Matthew 8:1
When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him.
Matthew 8:1-4
Matthew 8:2
And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean."
Matthew 8:3
And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, "I will; be clean." And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
touched him
The Law is so strict about leprosy that most are unwilling even to touch a leper.
Leviticus 13:45-46
The leprous person who has the disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head hang loose, and he shall cover his upper lip and cry out, 'Unclean, unclean.' He shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease. He is unclean. He shall live alone. His dwelling shall be outside the camp.
Matthew 8:4
And Jesus said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a proof to them."
the gift that Moses commanded
Leviticus 14:1-2, 4, 10, 20
The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "This shall be the law of the leprous person for the day of his cleansing. He shall be brought to the priest....
The priest shall command them to take for him who is to be cleansed two live clean birds and cedarwood and scarlet yarn and hyssop....
And on the eighth day he shall take two male lambs without blemish, and one ewe lamb a year old without blemish, and a grain offering of three tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, and one log of oil....
And the priest shall offer the burnt offering and the grain offering on the altar. Thus the priest shall make atonement for him, and he shall be clean.
for a proof to them
The priestly instructions of Leviticus 13 and 14 are rather involved, and we get the sense that the priests in Jesus's time either did not observe them or did not believe they would work.
The Greek for "proof" here (μαρτύριον) means a "witness" or "testimony."
In the Septuagint translation of the Old Testament, this word is used over 200 times--22 times in Psalm 119 alone! This word is used in such common phrases as:
- the ark of the covenant
- the ark of the testimony
- the tent of meeting
- the two tablets of the testimony
Psalm 78:5, 7, 56
He established a testimony in Jacob
and appointed a law in Israel,
which he commanded our fathers
to teach to their children...,
so that they should set their hope in God
and not forget the works of God,
but keep his commandments....
Yet they tested and rebelled against the Most High God
and did not keep his testimonies....
Contrast the use of this word in other places, e.g., "And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them" (Mark 6:11).
Mark 1:40-45
Mark 1:40
And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, "If you will, you can make me clean."
Mark 1:41
Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, "I will; be clean."
moved with pity
The Greek for "pity" here (σπλαγχνίζομαι) is a visceral reaction, a genuinely heart-felt pity.
Pity and willingness to touch society's "untouchables" are Jesus's habit.
Matthew 20:29-34
And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him. And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, "Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!" The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, "Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!" And stopping, Jesus called them and said, "What do you want me to do for you?" They said to him, "Lord, let our eyes be opened." And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him.
Mark uses the term a few more times, showing Jesus merciful especially for those who seek him.
Mark 6:34
When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.
Mark 8:2
"I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat."
Luke shows Jesus putting a finer definition on the term.
Luke 10:33
But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion.
Luke 15:20
And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.
Mark 1:42
And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.
Mark 1:43
And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once,
Mark 1:44
and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them."
Mark 1:45
But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter.
Jesus could no longer openly enter a town
This is perhaps the single clearest explanation for Jesus's many recorded warnings not to spread word about him.
Luke 5:12-16
Luke 5:12
While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy. And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean."
Luke 5:13
And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, "I will; be clean." And immediately the leprosy left him.
Luke 5:14
And he charged him to tell no one, but "go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, for a proof to them."
Luke 5:15
But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities.
Luke 5:16
But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.
desolate places
Jesus taught that we ought to take time to pray and recover alone.
Mark 1:35
And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.
Mark 6:31
And he said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while." For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.