Morning “I will; be thou clean.” / Mark 1:41

Primeval darkness heard the Almighty fiat, “light be,” and straightway light
was, and the word of the Lord Jesus is equal in majesty to that ancient word
of power. Redemption like Creation has its word of might. Jesus speaks and it
is done. Leprosy yielded to no human remedies, but it fled at once at the
Lord’s “I will.” The disease exhibited no hopeful signs or tokens of recovery,
nature contributed nothing to its own healing, but the unaided word effected
the entire work on the spot and forever. The sinner is in a plight more
miserable than the leper; let him imitate his example and go to Jesus,
“beseeching him and kneeling down to him.” Let him exercise what little faith
he has, even though it should go no further than “Lord, if thou wilt, thou
canst make me clean;” and there need be no doubt as to the result of the
application. Jesus heals all who come, and casts out none. In reading the
narrative in which our morning’s text occurs, it is worthy of devout notice
that Jesus touched the leper. This unclean person had broken through the
regulations of the ceremonial law and pressed into the house, but Jesus so far
from chiding him broke through the law himself in order to meet him. He made
an interchange with the leper, for while he cleansed him, he contracted by
that touch a Levitical defilement. Even so Jesus Christ was made sin for us,
although in himself he knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of
God in him. O that poor sinners would go to Jesus, believing in the power of
his blessed substitutionary work, and they would soon learn the power of his
gracious touch. That hand which multiplied the loaves, which saved sinking
Peter, which upholds afflicted saints, which crowns believers, that same hand
will touch every seeking sinner, and in a moment make him clean. The love of
Jesus is the source of salvation. He loves, he looks, he touches us, we live.

Evening “Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have.” /
Leviticus 19:36

Weights, and scales, and measures were to be all according to the standard of
justice. Surely no Christian man will need to be reminded of this in his
business, for if righteousness were banished from all the world beside, it
should find a shelter in believing hearts. There are, however, other balances
which weigh moral and spiritual things, and these often need examining. We
will call in the officer tonight.

The balances in which we weigh our own and other men’s characters, are they
quite accurate? Do we not turn our own ounces of goodness into pounds, and
other persons’ bushels of excellence into pecks? See to weights and measures
here, Christian. The scales in which we measure our trials and troubles, are
they according to standard? Paul, who had more to suffer than we have, called
his afflictions light, and yet we often consider ours to be heavy–surely
something must be amiss with the weights! We must see to this matter, lest we
get reported to the court above for unjust dealing. Those weights with which
we measure our doctrinal belief, are they quite fair? The doctrines of grace
should have the same weight with us as the precepts of the word, no more and
no less; but it is to be feared that with many one scale or the other is
unfairly weighted. It is a grand matter to give just measure in truth.
Christian, be careful here. Those measures in which we estimate our
obligations and responsibilities look rather small. When a rich man gives no
more to the cause of God than the poor contribute, is that a just ephah and a
just hin? When ministers are half starved, is that honest dealing? When the
poor are despised, while ungodly rich men are held in admiration, is that a
just balance? Reader, we might lengthen the list, but we prefer to leave it as
your evening’s work to find out and destroy all unrighteous balances, weights,
and measures.