And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean.
Moved with pity, Jesus drew near to the leper without fear of contamination and touched him though the touch made a person ceremonially unclean, showing he was not rejected or beyond help, and answered his trust in Jesus' power and willingness by willing his cleansing and commanding the disease to depart. His word brought immediate and complete cleansing, removing the incurable disease and restoring diseased body to healthy flesh, nerves and muscle. The man stood under the full weight of the law of leprosy as the most dreaded, incurable and defiling disease, a judgment for sin and a symbol of sin as deep-rooted and deadly, yet he came in faith and hope, seeing only the Son of God and resting his request on Jesus' willingness to make him clean. He speaks and heals with authority belonging to himself, by his own power and for his own glory, so that at his command the leprosy of sin departs just as he commands nature and raises the dead. He directed the healed man to the priest with the offering required by Moses as public testimony of divine power, commanded silence because publicity would draw crowding sufferers, raise the cry of contamination and hinder preaching, and in turning no sufferer away assures all who seek cleansing that he is willing to make them clean.
Setting and Compassionate Healing
Jesus was going through Galilee preaching from place to place rather than lingering over those already warned, letting the message do its work, and He charged those healed not to tell because priests and rulers would come right after Him to block His way in every possible way, and they tried to do so.
The healing answers a leper standing under the full weight of the Jewish law of leprosy, for leprosy was the most dreaded disease, seen as incurable, contagious, and horrible in effect, regarded as a judgment for sin and called the stroke and finger of God, deep-rooted, ineradicable and deadly as a symbol of sin. By ritual law the leper was pronounced unclean, as one already dead and shut out from human dwellings, with whatever he touched unclean and his breath polluting the air. One suspected of the disease was required to show himself to the priests for examination and decision, and if pronounced a leper was isolated from family and the congregation to associate only with fellow lepers. The law was so inflexible that even kings had to yield power and flee society, forced away from friends to bear the curse, publish his calamity, rend his garments and cry out warning all to flee his contaminating presence.
The man healed was once held in high regard, now with severe leprosy physicians could not cure, condemned by priestly examination to live apart from family and society with longing for healing. He had seen Jesus heal the sick and became convinced Jesus could heal even him, showing Jesus to be the promised Savior authorized by God with power over an incurable disease.
The leper approached in faith and hope despite restrictions and the crowd's fear, seeing and hearing only the Son of God, humbly asking for mercy in trust that Jesus could make him clean. His faith rested on Jesus' power to heal and his request rested on Jesus' willingness.
Moved with compassion and pity, Jesus fearlessly drew near without keeping away for fear of contamination, even when disease followed violation of natural law and others loathed and shunned the sufferer as hopeless. He reached out and touched the man though touching a leper made a person ceremonially unclean under the law of Moses, showing the man was not rejected or beyond help. He answered the plea by willing his cleansing and commanding the disease to depart.
His word brought immediate and complete cleansing, removing the incurable disease and restoring the diseased body to health, to healthy flesh, nerves and muscle. This reveals divine power and compassion for the afflicted.
Authority Witness and Application
Jesus speaks the cleansing as one whose authority is his own, commanding directly that the man be clean by power that is his own and for his own glory, and he keeps the honor offered for the miracle to himself, whereas the apostles work miracles in Jesus' name and claim no honor for themselves. His is authority to cleanse and restore, so that at his command the leprosy of sin departs as surely as he commands nature and raises the dead to life and health, and his willingness to help makes his glory and majesty known. The healing reaches far beyond the act itself, for while he blesses the leper who comes he yearns to bless those who do not come, especially priests and teachers shut in by prejudice and tradition, leaving no means untried to reach them. The touch that cleanses stands as evidence of his love for humanity, his respect for the law, and his power to deliver from sin and death.
He charges silence because he knows enemies seek to limit his work and turn the people from him, and publishing the healing would draw crowding lepers, raise the cry of contamination, be misused by those who would not use health as a blessing, give occasion to charge him with breaking the ritual law, and hinder the preaching of the gospel. The miracle is not performed for display, yet its wide publicity creates such commotion and draws such crowds that enemies can use the case to oppose his work and he must for a time cease labor and withdraw. He directs the healed man to show himself to the priest and present the offering required by Moses, showing he is not opposed to the Jewish code and disproving the charge that his teaching opposes the law. The same priests who had condemned the leper to banishment certify his cure, and that public sentence stands as testimony for Christ with the restored man himself a living witness, convincing the priests of divine power and granting them opportunity to know the truth for profit, though many reject the light, so the witness is not in vain.
The cleansing shows Jesus as the compassionate healer who can cleanse the sinner from the leprosy of sin, with the cleansing applied to heart and mind, and his servants can lead sinners to him and bring comfort through their ministry. He turns no sufferer away and withholds healing from none who come, welcoming and giving access to his presence even to lepers others regard as loathsome, and healing them. That welcome proves miraculous power to cure every malady and gives hopeless sufferers reason to expect relief when brought under his notice. The leper's hopelessness of recovery is set beside the paralytic's despair, showing the paralytic like the leper had reason to seek healing from Jesus. The compassionate response gives encouragement, assuring those seeking cleansing that Jesus is willing to make them clean, and carries a call to partake of a rich banquet and to read and receive the instruction given.
