He Won’t Keep a Safe Distance…

My daughter and I watched a couple episodes of Billy The Exterminator last night.

That show always makes us laugh… and squirm.

Bugs.

Rodents.

Snakes.

Reptiles.

Infestations.

Mullets.

Braided, beaded chin hair.

Fingerless black leather gloves with spikes.

It’s like Dog the Bounty Hunter for insects and animals.

This is Billy’s business – and you can tell he’s pretty excited about it…

He squeezes into crawlspaces, climbs into attics, wades in swamps – invading the territory of creatures.

Concerning creatures: I like to keep a safe distance (like the distance between Baton Rouge and Seattle).

When it comes to contagious/infectious things: I’m running like Usain Bolt.

Jesus is more like Billy than me.

He gets right in there among all the creepy-crawlies and contagious diseases.

The Gospels tell the story of Jesus encountering a man with an advanced case of leprosy.

The man begged Jesus for healing.

How did Jesus respond?

He didn’t get out his travel-size Purell and start sanitizing.

He didn’t run.

Instead, he did the unthinkable…

He reached out and touched the leprous, infectious skin of that man.

He touched him and said, “Be healed”.

And the man was instantly healed!

When Jesus touched the leper, he didn’t catch leprosy – the leper caught what Jesus had: healing/wholeness.

Here’s what I’m driving at: God won’t keep a safe distance from you.

He’s not moving away from you – he’s coming to you.

He’s not intimidated by all your sin, funk and junk.

You’re not too messed up for Him.

He’s not gonna come down with a case of whatever you have.

You aren’t going to infect Him.

But He will infect you – with healing, wholeness, forgiveness… life!

Jesus won’t keep a safe distance from your _______________(marriage, family, finances, life).