My Leper Messiah

One of the traditional Hebraic titles applied to the Messiah seems strange at first - Leper Messiah. However, to me it is one of the most glorious. This week's Torah portion is called Metzorah, or leper. For those Jews who do not recognise Yeshua as their Messiah, this is simply Leviticus 14-15. Yes, we should all understand this part of Torah - but for those of us who are part of the Body of Messiah, the meaning goes deeper than that, wonderfully deeper! For our Messiah was a leper on behalf of all of us. As it says in Isaiah 53:4:

"Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted."

When Yeshua carried out His Earthly ministry, it often involved the healing of lepers - perhaps this is why, for He knew the burden he would carry for us all. The Master said that healing the sick and curing lepers was a sign of the Kingdom approaching (Matt. 10:8). When He healed lepers, He told them to go and offer sacrifices as instructed by Torah. Yet, He does not offer just physical healing, but spiritual too. It is for our sake that He was 'crushed for our iniquities'. Yeshua fulfilled the prophecies in Isaiah perfectly; He took up the uncleanness of our hearts in order to heal them. As we approach Pesach [Passover], let us remind ourselves of that perfect Pesach sacrifice - Yeshua HaMashyiach took on our impurity in order to make us pure, just as He healed the leper.