1. Christ ' s miracles of healing , and the secret of his ability to perform them. Observe: (a) One of the chosen people, who had lost all social and religious privileges; (b) a Gentile, an outsider by birth; (c) the near relation of a personal follower; (d) multitudes. (a) The request by the sufferer; (b) the request by another; (c) apparently no request, yet the personal follower has Christ with him; (d) the sufferers are brought to him. read more
MESSIAH 'S WORK AS COMPLEMENTARY TO HIS TEACHING . We return in this section to matter which resembles that of Mark and Luke, and undoubtedly belongs to the Framework ( vide Introduction). St. Matthew has given a lengthy summary of the teaching of the Christ, and he now supplements it by a summary of his daily work. He is not concerned with the chronological connexion of the incidents here narrated, for this is evidently to him a matter of but secondary importance. He... read more
And, behold . In this case the unexpected ( Matthew 1:20 , note) was the near approach ( προσελθών ), the "worship," and the prayer of an outcast. There came a leper . Loathsome physically and typically. The other passages which speak of the healing of lepers by our Lord or the apostles are And worshipped him ( Matthew 4:9 , note). From the parallel passages we may see that the word here refers more to the posture of his body than to the nature of his thoughts. Saying, Lord, if... read more
Doubts turned into prayers. "if thou wilt." This may be the first instance in which our Lord put forth his power to cleanse a leper, and, if so, the hesitation and anxiety of the man is very naturally explained. His approach is that of a man who had his doubts and fears, but had also his confidences and hopes; and he very properly let his faith decide his action rather than his fears. We may look on him as a man doubting, but showing us how to deal with our doubts; and proving to us how... read more
There came a leper - No disease with which the human family has been afflicted has been more dreadful than that which is often mentioned in the Bible “as the leprosy.” It first exhibits itself on the surface of the skin. The appearance is not always the same, but it commonly resembles the spot made by the puncture of a pin or the pustules of a ringworm. The spots generally make their appearance very suddenly. Perhaps its appearance might be hastened by any sudden passion, as fear or anger. See... read more
30. Jesus cleanses a leper (Matthew 8:1-4; Mark 1:40-45; Luke 5:12-16)People with leprosy and other skin diseases were considered unclean and a danger to public health. They were outcasts from society (Leviticus 13:45-46). If they were healed they had to offer sacrifices to symbolize their cleansing and express their thanks (Leviticus 14:1-20).On the first recorded occasion when Jesus healed a leper, he did what anyone else would normally avoid doing; he touched the man. He then told the man to... read more
behold. Figure of speech Asterismos ( App-6 ), for emphasis. leper. See note on Exodus 4:6 . worshipped = did homage. See App-137 . The variations in Mark 1:0 , and Luke 5:0 , are due to the fact that they do not record the same miracle. See App-97 . Lord. App-98 . This is the first time that Jesus is called "Lord". In this second period of His ministry, His Person is to be proclaimed as Messiah, both Divine (here), and in Matthew 8:20 human. When once they begin to call Him "Lord", they... read more
And behold, there came to him a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.Leprosy was, and is, a dreadful disease and was considered as a type of sin under the law of Moses; not that lepers were considered sinners, but the disease itself in its destructive course through the body bore remarkable suggestions of the similar ravages of sin in the soul. Elaborate rules were set up to isolate the leper and guard against his association with the community.... read more
Matthew 8:2. And, behold, there came a leper— It has been generally thought, that this is the leper whose cure is recorded, Mark 1:40. Luk 5:12 and consequently that the sermon in Luke is not the same with that in the preceding chapter. But the cures, says Macknight, are different: that was performed in a city, this in the fields. Having cleansed the leper here mentioned, Jesus entered into Capernaum, and cured the centurion's servant; whereas, the other leper having published the miracle,... read more
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The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 8:1-13
The leper and the centurion. The miracles of our Lord are an integral and necessary part of God's revelation of himself to men. Christ came not so much to reveal God's power as to reveal God's disposition to use that power for us; not so much to show God's holiness as to show his desire and purpose to make us also holy. Miracles, therefore, lay as naturally and inevitably in the way of Christ's work as his teaching with authority did. I. THE HEALING OF THE LEPER is the first... read more