Matthew 8 - A not so modern leper

When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

Really interesting to note that when you compare the events here in Matthew with Mark and Luke's accounts there is a different order and chronology. I can imagine lots of people starting to raise eyebrows, muttering discontent about inaccuracy and grounds for contradiction within the bible. Not really. When you dig a little deeper it seems that Matthew arranged his material according to topics and themes, not according to chronology. D. A. Carson writes that “Matthew does not purport (maintain) to follow anything other than a topical arrangement, and most of his ‘time’ indicators are very loose.” It’s hardly a case for claiming wrongness; He just had a different writing style.

Leprosy was and continues to be a terrible and destructive disease. Jewish laws and customs would state you had to keep your distance and some would say if the wind was blowing in your direction from a leper you had to stand almost 50 metres away. Many would have placed lepers in the same category as those that were already dead. It’s interesting then, understanding the severity of this man’s illness, that he came ‘worshipping’ Jesus. He wanted to be healed and cleansed but he also wanted to worship. I know sometimes if I have a cold I don’t feel like worshipping never mind a destructive disease, I can learn a lot from this mans attitude.

“Those who call Jesus ‘Lord,’ and do not worship him, are more diseased than the leper was.” – Spurgeon

Jesus healed the leper, what was interesting was that the leper doesn’t have any questions on Jesus ability to heal. He seems to take it for granted that Jesus would have no problem cleansing him from his disease, he just asks if Jesus is willing to heal him. Having faith is much more endearing than having doubt.