worship,
Lord, if you will. And I guarantee you, upon the
authority of God's word, this is what you'll find. You'll find
a willing savior. The unwillingness is never on
his part. It's always on man's part, always. Let me ask you in closing, has
he touched you? Has he touched you? Have you been touched by the
master's hand? I don't mean physically, physically
like our Lord touched this man, but by his spirit. Has he touched
you and given you a new heart, formed Christ within you, and
now you have a desire to love and serve and honor him? as he
touched you. I pray that he has, and if he
hasn't, that he will. Let's sing a hymn and be dismissed.
Number 329, 329.