Sitting At The Lepers Table - Horatius Bonar

About this sermon

Sitting at the leper's table! (Horatius Bonar, "Bethany and its Feast") "Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had leprosy." Matthew 26:6 To this home Jesus had been invited—and He goes. It seems to have been his leprosy, which first brought Simon to Christ—and Christ to him. His disease was his link of connection with the Lord; and had it not been for it, he might never have sought Him. It is still so with us. Our sin, our moral leprosy—draws us to Jesus. We go to Jesus, not about the good that is in us—but the evil. Our sense of guilt draws us to Him as the Pardoner; and our consciousness of sin constrains us to deal with Him as the Healer and Renewer. And as we began—so also do we go on. Sin brought us to Him—and Him to us. Our sin keeps us constantly at His side. Simon finds that he has much more to do with Jesus than merely for the cure of his leprosy; therefore he must have Him at his table. So is it with us. We begin our relationship with Jesus by going to Him with our sins. But we soon discover that it cannot be ended here. Our relationship becomes a constant interchange of thought and sympathy. We invite Him to our house—and He comes. We ask Him to dine with us—and He comes. How great the honor enjoyed by Simon, of entertaining the Lord of glory; sitting at his own table, with Jesus at his side as his guest! How marvelous the condescension of Christ—in thus sitting at the leper's table! Here, then, is the Savior that suits us—the healer of the leper, and the guest of the healed one! We say to Jesus, "Heal me"—and He heals! "Come in"—and He comes! "Sit down at my table"—and He sits down immediately. It is but little communion indeed, that we can taste here; for the best of earthly feasts are but foretastes of the marriage-supper. But the whole glad fullness we shall yet enjoy, when we shall meet a long absent Lord, not at our table—but at His own! That day shall be the day of the Master's joy, as well as of ours—He feasting with us, and we with Him! He enjoying our fellowship, and we His — forevermore!