JULY 1

Help for the Hopeless

Bible Reading: Matthew 8:1-4

The phrase “social distancing” became a part of our vernacular during the Covid pandemic, as we were told by health organizations to stay at home and away from others as much as possible. We were likewise told to keep a six-foot distance between us. We learned something of being isolated from each other, as children were kept home from schools and employees were forced to work from home. As difficult as that was, it was still nothing compared to what the leper had to go through. 

We can imagine how it started for him. He had developed a sore or swelling on his skin which would not heal. Per the Law, he went to the priest who examined the diseased area. Having determined it to be leprosy, the priest’s pronouncement of him being “unclean” would have been accompanied by detailed instructions to wear torn clothes, keep his hair disheveled, and cry out “Unclean, unclean!” as a warning wherever he went. No more could he hold his wife, or children in his arms, or even touch them. He was an outcast to society, so much so, that according to the customs of his day, he had to maintain a six-feet distance from others. If the wind blew towards a person from him, that person was to keep 150 feet away. One rabbi bragged he wouldn’t even buy an egg on a street where he saw a leper. Another boasted how he’d throw rocks at lepers to keep them away. The only thing more defiling than contact with a leper was contact with a dead body. For this and other reasons, leprosy was thought to be a picture of sin. The leper was despised and rejected, ostracized by society, especially by religious people. No doubt he sometimes longingly wished for things to be the way they were before leprosy, yet there was no one who could fix things for him. At least, not until Jesus came to town. 

One advantage of being diseased was it put this man in such a state of neediness he was compelled to look to Jesus for help. Human frailty has a way of doing that. Another advantage of being a leper was it worked to clear a path for him wherever he went. People parted as the Red Sea, as he made his way through the great crowds to get to Jesus–he having somehow heard the news regarding Jesus’ healing powers. 

It was a bold move on the leper’s part. A plan born out of faith and desperation. “If only I can make it to Jesus,” he must have thought, “He’s my only hope!” And so, Jesus remains the sole hope for all the lost and desperate. Others were no doubt startled by the leper’s audacity. Surely, they must have thought, Jesus will rebuke the fellow and turn him away—but that’s not what happened. The leper fell at Jesus’ feet and said, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean” (Matthew 8:2). The leper did not doubt Jesus could heal, he only wondered as to his willingness to cleanse him. His faith was rewarded in Jesus’ ready response. “Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, ‘I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed” (Matthew 8:3). 

How long had it been since he had felt the touch of a fellow human! Yet Jesus reached out and touched him and cleansed him! How many times had the leper declared those words, “Unclean, unclean!” So many, they’d worked to shape his reviled identity. He was “UNCLEAN!” But by the mere touch of Jesus, he was miraculously brought into a new reality, as Jesus declared unto him “BE CLEAN!” 

Charles Spurgeon has commented on this: “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. 

“Jesus heals all who comes and casts out none.”

Charles Spurgeon

NO, NOT ONE

There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus–
No, not one! no, not one!
None else could heal all our soul’s diseases–
No, not one! no, not one!

Refrain:
Jesus knows all about our struggles,
He will guide till the day is done;
There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus–
No, not one! no, not one!

No friend like Him is so high and holy–
No, not one! no, not one!
And yet no friend is so meek and lowly–
No, not one! no, not one! [Refrain]

There’s not an hour that He is not near us –
No, not one! no, not one!
No night so dark but His love can cheer us–
No, not one! no, not one! [Refrain]

Was e’er a gift like the Savior given?
No, not one! no, not one!
Will He refuse us a home in heaven?
No, not one! no, not one! [Refrain]

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Author: looking2jesus13

Jerry L. Conklin was born and raised in Hillsboro, Oregon. After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the United States Navy and served for six years in the Navy’s Nuclear Power Program. He was assigned to the USS *Omaha* (SSN-692), a nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine, where he served as a reactor-plant electrical operator. His military service took him to ports and locations throughout the world and provided extensive technical training, leadership experience, and an enduring appreciation for those who serve in the Armed Forces. Following his Navy service, Jerry earned a bachelor’s degree in Nuclear Technology from Thomas Edison State University. He worked at the Trojan Nuclear Plant near Rainier, Oregon, first as a reactor operator and later as a training specialist. After sensing God’s call to pastoral ministry, he left the nuclear-power industry and earned a master’s degree in theology from Western Conservative Baptist Seminary in Portland, Oregon. Jerry served for twenty-seven and a half years as senior pastor of Lewis and Clark Bible Church in Astoria, Oregon. During those years, he preached and taught the Scriptures, provided pastoral counseling, performed weddings and memorial services, trained church leaders, and served individuals and families throughout the community. He also served as a fire department chaplain and participated in a variety of community ministries. After retiring from full-time pastoral ministry, Jerry and his wife, Laura, moved to Heppner, Oregon. There he served for approximately four years as a chaplain with Pioneer Memorial Home Health and Hospice, providing spiritual and emotional support to more than 150 patients and their families. In 2023, the Oregon Association for Home Care honored him as its Chaplain of the Year. Jerry also helped establish South Morrow County Seniors Matter, a nonprofit organization created to address the needs of older adults following the COVID-19 pandemic. As chairman, he worked with community leaders and volunteers to develop a weekly senior meal program, a monthly veterans’ lunch, and other activities and services. The organization served hundreds of seniors, mobilized more than 200 volunteers, and received statewide and national recognition. In 2025, Jerry was named Heppner’s Man of the Year, and his community service was later recognized by United States Senator Jeff Merkley. International missions have also been an important part of Jerry’s ministry. He has made ten trips to Uganda, where he has taught at pastors’ conferences, preached in churches, participated in Bible-school graduations, distributed Bibles and Christian materials, and encouraged local pastors and ministry leaders. He developed the discipleship booklet *First Steps with Jesus* to help new believers understand and grow in their faith. Jerry is the author of numerous books, Bible studies, devotionals, and teaching resources, including works centered on prayer, Christian hope, spiritual growth, and the person of Jesus Christ. His decades of preaching and teaching reflect his commitment to presenting biblical truth clearly, practically, and faithfully. Jerry and Laura were married for nearly forty-two years and raised four children. They were also blessed with three grandchildren. Laura passed away in August 2025 following an eight-and-a-half-year battle with cancer. Jerry currently lives in Hillsboro, where he helps care for his elderly father. He continues to preach, teach, write, and serve others through pastoral and community ministry.

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