Matthew 8:4

Matthew 8:4
There are three things in the incident with the leper that we cannot overlook. Each has to do with the words of Jesus to the leper. First, there are the words, “I am willing, be cleansed.” In Leviticus 13 & 14, leprosy is used as one of the symbols of sin and uncleanness. No one was allowed to approach the Lord while unclean. Thus, the key verse in Leviticus is, “You shall be holy, for I am holy”(Lev. 11:44). God’s intention is that we be set apart from worldly sin and defilements. Therefore, we must see ourselves in connection with this leper. Spiritually speaking, we are no different. Sin eats away at us, keeps us from being in fellowship with the Father, and eventually destroys us eternally. Our only hope is to be cleansed by Jesus. Fortunately, He is willing just as He was willing to cleanse the leper.

The second statement that is notable is, “See that you tell no man…” In making a decision about the authenticity of Jesus, we cannot overlook this statement. A fraud would have desired the popularity of this miracle. A fraud would have encouraged the publicity. But instead, Jesus was concerned about the popularity. In the parallel account (Mk. 1:45), the result of this man telling everyone of his healing made it so Jesus could no longer enter the cities. Jesus did not want to lose contact with the individual. This is a critical key to evangelism. Our success is not based on grand publicity schemes, but on each person telling a friend or neighbor about the Lord. This is how the gospel was spread in the first century. Indeed, it was the only way it could be spread.

The third statement is, “Show yourself to the priest as a testimony to them.” According to the law, the diagnosis of leprosy would first come from the priest. For the healed man to return to the priest and show himself would be a testimony to the Jewish leaders that the Messiah had arrived. No one could cleanse such a disease but God. The miracle still stands today as a testimony to us. He is the Christ; He is God who came in the flesh to cleanse mankind of their sins.
Berry Kercheville