Northgate Christian Community

Jon Hasselbeck What is faith? Why is faith the avenue through which we encounter God? Why are we asked to believe in someone we can’t see? These questions were the focus of Jon’s message. To work through these questions, Pr. Jon looked to the examples of faith in Matthew 8 from two individuals who were at the margins of Israel’s community: a leper and a Gentile. In the first story, a leper comes to Jesus in a posture of worship and declares, “Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean” (v. 2), to which Jesus responds by stretching out his hand, touching the leper, and declaring, “I do choose. Be made clean!” (v. 3). It is important to know in this story that leprosy in the first century meant that you were part of a select group of “untouchables.” Lepers were segregated from communal life and were considered unclean by Jewish law. They suffered a lifelong illness and marginalization from the broader society. In this context, the leper goes to Jesus in a posture of worship and has hope and faith in Jesus’ auth