Moved with pity, Jesus drew near to the leper without fear of contamination and touched him though the touch made a person ceremonially unclean, showing he was not rejected or beyond help, and answered his trust in Jesus' power and willingness by willing his cleansing and commanding the disease to depart. His word brought immediate and complete cleansing, removing the incurable disease and restoring diseased body to healthy flesh, nerves and muscle. The man stood under the full weight of the law of leprosy as the most dreaded, incurable and defiling disease, a judgment for sin and a symbol of sin as deep-rooted and deadly, yet he came in faith and hope, seeing only the Son of God and resting his request on Jesus' willingness to make him clean. He speaks and heals with authority belonging to himself, by his own power and for his own glory, so that at his command the leprosy of sin departs just as he commands nature and raises the dead. He directed the healed man to the priest with the offering required by Moses as public testimony of divine power, commanded silence because publicity would draw crowding sufferers, raise the cry of contamination and hinder preaching, and in turning no sufferer away assures all who seek cleansing that he is willing to make them clean.
Setting and Compassionate Healing
Jesus was going through Galilee preaching from place to place rather than lingering over those already warned, letting the message do its work, and He charged those healed not to tell because priests and rulers would come right after Him to block His way in every possible way, and they tried to do so.
The healing answers a leper standing under the full weight of the Jewish law of leprosy, for leprosy was the most dreaded disease, seen as incurable, contagious, and horrible in effect, regarded as a judgment for sin and called the stroke and finger of God, deep-rooted, ineradicable and deadly as a symbol of sin. By ritual law the leper was pronounced unclean, as one already dead and shut out from human dwellings, with whatever he touched unclean and his breath polluting the air. One suspected of the disease was required to show himself to the priests for examination and decision, and if pronounced a leper was isolated from family and the congregation to associate only with fellow lepers. The law was so inflexible that even kings had to yield power and flee society, forced away from friends to bear the curse, publish his calamity, rend his garments and cry out warning all to flee his contaminating presence.
The man healed was once held in high regard, now with severe leprosy physicians could not cure, condemned by priestly examination to live apart from family and society with longing for healing. He had seen Jesus heal the sick and became convinced Jesus could heal even him, showing Jesus to be the promised Savior authorized by God with power over an incurable disease.
The leper approached in faith and hope despite restrictions and the crowd's fear, seeing and hearing only the Son of God, humbly asking for mercy in trust that Jesus could make him clean. His faith rested on Jesus' power to heal and his request rested on Jesus' willingness.
Moved with compassion and pity, Jesus fearlessly drew near without keeping away for fear of contamination, even when disease followed violation of natural law and others loathed and shunned the sufferer as hopeless. He reached out and touched the man though touching a leper made a person ceremonially unclean under the law of Moses, showing the man was not rejected or beyond help. He answered the plea by willing his cleansing and commanding the disease to depart.
His word brought immediate and complete cleansing, removing the incurable disease and restoring the diseased body to health, to healthy flesh, nerves and muscle. This reveals divine power and compassion for the afflicted.
Authority Witness and Application
Jesus speaks the cleansing as one whose authority is his own, commanding directly that the man be clean by power that is his own and for his own glory, and he keeps the honor offered for the miracle to himself, whereas the apostles work miracles in Jesus' name and claim no honor for themselves. His is authority to cleanse and restore, so that at his command the leprosy of sin departs as surely as he commands nature and raises the dead to life and health, and his willingness to help makes his glory and majesty known. The healing reaches far beyond the act itself, for while he blesses the leper who comes he yearns to bless those who do not come, especially priests and teachers shut in by prejudice and tradition, leaving no means untried to reach them. The touch that cleanses stands as evidence of his love for humanity, his respect for the law, and his power to deliver from sin and death.
He charges silence because he knows enemies seek to limit his work and turn the people from him, and publishing the healing would draw crowding lepers, raise the cry of contamination, be misused by those who would not use health as a blessing, give occasion to charge him with breaking the ritual law, and hinder the preaching of the gospel. The miracle is not performed for display, yet its wide publicity creates such commotion and draws such crowds that enemies can use the case to oppose his work and he must for a time cease labor and withdraw. He directs the healed man to show himself to the priest and present the offering required by Moses, showing he is not opposed to the Jewish code and disproving the charge that his teaching opposes the law. The same priests who had condemned the leper to banishment certify his cure, and that public sentence stands as testimony for Christ with the restored man himself a living witness, convincing the priests of divine power and granting them opportunity to know the truth for profit, though many reject the light, so the witness is not in vain.
The cleansing shows Jesus as the compassionate healer who can cleanse the sinner from the leprosy of sin, with the cleansing applied to heart and mind, and his servants can lead sinners to him and bring comfort through their ministry. He turns no sufferer away and withholds healing from none who come, welcoming and giving access to his presence even to lepers others regard as loathsome, and healing them. That welcome proves miraculous power to cure every malady and gives hopeless sufferers reason to expect relief when brought under his notice. The leper's hopelessness of recovery is set beside the paralytic's despair, showing the paralytic like the leper had reason to seek healing from Jesus. The compassionate response gives encouragement, assuring those seeking cleansing that Jesus is willing to make them clean, and carries a call to partake of a rich banquet and to read and receive the instruction given.